Northwestern State University of Louisiana’s Department of Health and Human Performance offers a new bachelor of science degree in sport and recreation management.

This new degree teaches students to develop skills in leadership, marketing, management and finance in the sports and recreation industry. This allows students to have the opportunities to be the administration of local parks or even the management of major professional sports teams.

Haley Blount, the program director of sport and recreation management, added that this new program is one of the fastest-growing occupations.

“With the new degree program, students will be given the opportunity to work with the big organizations like the National Collegiate Athletic Association to travel with baseball and softball teams here in Natchitoches,” Blount said. “You will also obtain a minor in Business Administration with this degree.”

According to the 2021 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the sport and recreation management degree offers internship opportunities in collegiate and professional sports. It also states that it has a median salary of $75,420.

With this degree, students have a wide variety of career options including Accounts Manager, Athletic Director, Gameday Coordinator, Media Relations, Ticket Sales, Marketing Director, Facility and Events Manager, Sports Content Producer, Recreation and Sports Director, Director of Operations and Sports Camp Director.

Tara Tietjen-Smith, health and human performance department head, explained that sport and recreation management allows students to work in the multibillion dollar sports industry.

“Students enrolled in this program will have the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills during several fieldwork experiences,” Tietjen-Smith said. “If a student is interested in working with NCAA sports teams, professional teams, parks and recreation, camps, the Olympics, sport consulting companies, sport sales organizations, nonprofits, campus recreation, sports analytics, global sports organizations (e.g., ESPN, FIFA) or any other area of sport, this is the degree for them!“

The curriculum for this degree requires 39 hours of university core courses including: six hours of English, six hours of mathematics, nine hours of natural science, nine hours of humanities, three hours of fine arts, three hours of social science and three hours of behavioral science. Students will need 81 hours for the degree itself including 30 hours of sports and recreational management core classes, 18 hours of business minor courses, nine hours of health-related courses, six hours of advisor-approved electives and eight hours of internship courses.

Jason Pugh, assistant athletic director for media relations, added that the new program could also relate to not just student athletes, but for anyone who has a passion for sports.

Pugh explained that when relating to student athletes a lot of times when you check rosters or see a student athlete on TV, the majors you see are majority sport administration or management.

“If they happen to be student athletes it’s great because at some point your athletic career will end but you can continue your passion with becoming an administrator or coordinator,” Pugh said.

He said that this new degree isn’t just athlete based. Pugh obtained his graduate degree in sports administration even though he didn’t play sports. This is a great way to promote the love for sports, he added.

“Not only does it give the athletes something they are familiar with, but it can open doors and bring people in as not just a student-athlete major,” Pugh said. “It’s something I believe will attract more students, not only as an undergraduate, but will also attract students to NSU.”