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 four concentrations: General; Athletic Administration and Coaching; Facility and Event Management; 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 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)
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:
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A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
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An official transcript from the college or university granting the baccalaureate degree
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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:
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A GPA of at least a 2.75 on a 4.0 scale in the last 60 hours completed OR
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A GPA of at least a 3.0 in the major content area on a 4.0 scale
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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:
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Why do you want to pursue this degree?
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What related qualifications and/or experiences do you bring to the program?
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What are your career goals after completing the program?
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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:
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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:
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Must maintain at least a 3.0 overall GPA in the first 12 credit hours
Students meeting this requirement in the first 12 hours will be fully admitted. Students who do not meet this requirement in the first 12 hours will be dismissed from the program.
Graduate Studies Admission
Please refer to the admission section of this catalog for Graduate Studies admission requirements.
Program Requirements (33 hours)
General Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| RSA 501 | Research Methods in Recreation and Sport | 3 |
| RSA 513 | Recreation and Sport Administration | 3 |
| RSA 515 | Recreation and Sport Facility Development | 3 |
| RSA 517 | Legal Issues in Recreation and Sport | 3 |
| RSA 519 | Fiscal Practices in Recreation and Sport | 3 |
| RSA 521 | Public Relations in Recreation and Sport | 3 |
| RSA 523 | Theoretical Foundations of Recreation and Sport | 3 |
| RSA 590 | Practicum in Recreation and Sport | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select 9 hours | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 33 | |
Athletic Administration & Coaching Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| RSA 501 | Research Methods in Recreation and Sport | 3 |
| RSA 513 | Recreation and Sport Administration | 3 |
| RSA 515 | Recreation and Sport Facility Development | 3 |
| RSA 517 | Legal Issues in Recreation and Sport | 3 |
| RSA 519 | Fiscal Practices in Recreation and Sport | 3 |
| RSA 521 | Public Relations in Recreation and Sport | 3 |
| RSA 523 | Theoretical Foundations of Recreation and Sport | 3 |
| RSA 538 | Facility and Event Security Management | 3 |
| RSA 542 | Investigation of Current Interscholastic Athletics Issues | 3 |
| RSA 543 | Sports Medicine Administration for Interscholastic Athletics | 3 |
| RSA 590 | Practicum in Recreation and Sport | 3 |
| Total Hours | 33 | |
Facility and Event Management Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| RSA 501 | Research Methods in Recreation and Sport | 3 |
| RSA 513 | Recreation and Sport Administration | 3 |
| RSA 515 | Recreation and Sport Facility Development | 3 |
| RSA 517 | Legal Issues in Recreation and Sport | 3 |
| RSA 519 | Fiscal Practices in Recreation and Sport | 3 |
| RSA 521 | Public Relations in Recreation and Sport | 3 |
| RSA 523 | Theoretical Foundations of Recreation and Sport | 3 |
| RSA 534 | Facility Management | 3 |
| RSA 536 | Event Management | 3 |
| RSA 538 | Facility and Event Security Management | 3 |
| RSA 590 | Practicum in Recreation and Sport | 3 |
| Total Hours | 33 | |
Intercollegiate Athletic Administration Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| RSA 501 | Research Methods in Recreation and Sport | 3 |
| RSA 513 | Recreation and Sport Administration | 3 |
| RSA 515 | Recreation and Sport Facility Development | 3 |
| RSA 517 | Legal Issues in Recreation and Sport | 3 |
| RSA 519 | Fiscal Practices in Recreation and Sport | 3 |
| RSA 521 | Public Relations in Recreation and Sport | 3 |
| RSA 523 | Theoretical Foundations of Recreation and Sport | 3 |
| RSA 538 | Facility and Event Security Management | 3 |
| RSA 554 | Student-Athlete Development | 3 |
| RSA 556 | Governance in Intercollegiate Athletics | 3 |
| RSA 558 | Compliance in Intercollegiate Athletics | 3 |
| Total Hours | 33 | |
Joint Undergraduate-Master's Program (JUMP)
The Recreation & Sport Administration (RSA) graduate program offers a Joint Undergraduate-Master's Program (JUMP) which allows academically outstanding students the opportunity to complete both an undergraduate and graduate degree in an accelerated time frame. This JUMP option allows students to start working toward their M.S. in RSA while completing their B.S. in the following: Recreation, Park, and Nonprofit Administration or Sport Management. Undergraduate students admitted into the M.S. in RSA JUMP may take graduate courses that count toward both the undergraduate and graduate degrees. A maximum of 12 credit hours can be applied toward both degrees, and up to 15 credit hours of graduate coursework can be taken while the student is completing the undergraduate degree program.
Eligibility requirements for the M.S. in RSA JUMP include the following:
- majoring in Recreation, Parks, & Nonprofit Administration or Sport Management;
- have earned a minimum of 60 credit hours total, with at least 24 hours earned at WKU;
- have 15 or more credit hours remaining to complete the undergraduate degree;
- possess a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.25 for individuals earning a first baccalaureate degree;
- possess a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.00 for individuals earning a second baccalaureate degree.