Sports Administration

Master of Science

The Master of Science with a concentration in Sports Administration (MSSA) is a 35 or 36-credit program for individuals interested in developing competence and pursuing careers in the management of sports personnel and facilities. Graduates of this program may assume a supervisory and administrative position in a variety of settings, including public recreation systems, voluntary agencies, facility and event management, community based athletic programs, and professional sports organizations. The program is jointly administered through the Department of Physical Education and the Graduate Division.

The program emphasizes competency in six core areas:
l Leadership, management, and organization of recreation and sport
l Research methods
l Legal aspects of sports
l Marketing of programs and facilities
l Ethics in sports management
l Sports in a social context

In addition, students in the program are encouraged to elect coursework in the areas of Financial Accounting and Financial Management.

In this interdisciplinary program, students take graduate coursework through the Department of Physical Education, the MBA program, and other programs in the Graduate Division, including Education, Psychology, Communication, and Liberal Studies. Generally, this degree is not recommended for students having an undergraduate degree in Sports Management.

Admission Requirements.

1. Undergraduate degree, preferably with the equivalent of 12 credits in PE, a PE-related area (e.g., Recreation and Leisure) or Business.

2. Undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 or higher.

3. Two letters of reference.

4. Essay detailing purpose for undertaking graduate study in Sports Management.

5. Other requirements as stipulated by the Graduate Division.

Curriculum. Students in the program complete 9 credits of University requirements intended to distinguish the degree as uniquely Valpo. In addition, students fulfill a number of distribution requirements and complete 6 credits of electives.

General Requirements (9 credits)
Choose one:
LS 620 Seminar in Social Science 3 Cr.
LS 650 Religion, Culture, and Value 3 Cr.
LS 555/655 Business Ethics 3 Cr.
PE 620 Women and Sports 3 Cr.

Concentration (20-21 credits)
PE 533 Management and Development of Facilities 3 Cr.
PE 543 Sports Marketing and Promotion 3 Cr.
PE 670 Sports and the Law 3 Cr.
PE 686/692 Research or Internship 3 Cr.

Choose one:
PE 515 Measurement and Evaluation in Physical Education 3 Cr.
ED 610 Research in Education 3 Cr.
PSY 602 Research Methods in Psychology 3 Cr.

Choose one:
PE 520 Sports and Society 3 Cr.
PE 510 Psychology of Sport 3 Cr.

Choose one:
LS 690 Organizational Leadership 3 Cr.
MBA 550 Psychological Foundations of Management 2 Cr.

Electives (6 credits)
Select from:
MBA 501 Managerial Economics 2 Cr.
MBA 504 Business Law 2 Cr.
MBA 510 Financial Accounting 2 Cr.
MBA 520 Financial Management 2 Cr.
MBA 530 Marketing Management 2 Cr.
COMM 510 Integrated Communication for Marketing 3 Cr.
LS or PE Graduate Elective 3 Cr.