天美传媒

by Cecil Harris

Opportunities in the sports industry abound in the metropolitan New York area鈥攖he world鈥檚 No. 1 media and entertainment market. But those aspiring to enter this burgeoning field need credentials and connections.

That鈥檚 why online , which debuted in Spring 2015, should prove a worthy complement to Adelphi鈥檚 well-established traditional graduate program in sport management.

鈥淭his program can take someone already in the sports industry to the next level, or enable someone in another field to enter the sports industry,鈥� said Greg Letter, Ph.D., director of the and an associate professor in the in the .

鈥淪omeone might be working in retail management, for example, but wants to work for a professional sports team in licensing and merchandising. They鈥檙e using their undergraduate degree in retail management now. But getting the master鈥檚 degree in our program can help them get into sports.鈥�

Dr. Letter (pictured on the right) presides over Adelphi鈥檚 online program along with Dan Bedard, a clinical assistant professor in the department who is teaching the Introduction to Sport Management course. Bedard and Dr. Letter both have at least two decades of experience in academia and sports.

鈥淢y course introduces students to a variety of avenues in professional sports鈥攁nything from administration to public relations to ticket sales to sponsorships,鈥� said Bedard, a former pro hockey goalie in France and Sweden who then coached college hockey and worked for the and before his current side job coaching youth hockey.

鈥淛ust as we recognize talent on the playing field or the ice, the business world recognizes the talent it takes to get people to come to the games鈥攐r the talent it takes to attract sponsors for a team or league,鈥� Bedard added. 鈥淲hen you learn the skills to help a team fill a 20,000-seat arena or a 100,000-seat stadium, you become a valuable commodity.鈥�

Students in the program specialize in . All students take classes together in the first year and then go into their specialization. To earn the M.S., one must complete two foundation courses, four core courses, five courses in either sport marketing or collegiate athletic administration and a capstone project that incorporates everything learned in all the courses.

天美传媒鈥檚 online program in sport management has attracted students from as far away as California, Alabama, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Out-of-state students have the same opportunity to excel as someone in the metropolitan New York area, Dr. Letter said.

鈥淥ur adjuncts who teach in the program work in the business鈥擭ew York Islanders, Hunter College, , , among others鈥攁nd our graduate students will have networking opportunities with our faculty,鈥� Dr. Letter said. 鈥淥ur students are already working. What they鈥檙e trying to do is move into sports or move up the ladder.鈥�