Prepare for an exciting career in sports communication.
One of the only programs of its type in the country, Ashland’s Sport Communication major is a fast-paced, immersion in broadcast, print journalism, public relations, culture studies and rhetoric.
As a freshman you can get on the air as a radio announcer, on TV as a reporter and/or have a byline in our student-produced newspaper, The Collegian.
The main focus of the program is to have students look analytically at the world of sports to help them better understand sport and all its pathways (journalism, management, marketing, etc.) As early as your freshman year, you can be covering NCAA Division II athletic teams for the campus TV or radio station or for The Collegian, the university’s award-winning student newspaper. You will complete a practicum in TV, radio and print communications on campus as well as an internship off campus. By the time you graduate, you will be ready to begin your career bringing the latest coverage and analysis to a nation that thrives on sports.
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What You’ll Love about the Sport Communication Major:
- The program is one of a very few of its kind in the entire country.
- Even as a freshman, you can get on the air as a radio announcer, on TV as a reporter and/or have a byline in The Collegian newspaper, something that would never be possible on a large state university campus.
- The program covers both the theory behind sport communication and the practical application of that theory in the field of sports.
- You’ll study the full spectrum of Sport Communication including management, sport broadcasting, crisis management, media relations, statistics, college sports information, sport ethics, sport rhetoric and sport public relations.
- You will have the opportunity to participate in internships with area pro sports teams, media outlets, public relations firms and sports information offices.
- Our graduates have found employment in college sports information offices, college athletic administrations, administrative offices for professional sports teams and in broadcasting.
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Reach & Enhance Your Career Goals
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When you complete your degree in Sport Communication, you will be ready to begin a career as a:
- Sports radio broadcaster
- Sports photographer or videographer
- Sports writer
- Media relations director
- Sports TV broadcaster
- Sports team publicist
- Video technician
- Statistician
- Sports promoter
- Public relations director
Enhance your career possibilities by adding:
- A minor in journalism or electronic media — broaden your degree with additional communications depth.
Highly Skilled Faculty Who Enjoy Students
- All faculty members are experienced in sport communication and enjoy mentoring students. They work with you individually to help you master equipment, techniques and key concepts.
- Professors teach all your classes, not graduate students or teaching assistants.
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Gain Real World Experience
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Starting your freshman year, you will gain hands-on experience at the Ashland radio and TV stations and writing about sports for The Collegian. These on-campus practicum are great preparation for the internship you will undertake off campus during your junior or senior year.
Your internship should relate to the career field you wish to enter and can place you in a public relations agency, at the headquarters for a sports team, in the newsroom at a newspaper or even on the sidelines getting the story as it unfolds on the field or court.
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Interesting Classes You May Take
- Sport Public Relations — Examine the tasks of the sports public relations specialist, including such areas as promotions, media relations, community relations and crisis communications.
- Sport Reporting — Explore the patterns and practices of sport reporting. Emphasis is on reporting sports events and sports features.
- Seminar in Sport Rhetoric – Students will read primary documents as well as scholarly publications examining various issues in order to get a better understanding of the impact of the messages communicated by, and through sport.
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Organizations for Sport Communication Majors
- The Collegian – weekly student newspaper
- WRDL-FM – Campus radio station
- TV2 – Campus TV station
- Accent PR — Public relations organization
- Sport Communication Club — Campus organization
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