The Department of Kinesiology and Health Education will begin offering an online Sport Management master’s program in January.

Through this program, students will learn management skills that are required to manage organizations, people and events related to sports.

“If you’re a high school coach and you want to be an athletic director, having a master’s in sport management is helpful for that issue to gain the understanding of business practices, facilities, sports law that you would apply to that position,” said John Bartholomew, department chair of kinesiology and health education.

Courses for the program will be completed in six-week sessions. There will be two six-week sessions offered in the fall and spring and one six-week session offered over the summer.

“Having shorter, slightly more tense courses for six weeks … allows (students) to take two courses a semester, but instead of running simultaneously, they’ll run consecutively,” Bartholomew said. “They’ll be able to take one course for six weeks, with the same contact hours that we’d have for a 15-week course.”

Students will be required to complete 10 three-hour courses, such as Sport Marketing, Legal Issues in Sports, Sport Finance and Ethics in Sports to complete the degree.

“You get a little bit of everything as you go through,” said Matt Bowers, clinical assistant professor of kinesiology and health education. “The design is to give somebody exposure to these different realms that all contribute to putting on sports.”

The program can be completed in two years and does not require the completion of a thesis. Currently, the College of Education offers a master’s in sport management that consists of traditional, in-person courses.

By adding a completely online version of the Sport Management program, the College of Education hopes to reach working professionals, said Emily Sparvero, clinical assistant professor of kinesiology and health education.

“This program is directed toward individuals who are already working, they’re already in a career, but they need the credentials and knowledge that comes along with a master’s or graduate degree in order to advance their careers,” Sparvero said.

Classes are limited to 25 people because the kinesiology and health education faculty want to give students a chance to bond with their professors, Bowers said.

“We want to still be able to connect with our students,” Bowers said. “We want them to be able to connect with one another to still create an intimate experience even though we’ll be separated by distance.”