Sport Management and Recreation

Springfield College’s philosophy of humanics has been the impetus behind the development of the philosophy, art, and skill in the recreative use of leisure and management of sport for over a century. At the turn of the century, a pioneer in the American sport and recreation movement named Luther Gulick envisioned a world in which sport and recreational activities are available to everyone.

Today, career opportunities abound in the fields of sport management and recreation. The Gross National Sports & Recreation Product represents a multi billion dollar industry. Opportunities for college graduates with sport management education and experience abound. Likewise, the recreation industry recognizes the need for well-prepared, knowledgeable individuals to create and manage high quality youth and community agencies, resorts, health clubs, private recreation businesses, armed forces, school, college and government recreation and fitness programs. One of the twenty faster-growing occupations in the United States is recreation management.

The graduate programs in the Department of Sports Management and Recreation provides preparation for sports management and recreation professionals in leadership, supervisory, and management positions.

Springfield College offers graduate programs in:

• Outdoor Recreation Management
• Recreation Management
• Sport Management
• Therapeutic Recreation Management

Contact Person(s):
Dr. Matthew Pantera, III, CPRP
Associate Professor and Chair
E-Mail: mpantera@spfldcol.edu

Dr. Donald R. Snyder, CTRS
Professor and Graduate Coordinator
E-Mail: dsnyder@spfldcol.edu

Sport Management and Recreation Department
Tel. (413) 748-3693, (413) 748-3749, (413) 748-3272
Fax: (413) 748-3685

Core requirement

• RSCH 610 - Foundations and Methods of Research (CORE Course) Credits: 3 s.h

Department Core Requirements

• HPER 627 - Facility Design, Operations, and Maintenance Credits: 3 s.h
• HPER 645 - Marketing Issues in Sport and Recreation Credits: 3 s.h
• HPER 675 - Legal Issues in Sport and Recreation Credits: 3 s.h
• HPER 678 - Budgeting for Sport and Recreation Credits: 3 s.h
• HPER 679 - Personnel and Human Resource Management Credits: 3 s.h

Program Requirements

** Prerequisite: Students without a Recreation Management undergraduate degree must take Program Planning, SMRT 435 and History and Philosophy of Recreation, SMRT 405.

• SMRT ___ - Elective (not required if doing thesis) Credits: 3 s.h.

• SMRT 607 - Research in Sport and Recreation Credits: 3 s.h

• (equivalent of proposal course)

• SMRT 652 - Public Relations: Principles, Cases, and Problems Credits: 3 s.h
• SMRT 682 - Graduate Seminar: Event Management Credits: 3 s.h
• SMRT 685 - Graduate Internship Credits: 3-6 s.h

• (4 s.h. if doing thesis; 480 hr minimum)

Research requirements. Total: 4-9 s.h.

* Successful completion of the Master’s Comprehensive Examination is required with this option. This is to be taken after all courses above are completed and the student has a GPA of 3.0 at the beginning of the semester in which the Comprehensive Exam is given. No academic credit is given for the examination. A minimum of 38 graduate credit hours is required for a master of education degree for students who choose the Comprehensive Examination option. A minimum of 38 graduate credits is required for students who chose the thesis option.

Candidates are eligible for the M.Ed. or M.S. Degree in accordance with Plans A or B (p.14).

Graduates of the Recreation Management program are eligible for certification as a Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP) by the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA). Any exception to this program must be documented on a program change form and signed by the Sport Management and Recreation Graduate coordinator.

• HPER 626 - Independent Study Proposal Design Credits: 2 s.h
• SMRT 692 - Independent Study in Sport Management Credits: 2 s.h

• * See note above