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SCS Home  >  Graduate Programs  >  Master of Arts in Sports Administration

Master of Arts in Sports Administration

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Areas of specialization:

  • Sports Management
  • Sports Marketing and Public Relations

Sports is a multibillion-dollar business. It demands professionals with skills ranging from finance to marketing, from communications to risk management. The School of Continuing Studies has developed a master's program to prepare students for leadership positions in all segments of the sports industry. With the proliferation of sports programs in colleges across the United States, Northwestern stands out in its commitment to providing a program with world-class credibility and academic excellence, backed by leaders in the industry. Students have access to faculty expertise from all aspects of the sports industry including team executives, sports agents, corporate sports consultants, and professionals in sports media, events, sponsorship marketing, and collegiate and professional administration, to name a few. Students who are serious about the business of sports gain an understanding of theoretical concepts and the ability to apply those concepts in an 11-course curriculum encompassing the diverse aspects of the sports profession.

The MSA curriculum consists of seven core courses that provide students with a solid foundation in strategic, analytic, and creative thinking relevant to the business of sports; two courses in a specialization (either sports management or sports marketing and public relations); a leadership course, and the capstone project. MSA courses are offered weeknights on the Chicago, Evanston, and Loop campuses.

In addition to completing the MSA curriculum, students may choose to intern in a real-world environment through an optional, noncredit practicum in Northwestern's Department of Athletics and Recreation or at one of the many local sport-related businesses.

Please be sure to review the important dates pertaining to this program.

Curriculum

Core Courses (7 courses)

Areas of Specialization (Choose 2 courses)

When applying to the program, students select an area of specialization in which they take two courses. The following specializations are available, with samples of electives offered in each.

Sports Management

Sports Marketing and Public Relations

Leadership Class (1 Course)

SCS strives to equip its students with fundamental skills in effective leadership, communication, innovation, and change management. To gain exposure to theories and best practices in these administrative areas, MSA students join other SCS graduate students in a 10-week leadership class. With this class complementing the core curriculum, graduates are better prepared to face the challenges of the modern workplace.

Capstone Project (1 Course)

A research project written under the supervision of a faculty member, the capstone project is an opportunity to engage in sustained independent study that draws on and integrates different perspectives explored in previous courses. It allows students to develop original intellectual analysis of a contemporary administrative problem in the sports industry. The project might begin with a question in a student's own work setting or optional internship that could be appropriately addressed by material covered in the program.