Today’s sports industry yields a total approaching $250 billion a year, and as the industry continues to grow, so does the need to fill for jobs within the field.
Recognizing that need, the
School of Continuing Studies (SCS) will offer a Master’s of Professional Studies in
sports industry management starting in the fall.
“The hotbed of professional sports organizations makes the Washington, D.C., area an ideal training ground for new professionals,” says
Matt Winkler, who joined Georgetown as associate dean of the sports industry management program in SCS in December.
Students in the program will learn about the multidimensional combination of power, money, talent and fanaticism that make the industry prosper and also will connect with prominent sports organizations for critical hands-on experience.
“Georgetown University’s sports industry management program will help students acquire the integrated set of skills that are critical for success in sports-related fields,” says Winkler, whose career includes more than 15 years of experience working with the NCAA, NHL, WNBA, the Olympics and the World Cup, just to name a few organizations. “The program is committed to helping students gain access [to the sports industry] with key relationships and experiences supported by the traditions of Georgetown University and the success of our community.”
Leading sports executives, including some alumni, serve on the program’s faculty, advisory board and mentoring council, which provides exceptional networking opportunities throughout the program.
Michael Shapiro (C’73), senior vice president of business affairs for the Washington Nationals baseball team, says it is critical to set aside any romanticism for sports and to set one’s focus on developing academic expertise in the areas that the industry relies most heavily upon: business, finance, sales, marketing, communications, media, law and statistics.
“This is where the Georgetown sports industry management program is well positioned,” says Shapiro, who also serves as a faculty member for the new program.
The master’s program features two tracks: strategic marketing, communications and new media; and business, management and operations. The first track focuses on brand strategy, message development, sponsorship procurement and media management. The second track emphasizes revenue development, event planning and facility operation, which teach students to become adept at maximizing personnel, analyzing budget conditions and implementing legal standards.
“Once you peel back the veneer of glamour, celebrity and idolatry, the sports industry is, at its core, a business,” says Shapiro. “Huge player salaries all begin with the basic premise of attracting buyers to your product: live games in the ballpark, watching games on TV or buying a box of cereal – it’s all about making a sale.”
Admission will be on a rolling basis based upon availability for fall, spring and summer semesters beginning fall 2008. Candidates for the new program may enroll for one year of full-time study or two years of part-time study. An advanced Professional Certificate in sports industry management is also offered. Candidates for either the master’s or certificate must have a bachelor’s from an accredited four-year college.
In keeping with the university’s tradition and strengths in training new leaders, all students are required to complete an ethics course that explores philosophical, professional and personal ethics that requires them to codify and commit to their own code of ethics in relation to professional codes of ethics and best practices.
In addition, a capstone project will allow students to apply what they’ve learned in the program to a semester-long project in the field.
The next Master of Professional Studies information session will take place Feb. 28, 6 p.m., in the Alumni House.
