Students will be able to earn their master’s degree in one year
Columbia, SC –November 23, 2021 – Benedict College has been approved to implement a new Master of Science (M.S.) degree program in Sport Management. Students will be able to earn their master’s degree in one year beginning in January 2022. The College currently offers the B.S. in Sport Management which is the second most populous undergraduate program on campus with an average enrollment of 250 students per semester.
The College offered its first graduate program, the Master of Business Administration, in 2019. Based on the current growth and market demand in the sport management industry and the success of its undergraduate sport management program, the College is confident that the M.S. in Sport Management is an ideal program for its growing graduate studies offerings. The new degree program will be administered by the School of Education, Health and Human Services and the Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation.
“The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently indicated that employment in areas related to sport management will grow faster than most other areas,” noted Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis, President and CEO of Benedict College. “Many non-entry-level positions require a master’s degree, making Benedict graduates of the new program well-suited for careers in some of the fastest-growing occupations. Additionally, the new master’s program aligns perfectly with Benedict’s strategic plan to offer transformational learning experiences on a graduate level.”
The target audience for the program includes persons who desire an advanced understanding of management, marketing, and administrative practices as applied to the sporting industry. “We are looking for individuals who want to balance their passion and innovation in this field with a deep understanding of management and leadership,” said Dr. Janeen Witty, Vice President for Academic Affairs. “The students we are seeking have already distinguished themselves at the entry level; this program will help propel them into leadership roles through a strong curriculum and network of learning opportunities.”
The M.S. in Sport Management was developed by the faculty in consultation with the Sport Management Advisory Council, which consists of academics and industry professionals active in the sport administration community. Together, they identified a strong local market for a master’s program for working adults.
Dr. Paula Shelby, the Chairperson of the HPER Department, stated that “the Master of Science Sport Management Degree seeks to prepare our graduate students to work on all levels of sports. Our graduate degree provides students with a solid foundation offering two concentrations: Athletic Administration and Coaching. With our collaborations with several professional and semi-professional teams, our graduate students will gain many different experiences working on the upper-levels of administration in the sporting industry.”
TO APPLY: Go Benedict Website
For more information, go to: https://benedict.edu/schools/school-of-education-health-and-human-services/ or contact: paula.shelby@benedict.edu or call 803.705.4775
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About Benedict College
Founded in 1870 by a woman, Bathsheba A. Benedict, Benedict College is a private co-educational liberal arts institution, offering 26 competitive baccalaureate degree programs. The Midlands HBCU welcomes students from all 46 counties in South Carolina, 30 states across America, and 26 countries around the world.
Benedict offers several high-demand fields of study in STEM, Cyber Security, Mass Communication, Sport Management, Business Administration, Engineering, Computer Science, Biology, and Education. The College also has a diverse faculty and importantly, 80 percent of courses are taught by full-time faculty.
Over the past ten years, three out of five Benedict College graduates have attended professional or graduate schools. There are over 18,000 proud Benedict Tigers throughout the nation. Benedict College has been a community leader for over 150-years and is a significant contributor to South Carolina and the region. Contributing $130 million and 1,218 jobs in total local and annual economic impact, a Benedict graduate working full-time throughout his or her working life can expect to earn $1.1 million in additional income because of their Benedict College degree.
The College made front-page news in the spring of 2018 when it became the first South Carolina college to lower its tuition by 26 percent. Cutting tuition drew praise from the Commission on Higher Education, South Carolina’s education oversight body. The commissioner noted that the move Benedict College made should be applauded because it offers families affordability and students greater access to higher education.
Benedict College has been highly regarded and exceptionally ranked for its programs by several academic and traditional publications. For example, Benedict College was ranked as one of the top baccalaureate colleges in the nation by Washington Monthly magazine for creating social mobility and producing cutting-edge scholarship and research. In 2019, Benedict College received the 2019 ACE/ Fidelity Investments Awards for Institutional Transformation and was named the HBCU of the Year by HBCU Digest.
Benedict College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate and master’s degrees. Five of the College’s degree programs hold national accreditation: Education, Social Work, Environmental Health Science, Studio Art, and Business.
