Graduate Catalog 2023-2024

Recreation and Sport Administration, Master of Science (095)

Department website: http://www.wku.edu/krs/


Program Coordinator

Thomas B. Stinnett, brad.stinnett@wku.edu, (270) 745-4329

This program is designed to prepare professional Recreation and Sport Administration practitioners for a wide range of occupations. The program offers five concentrations: General; Athletic Administration and Coaching; Facility and Event Management; Sport Media and Branding; and, Intercollegiate Athletic Administration.

The General concentration provides opportunity for study in a specialized area of recreation and sport as students select three elective courses in their area of interest. The Athletic Administration and Coaching concentration provides an opportunity for persons interested in interscholastic Athletic Administration and Coaching to gain knowledge, research and experience in this dynamic area. The Facility and Event Management concentration allows for professional development in the rapidly growing discipline of facility and event management. The Sport Media and Branding concentration is designed for students interested in sport media relations, sport branding, digital media production and distribution, and sport sponsorships. The Intercollegiate Athletic Administration concentration is designed for individuals looking to enter the field or professionalize their experience in intercollegiate athletics.

Concentration(s)

  • General (RECG)
  • Athletic Administration and Coaching (REIA)
  • Facility and Event Management (REFM)
  • Intercollegiate Athletic Administration (REAA)
  • Sport Media and Branding (RESN)

Joint Undergraduate Master's Program (JUMP)

This degree offers a Joint Undergraduate Master's Program (JUMP) which provides academically outstanding students the opportunity to complete both an undergraduate and graduate degree in an accelerated timeframe. Contact the graduate program coordinator for additional information.

Program Admission

Applicants to the Recreation and Sport Administration graduate program must submit the following:  

  • A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university

  • An official transcript from the college or university granting the baccalaureate degree

  • A cumulative baccalaureate grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.75 on a 4.0 scale.  Applicants with a cumulative GPA between 2.5 and 2.75 may be considered for conditional admission if they have:

    • A GPA of at least a 2.75 on a 4.0 scale in the last 60 hours completed OR

    • A GPA of at least a 3.0 in the major content area on a 4.0 scale

  • A Statement of Professional Intent which adheres to the following guidelines. Statement should provide a sample of the applicant’s writing style and ability.  It should be 2-3 double-spaced pages in length and is expected to be well organized, clearly written, and error free.  It should include an introduction, responses to the three questions listed below, and a conclusion:

    • Why do you want to pursue this degree?

    • What related qualifications and/or experiences do you bring to the program?

    • What are your career goals after completing the program?

Conditional Admission Requirements

The KRS Graduate Committee may conditionally admit individuals not meeting the above criteria with the additional submission of the following for review:

  • A resume including career objective, professional experience, and relevant coursework completed

If accepted conditionally, students must complete the following to be moved from conditional admission to full admission status:

  • Must maintain at least a 3.0 overall GPA in the first 12 credit hours

  • Must not receive a grade below B in the first 12 credit hours

Students meeting these requirements in the first 12 hours will be fully admitted. Students who do not meet these requirements in the first 12 hours will be dismissed from the program.

Graduate School Admission

Please refer to the admission section of this catalog for Graduate School admission requirements.

Program Requirements (33 hours)

General Concentration

Required Courses
RSA 501Research Methods in Recreation and Sport3
RSA 513Recreation and Sport Administration3
RSA 515Recreation and Sport Facility Development3
RSA 517Legal Issues in Recreation and Sport3
RSA 519Fiscal Practices in Recreation and Sport3
RSA 521Public Relations in Recreation and Sport3
RSA 523Theoretical Foundations of Recreation and Sport3
RSA 590Practicum in Recreation and Sport3
Electives
Select 9 hours9
Total Hours33

Athletic Administration & Coaching Concentration

Required Courses
RSA 501Research Methods in Recreation and Sport3
RSA 513Recreation and Sport Administration3
RSA 515Recreation and Sport Facility Development3
RSA 517Legal Issues in Recreation and Sport3
RSA 519Fiscal Practices in Recreation and Sport3
RSA 521Public Relations in Recreation and Sport3
RSA 523Theoretical Foundations of Recreation and Sport3
RSA 538Facility and Event Security Management3
RSA 542Investigation of Current Interscholastic Athletics Issues3
RSA 543Sports Medicine Administration for Interscholastic Athletics3
RSA 544Practicum in Interscholastic Sport3
Total Hours33

Facility and Event Management Concentration

Required Courses
RSA 501Research Methods in Recreation and Sport3
RSA 513Recreation and Sport Administration3
RSA 515Recreation and Sport Facility Development3
RSA 517Legal Issues in Recreation and Sport3
RSA 519Fiscal Practices in Recreation and Sport3
RSA 521Public Relations in Recreation and Sport3
RSA 523Theoretical Foundations of Recreation and Sport3
RSA 534Facility Management3
RSA 536Event Management3
RSA 538Facility and Event Security Management3
RSA 590Practicum in Recreation and Sport3
Total Hours33

Intercollegiate Athletic Administration Concentration

Required Courses
RSA 501Research Methods in Recreation and Sport3
RSA 513Recreation and Sport Administration3
RSA 515Recreation and Sport Facility Development3
RSA 517Legal Issues in Recreation and Sport3
RSA 519Fiscal Practices in Recreation and Sport3
RSA 521Public Relations in Recreation and Sport3
RSA 523Theoretical Foundations of Recreation and Sport3
RSA 538Facility and Event Security Management3
RSA 554Student-Athlete Development3
RSA 556Governance in Intercollegiate Athletics3
RSA 558Compliance in Intercollegiate Athletics3
Total Hours33

Sport Media and Branding Concentration

Required Courses
RSA 501Research Methods in Recreation and Sport3
RSA 513Recreation and Sport Administration3
RSA 515Recreation and Sport Facility Development3
RSA 517Legal Issues in Recreation and Sport3
RSA 519Fiscal Practices in Recreation and Sport3
RSA 521Public Relations in Recreation and Sport3
RSA 523Theoretical Foundations of Recreation and Sport3
AD 536Sport Branding: A New Game3
AD 537Sport Sponsorships: New Revenue Strategies3
PR 543Strategic Public Relations Writing for Sport3
PR 547Issues in Sport Media Relations3
Total Hours33