Program Overview

The Sport Administration is a Master of Science Program in the Department of Health, Physical Education & Sport Sciences at Arkansas State University. It is designed as a full-time, 36-credit hour program that serves today’s working professional and/or full-time student. The program serves graduate students interested in professional management or administrative opportunities in professional sports, interscholastic and intercollegiate athletics administration, sports facilities, sports media, and sports marketing and management agencies.

The goal of this program is to balance theory and practice in order to best prepare each graduate for employment in the field of sport administration. Each student will acquire a comprehensive understanding of the management, business, socio-cultural, ethical and legal applications in the administrative capacities within amateur and professional sports environments. Future employment for Sports Administration graduates would consider employment within intercollegiate athletics (including athletic departments, conferences, and national associations), professional sport organizations (teams and leagues), sport facilities, sports tours, motor sports, corporate sports organizations (sports agencies), and the sports media.

The Sport Administration graduate program will allow students and professionals to receive an advanced level degree that will develop their knowledge and skills to successfully prepare them in their chosen careers. As an applied field of administration, it is essential that students be able to incorporate information learned through this program, their own work experience, and cultural backgrounds and apply these to current or future employment. Both theory and practice will be incorporated into the curriculum in which instruction is enhanced by sport administration professionals, site visitations, research, and group projects designed to learn competent and applicable sport administrative practices.

Our geographic area exposes students to a variety of sports industry professionals and organizations (Memphis Redbirds, Memphis Grizzlies, Memphis Riverkings, Verizon Arena, FedEx Forum, St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Blues, Arkansas Travelers, Arkansas Naturals, Arkansas Twisters, Arkansas State University Athletics, Jonesboro Parks & Recreation, Memphis Parks & Recreation, University of Memphis Athletics, University of Arkansas Athletics, Sunbelt Conference, Southeastern Conference, and Conference USA). These entities can provide students networking, and volunteer opportunities.

Students will be immersed in a required core of courses and an internship or thesis. Students will also be required to successfully complete comprehensive exams (excludes successfully defending thesis).