College of Education and Human Development

Mason Launches Graduate Program in Sport and Recreation Studies

Beginning in Fall 2010, the School is launching a new Master of Science Degree program in Sport and Recreation Studies (SRST), which will meet the growing need for professionals who will more adequately serve the industry and their communities, and for students who wish to pursue advanced study (doctoral programs) in these disciplinary areas, leading to employment in academe.

“I am very pleased to be launching our master’s program in Sport and Recreation Studies,” says David Wiggins, Director of the School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism (RHT), "This is a valuable new degree that will be enormously beneficial to those students wanting to improve their knowledge base regarding sport and recreation."

The 30-credit MS program will offer five concentrations: International Sport Management, Recreation Administration, Sport and Leisure Studies, Sport Coaching, and Sport Management.

• The International Sport Management concentration focuses on meeting the needs of sport-related professionals who seek to work in an internationally focused organizational environment that demands diverse intercultural competencies and skills.
• The concentration in Recreation Administration positions graduates to assume mid- to upper level administrative positions in varied park and recreation organizations and industries. Graduates are prepared to think conceptually and analytically, and to positively impact professional practices and policies in the field, and quality of life in the communities they serve.
• In Sport and Leisure Studies, the emphasis is on the historical, socio-cultural, and theoretical analysis of sport and leisure issues and the ways in which sport/leisure interacts with social aspects of life.
• The concentration in Sport Coaching provides a strong foundation in management of sports and recreation programs as well as the advanced skills and knowledge that prepare students to meet the challenges of coaching in elementary/secondary schools, colleges, and universities.
• Finally, the Sport Management concentration is designed to directly meet the growing needs and demands of national sport organizations, multinational corporations and businesses seeking to hire an educated and culturally aware workforce prepared to work in a diverse and rapidly changing sport economy.

Applicants for the Master’s of Science degree in Sport and Recreation Studies need not hold an undergraduate degree in sport or recreation; but must indicate how their academic and/or professional background prepares them for admission to the graduate program. Successful candidates must have completed undergraduate course work in Statistics; an overall 3.0 GPA for the last 60 undergraduate credits; a minimum 3.25 GPA in all undergraduate course work; recent Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores of a minimum of 450 in both the quantitative and qualitative sections (or a minimum score of 395 on the Miller Analogies Test (MAT); a minimum TOEFL score of 88 for international students; transcripts of all previous college work; three letters of recommendation (two from professors); and a written goals statement of 1,000 words outlining background and experience (academic and/or professional), future goals for studying one of the five SRST concentrations, and justification of how a non-sport or recreation academic and/or professional background prepares the candidate for admission to the SRST graduate program.

Further information about the SRST graduate program, concentrations, and admissions can be found at the SRST website (rht.gmu.edu/srst); from program co-coordinators Dr. Pierre Rodgers (prodgers@gmu.edu) or Dr. Brenda Wiggins (bwiggins@gmu.edu); and from academic advisor Ms. Jill Singleton (gradrht.gmu.edu).