January 14, 1999
MILLERSVILLE TO OFFER MASTER’S DEGREE IN SPORT MANAGEMENT
Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu
The State System of Higher Education’s Board of Governors has approved a new master of education degree program in sport management at Millersville University of Pennsylvania.
The new degree program is designed primarily for high school teachers and others involved in coaching and managing athletic programs, including those who run community and for-profit recreational and sports facilities and sport fitness clubs. More than 200 athletic directors, physical education teachers and coaches in the region who responded to a recent survey conducted by the university said they would be interested in such a program.
Those who enroll will be able to choose from among two tracks – athletic management and athletic coaching. Either track will require the completion of 36 credits to meet the standards of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education.
The interdisciplinary program will draw on expertise from the fields of sports science, educational theory and research, and business administration. The history and culture of sport in America, principles of coaching and organizational theory, and management and marketing in the global economy will be emphasized through particular courses. Required courses will be offered during the summer so that full-time athletic management and coaching professionals will be able to complete the program in a timely manner.
No other university in Millersville University’s service area offers a similar program. Millersville will collaborate with Shippensburg, East Stroudsburg and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania to expand access to the program throughout central Pennsylvania and to ensure that the program meets student needs while avoiding unnecessary duplication. Faculty from the other three universities will participate in the program and both East Stroudsburg and West Chester Universities will work with Millersville to develop internships in collegiate athletic management.
Some courses could be offered through the “virtual university” being developed by Millersville, Shippensburg and West Chester Universities. The collaborative venture will offer courses via distance education, making them available virtually anywhere.
The State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth, offering more than 215 undergraduate and more than 100 graduate degree programs. Nearly 350,000 alumni of State System universities live and work in Pennsylvania.
The state-owned universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania.