Athletics Administration, MS

Athletic Administration plays a vital role in the overall success of a middle school, high school, or college athletic program in addition to the individual sports offered within that program.  An exceptional Athletic Administrator needs to be both a strong manager and leader in addition to having a vast knowledge of student-athlete development, game day operations, fundraising, finance, and legal compliance.  This program prepares students to step into an Athletic Administrator role and make an immediate impact.  Through partnerships with both the National Interscholastic Administrators Association (NIAAA) and the InsideOut Initiative, students who successfully complete the program will have the ability to become a Certified Master Athletic Administrator through the NIAAA and InsideOut Administrator Certified.

Program Learning Outcomes:

1. Present their leadership style and a process to develop a strategic plan, establish a culture within an athletic program that translates to successful development of student-athletes and competitive individual programs, and ensure execution of a strategic plan. 
2. Discuss the impact of trends and issues in society on all levels of amateur athletics and how to navigate through those issues so that the student-athletes have a positive and growth experience.
3. Develop a plan for a successful competition experience for student-athletes and spectators.
4. Create a marketing plan for an athletic department through a process of brand platform development, competitor analysis, target market analysis, and message development that differentiates the department from the competition while being compelling for the target market.
5. Articulate how the law impacts the day-to-day operations of an athletic program and its incorporation in decision-making.
6. Construct a process for the development of student-athletes in an athletic program as students, individuals, and athletes through goal setting and accountability that will lead to success after graduation. 
7. Develop a plan to raise money for an athletic program through donor listening sessions, messaging creation, and donor procurement.
8. Present a plan to establish a Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) collective at a high school of college, how to assist student-athletes in marketing themselves to organizations for NIL opportunities, and a process to document NIL engagements between student-athletes and outside organizations. 
9. Build a budget for an athletic department that allows for the growth and continued success of individual programs while being a good steward of resources and seeking out external funding.
10. Outline the federal, state, association, and conference regulations that an athletic department must stay in compliance with and apply those regulations to make decisions for the department.
11. Explain the meaning of InsideOut Coaching and InsideOut Administrator and how both can impact the leadership and decision-making of Athletic Administrators and Coaches in the development of student-athletes.

Program CIP: 31.0504 - Sports and Fitness Administration/Management.

Program SOC: