University of Minnesota Crookston launched a new sport media and communication major in March that will be offered this fall semester.
The degree will focus on the writing and production of sports media with four new courses — intro to sports communication, multimedia productions, sports broadcast productions and sports media production.
The Communications and Sport and Recreation Management Departments created the program partnership with the Office of Distributed Learning to offer the degree online and in person.
Fritz Vandover, a program analyst in the Office of Distributed Learning, said the office wanted to offer it online to help make it accessible to more students.
“Our office helps coordinate these resources around the system to make sure there’s an opportunity, people prospective students know about it,” Vandover said. “Then we get it help to get it out the door and running.”
Vandover said the office supports different departments, providing them with marketing resources and market analysis.
“I did research on how many students they could potentially recruit and there’s a lot of demand for bachelor’s in sport media,” Vandover said. “It’s not a very saturated marketplace, there’s an opportunity for Crookson to be in the first one of the first waves of institutions offering this.”
Megan Bell, a communications professor, said this program allows students to explore new career paths not originally offered at Crookston.
“I’ve noticed in meetings with prospective students that there’s been a real interest in doing something in the world of sports,” Bell said. “Whether it was something with multimedia or more, the broadcast or writing side of things, and that was an area that we haven’t focused on in our existing communication program.”
Bell said this program differs from other communication programs in its emphasis on technology.
“We’re really looking for something with mobile technology that will be accessible to both in-person and online students,” Bell said. “In multimedia production, students will look at tools, storytelling strategies and editing skills to help them with potential on-air work.”
Bell said skills relating to technology are essential for students interested in sports communication because of the demands of the industry.
Students will do a lot of writing, learn AP Style, how to use social media and practice using technology and specific software programs necessary for broadcast production and multimedia work.
Students majoring in sport media and communication will be required to complete an internship as a part of the program, which allows them to gain real-world experience, Bell said. She added that all students will take a three-credit course and will report to an advisor about their experience in their internship.
“We anticipate our students doing jobs like sports information director, a sport media content creator, a digital communication specialist, might be a title, but in the sports realm,” Bell said. “There are varied pathways, and lots of evidence that there’s gonna be a lot of demand by employers.”