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Earn a Master of Science in Sport Studies

 

The sports industry has one of the fastest-growing job markets in the U.S. With a Master of Science (MS) in Sport Studies from the Tulane School of Professional Advancement in partnership with the Tulane Center for Sport, you’ll earn certificates in a variety of sport-related specialties through a flexible online degree program that delivers practical, professional skills for pursuing a career in the sports industry.

The courses in this program provide insight into a range of topics related to sport and culture, such as how sports franchises and leagues promote themselves, ethical issues in sports, the role sports have in uniting and dividing communities, the psychology behind athletic performance, and more.

A Specialized, Interdisciplinary Degree With Name Recognition

Tulane University is a world-renowned institution and home to the Center for Sport—a one-of-a-kind, interdisciplinary alliance of sports industry professionals, academics, and athletes. Learn from professors who have real-world experience in the sports industry at all levels of play, in all areas where sport touches people. Visit our Kinesiology program’s YouTube playlist to learn more about the degrees and certificates you can earn to accompany a master’s while becoming more familiar with the application process at Tulane SoPA.

 

Learn Online—Anytime, Anywhere

All Sport Studies courses are conducted entirely online. This unique program offers the opportunity to earn a series of online certificates that can be stacked towards a master’s degree in Sport Studies. Learn at your own pace, whenever and wherever it’s convenient for you.

Online Learning at SoPA

 

A Career in Sports—A Competitive Edge

During your time in the MS program, you'll work with faculty members who have extensive experience working in different aspects of sports and can provide practical advice to help guide you along your career path. Whether you’re an athletic trainer or coach seeking advanced certification or you want to pursue a high-level position in sports administration, sport security, or coaching, this program is designed to give you the specialized training and professional skills you need to stand out among other applicants when pursuing highly competitive jobs in the sports industry.

As a Sport Studies graduate, a wide range of career opportunities await:

  • Athletics / Assistant Athletics Director
  • Head / Assistant Coach
  • Director of Sports Management
  • Director of Event / Stadium Security
  • Special Events Coordinator
  • Sports Facilities Manager
  • Team Programs & Operations Manager
  • Sport Business Operations Manager
  • Club Sport Director
  • Lecturer in Sport Studies
  • Director of Compliance
  • Media Relations
  • Tournament Director

Elite Training From Industry Professionals

The Sport Studies faculty is made up of industry veterans and highly trained experts with decades of experience. Our faculty includes a former Olympic-level athletic trainer, a hypnotherapist, a practicing lawyer, a surgeon, and more. Learn from professionals who have real-world experience in the sports industry at all levels of play, in all areas where sport touches people.

Two people reviewing a doc representing elite training by professional advancement program of Tulane School of Professional Advancement in New Orleans, LA

 

A Unique “Stackable” Certificate Program

You can choose from three options for a graduate certificate within our Sport Studies Program. You can complete each graduate certificate by taking four courses, which can also be used to earn an MS in Sport Studies.

MS and Graduate Certificate Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission to the MS in Sport Studies or Graduate Certificate program, a prospective graduate student must have:

  • Earned an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution prior to the first semester of proposed graduate study.
  • At least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average in undergraduate coursework; students with grade point averages below 3.0 may be considered for provisional admission, provided they demonstrate significant professional experience in a relevant field.

Applications to the program must include the following:

  • A statement of 250-500 words discussing interest in sport studies, and how the program will assist them to achieve personal or professional objectives.
  • Official college transcripts from each college attended.

Applicants may be conditionally admitted and allowed to take one class in their first semester, in which a B or better must be earned to be fully admitted to the program. Students who do not have a 3.0 grade point average in their undergraduate coursework but possess sufficient professional experience in the sport studies field may be admitted conditionally into the program.

Certificate Degree Requirements

To receive an MS in Sport Studies degree, students must complete course work in two certificate programs of their choice, plus two required core courses, for a total of 30 credits. Graduate students seeking to enroll in more than 9 credit hours per semester require approval from the Program Director. Students must also apply for a degree at the beginning of the semester in which the student plans to complete all required coursework. Applications for degree conferral are now online and will appear in a student's Gibson account when available.

Eligibility for Transfer Credits

Students in good standing may petition to transfer a maximum of nine credit hours (three courses) of graduate coursework from other colleges or universities to the MS degree. However, only courses with grades of B or better, completed within five years of enrolling in the MS program, may be considered for transfer credit.

Listing of Required Courses: Enrolled Prior to Fall 2022

The MS in Sport Studies consists of ten courses (Eight are selected from two certificate programs and two core requirements).

Core Requirements

KINE 6620 Sport in Society  
KINE 6650 Research Methods in Kinesiology  

Certificate Programs (select two programs)
Option 1: Sport Administration

KINE 6510 Sport Marketing and Finance  
KINE 6520 Fundraising and Capital Development Planning  
KINE 6530 Ethical & Legal Issues in Sport  
KINE 6540 Sport Media and Communication  

Option 2: Sport Coaching

KINE 6310 Sport Psychology  
KINE 6320 Strength & Conditioning  
KINE 6330 Stages of Athletic Development  
KINE 6340 Sport Nutrition  

Option 3: Sport Security

SECM 6001 Physical and Infrastructure Protection Systems  
SECM 6002 Introduction to Emergency Management  
SECM 6008 Sport and Event Security and Response  
SECM 7002 Homeland Security and Approaches to Counter-terrorism  

Option 4: Sport Medicine

SPMD 6100 Foundations of Sports Medicine  
SPMD 6110 Non-Traumatic Injuries in Athletics  
SPMD 6120 Sports Performance Enhancement  
SPMD 6130 Continuum of Care: Developing a Sports Medicine Program  

 

Listing of Required Courses: Enrolled Fall 2022 or After

Click here for a listing of MS in Sport Studies required courses and course descriptions.

To receive an MS in Sport Studies degree, students must complete course work in two certificate programs of their choice or eight courses across all certificate programs, plus three required core courses, for a total of 33 credits. Graduate students seeking to enroll in more than 9 credit hours per semester require approval from the Program Director. Students must also apply for a degree at the beginning of the semester in which the student plans to complete all required coursework. Applications for degree conferral are now online and will appear in a student's Gibson account when available.

Course Descriptions for Certificate Program Courses

Core Coursework

KINE 6620 Sport in Society This course will examine the institution of sport from a sociological perspective. Sport is viewed as a social and cultural phenomena and sociological concepts are used to investigate such issues as: social identities (race/ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, etc.), mass media, youth sport, high school and intercollegiate athletics, religion, violence, and Olympic sport.

KINE 6650 Research Methods in Kinesiology In this course, students will investigate research methodology, experimental design and scientific writing, research literature and conduct research. Students will also be introduced to concepts in probability, basic statistical inference procedures of estimation, confidence intervals and hypothesis testing directed toward applications in science.

Sport Administration Certificate Courses

KINE 6510 Sport Marketing and Finance This course will examine theories, principles, fundamentals, applications and challenges of marketing and financing in exercise, sport, and recreation industries.

KINE 6520 Fundraising and Capital Development Planning This course will provide an overview of fundraising, donor relations, and non-profit associations. Topics will include major gift fundraising, annual funds, booster club organizations, priority seating programs, and the importance of donor research in the fundraising process.

KINE 6530 Ethical & Legal Issues in Sport This course will examine the legal principles, business models and rules governing the sports industry and the legal controversies and policies surrounding those rules.

KINE 6540 Sport Media and Communication This course will learn the historical and practical approaches to sports media and communication. Students will understand how to critically and effectively evaluate and analyze sports media and communication and how these are used to promote sports.

Sport Coaching Certificate Courses

KINE 6310 Sport Psychology This course will provide the student with an advanced understanding of the principles and methods necessary to design comprehensive strength and conditioning programs that enhance fitness and athletic performance.

KINE 6320 Strength & Conditioning This course will provide the student with an advanced understanding of the principles and methods necessary to design comprehensive strength and conditioning programs that enhance fitness and athletic performance.

KINE 6330 Stages of Athletic Development The course introduces the student to the art and science of coaching with emphasis on relating theory and practice. This includes discussion of principles of coaching, behavior management, physical conditioning, legal issues, safety, staffing, and public relations.

KINE 6340 Sport Nutrition This course provides the student with an understanding of the principles of sports nutrition and its practical application to both elite and recreational athletes. Students will examine the role of nutrition for the sport participant in terms of maintaining overall health while meeting the demands of training and competition.

Sports Medicine Certificate Courses

SPMD 6100 Foundations of Sports Medicine

SPMD 6110 Non-Traumatic Injuries in Athletics

SPMD 6120 Sports Performance Enhancement

SPMD 6130 Continuum of Care: Developing a Sports Medicine Program

Sport Security Certificate Courses

SECM 6001 Physical and Infrastructure Protection Systems An advanced study of the important health and medical management issues involved in crises and emergencies presented for the non-medical emergency manager. The wide range of medical and health issues inherent to a crisis including biological, radiological, nuclear events and emergencies are described. Students will focus on innovative response and recovery including long term public health recovery issues methods for integrating medical, public health, and psychological processes into emergency management.

SECM 6002 Introduction to Emergency Management An advanced study of the important health and medical management issues involved in crises and emergencies presented for the non-medical emergency manager. The wide range of medical and health issues inherent to a crisis including biological, radiological, nuclear events and emergencies are described. Students will focus on innovative response and recovery including long term public health recovery issues methods for integrating medical, public health, and psychological processes into emergency management.

SECM 6008 Sport/Event Security and Response This course provides an overview of security planning, risk assessment methodologies, and emergency response considerations for sport and special events. Students will learn how to identify threats and vulnerabilities, analyze and mitigate risk, and harden events and venues through security countermeasure proposals and emergency response/recovery initiatives.

SECM 7002 Homeland Security and Approaches to Counter-Terrorism Students will employ critical analysis to examine key policy issues and balances that must be addressed in strategic counterterrorism planning, particularly in the use of applied technology within the context of civil jurisdiction and rule of law. The course will examine terrorist threats to the homeland and how these threats can be met by the application of science and technology. Policy issues that address the balance between security and civil liberties that must be resolved to effectively counter terrorism will be discussed. These issues will be addressed from the governance perspective of a liberal democracy. Strategic planning principles that integrate capabilities of current and future applied technology and the key legal and policy issues that must be resolved in order to make effective use of information as balanced against civil liberties will be explored as well.

Tuition and Fees

Information about SoPA tuition and fees may be found here.

Some courses have fees to support the technology needed for high-quality virtual and on-ground experiences.  These fees are always listed on the schedule of classes.

 

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By submitting this form, you agree to receive information about the Tulane School of Professional Advancement’s programs via email, phone and/or text. You may opt out at any time.