The United States sports industry involves more than $200 billion in annual spending and touches every professional aspect of media and administration.
Transform your love of athletic competition and turn it into a rewarding career.
Sports Administration
Manage sports personnel and facilities in a variety of settings, including public recreation systems, voluntary agencies, facility and event management, community-based athletic programs, college athletic administration, and professional sports organizations.
Valparaiso University offers a 39-credit Master of Science (M.S.) in Sports Administration that will help you develop competence and pursue careers in the management of sports personnel and facilities.
- Undergraduate athletes who seek a career in the sports industry away from coaching or administration.
- Professionals in the journalism field who are looking for additional education on diversifying their talents.
- Leadership, management, and organization of recreation and sport
- Research methods
- Legal aspects of sports
- Marketing of programs and facilities
- Ethics in sports management
- Sports in a social context
- Financial aspects of sports
- Come online classes available
- Hands-on (experiential) learning on campus
- High quality internships available
- Network with industry professionals and alumni
- Rapidly growing career field with exponential projected future job growth
- Opportunities to collaborate with faculty on creative work and research
- Unique faculty spotlight
Sports Media
Graduate ready to advance your career in a range of sports media outlets, especially online, where sports content is growing rapidly, as well as positions within sports information offices and sports management.
The M.S. in Sports Media is a 36-credit graduate program that prepares students for employment in many sports media outlets, especially those on the internet, where sports content has been growing rapidly; sports information offices in any sport, collegiate or professional; and sports management positions. The program will develop professionals to be able to:
- Explain and apply appropriate information technologies and methodologies to help individuals or organizations achieve their goals through the use of sports media.
- Anticipate the changing direction of sports media.
- Evaluate and communicate the potential utility of new technologies utilized in sports media.
- Live and work as a contributing, well-rounded member of society through ethical sports media practices.
- Individuals from a variety of backgrounds who would like to enter management and administration of sports personnel, staff, and athletic facilities.
- Sports Management/Business/Sport Science undergraduate degrees, those looking to work in professional/college/high school sports, coaching, city parks and recreation, private sector sport, health and fitness clubs.
- Professionals with athletic or coaching expertise who also have a desire to pursue a leadership role within a sports administration department or business.
Sports within the United States involve more than $200 billion in annual spending and touch every professional aspect of media. The leading sports in the U.S. are followed by 85 percent of the U.S. population, and the average individual follows five different leagues. Sports affect society in myriad ways, from tourism to retailing to equipment to medicine to media. Digital, mobile and social will continue to mature as key distribution, fan engagement and revenue sources for the sports industry in 2017. This graduate program will:
- Familiarize students with technology and skills required to be successful in sports media.
- Provide significant hands-on internship experience in a real-world setting.
- Enable students to integrate management skills and ethical perspectives into their study.
- Prepare students for professional employment in sports media.
| Arkansas State University | Kane County Cougars (Midwest League baseball) |
| Baltimore Ravens M & T Bank Stadium | Kansas City Chiefs (NFL) |
| Beloit Snappers (Midwest League baseball) | Kansas City T-Bones (American Assoc. baseball) |
| Calvin College | Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB) |
| Camp Arcadia-Lutheran Camp Association | Masterplan Group |
| Cardinal Fitness | Memorial High School |
| Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation | Merrillville High School |
| Chesterton Parks Department | Metropolitan School District |
| Chicago Bandits (NPF pro softball) | New York Yankees (MLB) |
| Chicago Bears (NFL) | Pacers Sports & Entertainment |
| Chicago Bulls (NBA) | Patrick Industries |
| Chicago Cubs (MLB) | Portage High School |
| Chicago Public Schools | Porter County Parks and Recreation |
| Chicago Sky (WNBA) | Purdue University North Central |
| Chicago White Sox (MLB) | Quincy University |
| Cleveland Indians (MLB) | River City Rascals (Frontier League baseball) |
| Comcast Sports Net | Riverton High School |
| Concordia Lutheran High School | Saint Mary’s College Athletics |
| Dallas Cowboys (NFL) | St. Louis Cardinals (MLB) |
| Dynasty Athlete Representation, LLC | Steiner Sports Marketing |
| Finish Strong Indoor Sportsplex | TPX Top 96, Inc. |
| First Job in Sports | University of Notre Dame |
| Fort Wayne Comets (CHL hockey) | U.S. Olympic Committee |
| Gary SouthShore RailCats (American Assoc. baseball) | USA Taekwondo |
| Good Samaritan Health and Wellness Center | USSF “C” National Coaching License |
| Green Bay Bullfrogs (Northwoods League baseball) | Valparaiso High School |
| Green Bay Packers (NFL) | Valparaiso Parks and Recreation |
| Houston Texans (NFL) | Valparaiso University |
| Indiana Invaders (PDL soccer) | VanGough Builders Enterprises, LLC |
| Indiana Sports Corporation | Victory Sports Network |
| Indianapolis Colts (NFL) | Westosha Central High School |
