LATROBE, PA – Addressing growing interest of prospective and current students, an increasing demand in employment and a strong track record of producing successful graduates in each field, Saint Vincent College will offer bachelor’s degree programs in sports management and sports and media beginning in the fall 2021 semester.
The sports management program is designed for students seeking careers in athletic administration or business within the sports industry, while the sports and media program will provide students with a foundation in communication and business necessary for forging a career in sports media and communications.
The sports management major will be part of the Business Department in the Alex G. McKenna School of Business, Economics and Government, while the sports and media program will be within the Communication Department in the School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. Courses in each program will be taught by business and communication faculty, as well as a group of impressive adjunct professors who have extensive experience within the sports industry.
Students in the sports management program will follow the complete curriculum of the College’s highly regarded management program, while also enrolling in additional courses spanning such topics as athletic administration, sports law and athletic marketing and promotion.
“Our goal is to create a sports management major that is very strong and comprehensive from a management perspective,” said Dr. Jeff Godwin, associate professor of business and chair of the sports management program. “Through the sports management major and the business core classes, students will be exposed to the core business areas of marketing, accounting, finance and others. The major is designed to meet the needs of students wanting a solid business and liberal arts background, coupled with a focus on sports.”
Sports and media students will enroll in a full complement of communication coursework, including classes in media production, publication layout and web design, as well as specialized courses covering topics such as athletic communications, sports and the media and sports and retail branding/design. Sports and media students will also receive additional hands-on experience by completing an internship in the field prior to graduation.
David Safin, associate professor of communication and sports and media chair, stated, “We strongly believe that this mixture of courses will provide students with not only the requisite skills to work in athletic communication, but also the broad skills necessary to find a career in any field of communication. Alumni from the Department of Communication have a strong professional record in the field of sports media and communication. Communication majors interested in sports and media have found this success through a curated mix of study within the department, external internships and on-campus work with our Office of Sports Information. The sports and media major now formally lays out the path these and others carved for themselves.”
Though housed in different schools at Saint Vincent College, both new programs will be interdisciplinary in nature. Sports management majors will take courses in economics, political science and communication, while along with communication courses, the sports and media program will include coursework in business, history and fine arts.
While these are the first degree programs offered by Saint Vincent College specifically related to athletics, the College has an established track record of producing graduates who have gone on to successful careers in sports. Communication graduates of the last 15 years currently hold titles of athletic director, director of athletic communications, manager of operations, sports information director, in-game host, multimedia producer and director of photography, while McKenna School graduates from the same span hold such titles as marketing manager, inside sales manager, manager of partnership activation, director of player personnel and facility manager.
A number of graduates from both programs have also received or are pursuing advanced degrees in sports management, athletic administration or related fields.
“We hope that those of our alumni working in the field will serve as mentors to those who enroll in these new and exciting programs,” said Safin. “I expect they will.”
Click here for more information on the sports management program or contact Godwin at jeff.godwin@stvincent.edu. Click here for additional information on the sports and media major or contact Safin at david.safin@stvincent.edu.