Sports Administration Degree Program in Seattle, Washington

University Of Washington:
The University of Washington College of Education's Master of Education in Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership (IAL) is a unique degree program that prepares those who aspire to leadership positions within intercollegiate sports.

CURRICULUM -  Sports Administration Degree
The entire IAL program will be organized around three broad themes: (1) Budgeting, Finance & Sports Administration Skills, (2) Colleges, Sport & Society, and (3) Leadership Development. What follows here is a description of the core competencies developed in each theme and the courses making up the academic curriculum. Also outlined in this section are which of the core competencies are covered by each of the courses.

The curriculum is guided by the principle that each course will develop one or more of the core competencies identified by our national advisory board members, and that all courses will strive for a balanced and representative presentation of issues pertaining to different sports, different types of colleges/universities, different regions of the country, and students and leaders from diverse backgrounds.

In addition to the academic coursework (12 courses, 36 credits), students will also complete 9 credits of career rotations/internships, and 3 credits in the development of a professional learning portfolio.

Core Competencies Developed Through the IAL Curriculum

BUDGETING, FINANCE & SPORTS ADMINISTRATION SKILLS (BF&S)
- Budget and financial management skills in public and private institutions, including specifics within intercollegiate athletics departments.
- Development activities, alumni relations, and understanding the role of the media in shaping community relations.
- Event production and facilities management, including capital planning.
- Marketing, advertising and sports information services.
- Modern and emerging technology systems and their applications in administering intercollegiate athletic functions.

COLLEGES, SPORT & SOCIETY (CS&S)
- Student-athlete welfare development. Academic support, training and conditioning, athletic training/medical and other services provided to foster the student-athlete experience.
- Legal issues including NCAA rules, compliance and important dimensions of higher education law.
- Different organizational structures of colleges, universities, intercollegiate athletic offices, athletic leagues, and the NCAA and its divisions.
- Sociological dimensions of race, gender and sport within higher education with the examination of associated policies and outcomes.
- Moral implications of athletics within context of colleges' and universities' educational missions; purposes of higher education in democratic society and role of sport in that discussion.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT (LD)
- Management approaches extrapolated from case studies presented by and discussed with prominent administrators and leaders in intercollegiate athletics. Application of organization mission, philosophical foundations, analysis of conditions, and understanding of decision impacts.
- Awareness of primary work responsibilities and functions in a broad array of areas within a collegiate athletic department gained through supervised internships and career rotations. Coordination of units within the athletic department and the integration of the department with the broader institution, athletic conferences and other organizations.
- Leadership and management of human resources. Conflict resolution, hiring practices, evaluation of employees, crisis and change management, and contract negotiations.
- Methods of assessment and evaluation with a focus on strategic planning and decision-making, accountability systems and assessment-driven decision-making.
- Leader-oriented methods of inquiry, including developing basic research designs and proposals, and involving research results in leadership decision-making.
- Leadership ethics.