Turn your passion for athletics into a career

Complement your undergraduate degree with a sports administration certificate! This interdisciplinary certificate program offers students an introduction to the field of sports administration. The 15-credit certificate can be a compliment to various academic majors, providing students with a focus on sports related content. Students in this certificate program will have the opportunity to develop a portfolio throughout their participation in the program highlighting courses, projects, hands-on experience and their sports-related internship experience.

Curriculum

All students in the Sports Administration Certificate will take two required courses:

  1. Introduction to the Sports Industry: This course provides an overview of the field covering topics such as: history, levels of play, media, communication, economics & business. Students will also participate in a semester project that will give them hands on experience creating communication pieces about in season athletics teams at Penn State Schuylkill.
    This course will be offered every other fall semester.
  2. Internship Course: At the end of their sports certificate, students will complete a sports-related internship. This requirement can be fulfilled with a 3-credit internship in any of the following fields: Business (BA)*, Communication Arts & Sciences (CAS), Communication (COMM), Management (MGMT), or Psychology (PSYCH)*.  Internships need to be approved by the program coordinator for the certificate.

In addition to the two required courses, students in the Sports Administration Certificate at Penn State Schuylkill will choose from two tracks and will need to complete an additional 9 credits (3 classes) in their track. Certificate students are encouraged to complete sports related projects in these courses, to help build their certificate portfolio.

  • Sports Event Planning and Promotion Track
    a. Business and Professional Communication
    b. The Mass Media and Society
    c. Law & Society*
    d. Leadership & Team Building*
    e. Public Relations & Marketing*
  • Sports Marketing Track
    a. The Mass Media and Society
    b. Law & Society*
    e. Personal Selling*

*Indicates courses with prerequisite requirements

Learn more about the certificate requirements and coursework >

Careers

Students who complete this certificate may look for various sports-related careers, dependent on both their track in the certificate and their academic major. Possible careers include sports management, sports business/retail, sports marketing, sports communication, social media management for athletics organizations, event planning for athletics organizations, and coordinating recreational programs.

Sports Administration Certificate Contact

Contact Janelle L.H. Gruber, lecturer and program coordinator, Corporate Communication, by email or phone at 570-385-6203 if you have questions about the Sports Administration Certificate at Penn State Schuylkill.