UF now offering online degree in sport management

March 4, 2010

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida College of Health and Human Performance is now offering an online sport management program for students who earn an associate’s degree from Santa Fe College. The online sport management program will allow qualified students to receive an education equivalent to on-campus students at the click of a button.

“The sport management industry is very large, and we have a high number of qualified Santa Fe students who want to transfer into our program, but we just don’t have the space for them,” said Michael Sagas, professor and chair of the department of tourism, recreation and sport management. “The program will allow UF to reach a larger number of students, and provide these qualified students with an opportunity to earn a UF degree in sport management.”

The UF department of tourism, recreation and sport management ranks among the top five similar academic programs in the United States. The distance education program features the same professors as the traditional, on-campus degree program.

Online classes will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The new program will revolutionize the classroom, allowing students to fit classes around their busy schedules, said Don Chaney, assistant dean for distance education and outreach.

“This program allows for greater flexibility than the traditional on-campus program,” Chaney said.

Santa Fe College President Jackson Sasser noted that this new relationship will strengthen the close ties between Santa Fe and the University of Florida even further.

“This new partnership expands the access Santa Fe graduates have to baccalaureate opportunities at the university, which is a tremendous benefit to both institutions,” Sasser said.

The sport management curriculum teaches students valuable skills in event management, marketing, administration, compliance, fundraising, finance, sponsorship and player representation. These two years can lead to an array of opportunities for distance education students such as employment opportunities at professional sport franchises, intercollegiate athletic departments, sports media industries, sporting good merchandizing and sport organizing committees.

Chaney said students admitted to the online sport management program are entitled to all UF student benefits such as student support services, athletic events, student health care, access to the libraries, the student union and student clubs.

The UF program requires a 2.0 minimum overall grade point average and a 2.2 minimum grade point average in the critical tracking prerequisites. Santa Fe College applicants must attain an Associate of Arts degree prior to admission.

Admission deadlines are Nov. 1 for the spring semester, March 1 for the summer semester and June 1 for the fall semester.

UF is the only college in the country that offers a two-year, online sport management degree completion program, Chaney said.

“We are working steadfast to open new doors and present new opportunities for students to become a part of the University of Florida College of Health and Human Performance without sacrificing the quality and experience that our traditional on-campus students already enjoy,” Chaney said.

For more information about the sport management online program, contact Chaney at 352-392-0578 or dchaney@ufl.edu.