Admission
In addition to The Graduate School qualifications for admissions, potential candidates must meet the requirements of the Hart School of Hospitality, Sport and Recreation Management. For more information, see the application website.
In all programs, courses must be selected with the approval of the adviser in accordance with the professional goals of the student. Students applying to Sport & Recreation Leadership are expected to have satisfactory Graduate Record Examination scores and adequate undergraduate preparation including at least one course in a cognate area of the discipline.
Mission
The sport & recreation leadership program is designed to empower students with the education and skill sets necessary to succeed and become a leader in the sport or recreation industries
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Master of Science in Sport and Recreation Leadership
The Master of Science degree in sport and recreation leadership requires 33 credit hours. Students select a concentration in either sport and recreation or campus recreation when applying to the program. They enroll in core and concentration classes simultaneously throughout their program. Students in both concentrations may select either the thesis or non-thesis option.
Core Courses
The core curriculum is designed to weave the concepts of leadership through the five common core courses of the program. These core classes will be the platform from which students learn to navigate the various segments of the sport and recreation industry and their communities as leaders. The focus of this set of course work is to provide students with specific industry skill sets and knowledge in the areas of budget management, human resource management, staff training and development, gender equity, research, legal and ethical issues, risk management, teamwork, networking and project management. All of these areas are essential elements for the training and success of master’s level professionals in sport and recreation.
Campus Recreation Concentration
This concentration is designed for students who wish to pursue a career in campus recreation in higher education settings. Students who complete the campus recreation requirements are prepared to work at all levels of campus recreation, such as administration, event management, operations, programming, and facility management. A three-credit internship is required for this concentration in the non-thesis option.
Electives
All electives must be pre-approved by the SRL program director. Selection of an elective must be based on the student’s career path and the segment of the industry they have chosen to pursue.
Students may select electives in departments outside the sport and recreation program. The sport and recreation concentration allows a student to select between a three-hour internship or a three-hour elective, subject to SRL program director approval. The campus recreation concentration has a three-hour elective built into its curriculum for the non-thesis option. The goal is to provide students with a more beneficial educational experience by allowing them to tailor their education to meet their career objectives. The sport and recreation student, however, must provide convincing evidence to the SRL program director that his or her educational experience would benefit more from an elective than performing the internship.
Students may take electives in SRL as well as any other relevant graduate courses at JMU. SRL recommends courses which will enhance cultural literacy, such as
AHRD 570. Diversity and Ethics in AHRD
KIN 542. Exercise Across the Lifespan
KIN 575. Gender Issues in Sport and Recreation Leadership
KIN 611. Teaching Diverse Populations in Health and Physical Education
NUTR 545. Nutrition and Exercise
PSYC 649. Multiculturealism, Diversity and Difference: Theory, Research and Practice in Student Affairs
PSYC 660. Counseling Theories
Internship
The internship is a 400-hour practical work experience designed to apply theory and course content to problems encountered in a professional setting. Specific assignments will be determined by the needs of the student. Typical internship sites include professional sports organizations, college athletic departments, high school athletic departments, parks and recreation agencies, collegiate recreation centers and youth sports programs. Internship sites must be approved by the director of the SRL program. The internship is required in the campus recreation concentration (non-thesis option), but is optional in the sport and recreation concentration non-thesis option. The internship is not an option in either concentration in the thesis track of study. In the sport and recreation concentration students may opt to take on additional coursework instead of the practical experience because some students are working full-time in the industry and the practical experience is not crucial in obtaining a position. In the campus recreation concentration, the majority enroll directly after completing an undergraduate degree or enter the program with 1-2 years of work experience most often in a related segment of the sport or recreation industry, so the internship is a requirement for them.
Thesis Option
Students in both concentrations have the option of completing a thesis. The thesis option allows students to conduct scholarly research under the guidance of a thesis chair (selected by the student) and two committee members (selected by the student with chair approval). All committee members must be graduate faculty. One committee member may be a faculty member in a department outside sport and recreation leadership. Any full-time graduate faculty member in the department is eligible to chair a thesis. Students will enroll in SRL 700. Thesis for two consecutive semesters upon completion of 18 credit hours. Before enrolling in SRL 700 students must get approval of their thesis proposal from all members of their committee as per the requirements of the sport and recreation leadership department. Following approval, the thesis chair is responsible for guiding and directing the student through the research process. This includes submission of the thesis to the committee, final approval of the committee and submission to The Graduate School. Thesis students will participate in a defense with their committee. Following a successful defense, students will make recommended changes and submit the document to the thesis chair for final approval. Upon approval it will be submitted to the committee for signatures and then filed with The Graduate School.
