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Undergraduate Program in Sport & Recreation Management

Prospective students....if you have a passion for sports or recreation and love attending events, then you are a fan, short for fanatic. But if you are interested in doing everything at a sporting event “except” watching or playing the game, then Sport & Recreation Management may be your field of study. If you have drive and determination to work in a most competitive industry and if you are willing to be your toughest critic and strive on a daily basis to get better knowing that is normal to work nights and weekends then the Sport & Recreation Management concentration might be for you.

Think of a sporting event such as the Super Bowl or any sporting event of your choice, even Poker on ESPN. Sport & Recreation Management students learn the foundations of public relations, personal selling, marketing, legal issues, facilities and more to make these events a reality. The typical Sport & Recreation Management student has a 3.0 GPA or greater, aspires to add minors if not double major (business, communication and non-profit are the norms) and possesses great time management skills as they are frequently applying what they learn in the classroom to volunteer or work opportunities in the region. And these students start this process as early as their sophomore or junior year. The student with a 3.25 GPA is afforded more opportunities including graduate school, as the GPA and the work experience serve as credentials for that "next" opportunity in the field after graduation. The resources are available to those willing to embrace them. Because if you don't your competition will. It is a competitive industry so start early. And hit the books.

Students in this concentration complete a minor in the College of Business. Practicum and internship requirements provide the opportunity to gain actual work experience in the field before graduation, though students are expected to volunteer to gain additional prior experience. The program coordinator is Dr. Dave Shonk, Godwin 321, at 540-568-6585.

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