Tammy Crawford
PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State University will launch the state’s first online master of arts degree in education with a specialization in sport management this fall.
The master’s program was approved April 12; applications for fall admission will be accepted until June 1. Later applications will be considered for January 2013 admission.
“The program will allow people working in the sport industry to earn an advanced degree without interrupting their careers and give those entering the field a big advantage,” said Tammy Crawford, a clinical assistant professor at WSU’s College of Education who worked with WSU’s Center for Distance and Professional Education to put the degree online. “The online delivery also caters to those who cannot relocate to the Pullman campus.”
The curriculum is broad-based and business-oriented, Crawford said. It includes courses in sport finance, sport management and organization theory, marketing and sponsorship, sport law and ethics: “All the things that equip people to become successful sport managers.”
Graduates of the on-campus sport management program have found careers with such organizations as the NCAA, Seattle Sports Commission, WSU and other university athletic departments, university recreation, U.S. Tennis Association, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Francisco 49ers (professional football teams).
The program has both a thesis and non-thesis option. The thesis option is designed for students wishing to complete a research project in sport and aspiring to pursue a Ph.D. The non-thesis option is for students wanting to advance their careers in the sport industry. Both options require 34 graded credits.
Crawford said applicants should have some combination of the following coursework: sociology, economics or accounting, business or sport law, marketing, management and the basic communication courses in writing and/or speech.
“If an applicant is missing coursework in an area but can provide an example of knowledge acquired through practical experience, that is taken into consideration,” she said. “Otherwise, prerequisite coursework can be included in the student’s individual curriculum.”
Applicants are required to submit GRE, LSAT or GMAT scores, she said, along with a graduate school application that includes transcripts, three letters of recommendation, a resume and a personal goal statement.
Interested students can apply at the Graduate School’s admissions page.The College of Education graduate programs page offers a general overview of the application steps.
For more information, please go to the website or contact Director of Graduate Studies Jason Sievers, jasievers@wsu.edu, 509-335-9195.