The University of Southern Indiana’s Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education has enrolled its first semester of students in the new Master of Science in Sport Management (MSSM) program. The Master of Science in Sport Management, approved this summer by USI’s Board of Trustees and the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, offers two academic tracks through the Department of Kinesiology and Sport. An accelerated track allows students to complete a bachelor’s and master’s degree within five years. A traditional two-year track is offered to those who have already completed a bachelor’s degree.
According to the North American Society of Sport Management (NASSM), there are no other accelerated MSSM programs offered in the United States and only 60 out of 220 degree programs within the United States offer the degree online.
The Department of Kinesiology and Sport bachelor’s program has already seen great momentum. Dr. Glenna Bower, associate dean of the Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education and chair of the Kinesiology and Sport Department saw a need to offer more academic training for a growing industry. “With the success of the bachelor’s program, we see the potential to offer an advanced degree in the field, as the sport market is often looking for candidates who have academic training and practical experience at the master’s level.â€
As the sports industry has grown into the fourth largest growth industry in the United States, a need has developed for sport management professionals. According to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, jobs in sport management are projected to increase by 32.5 percent in Indiana by the year 2020. This program will prepare students for careers as meeting and convention planners, recreational sports administrators, sport officials, sports agents, sports media, sport marketing managers, sport sales managers and general managers among others.
