August 29, 2024
UK offers new undergraduate certificate in sport communication, media and promotion
By Mattie Price
A new 12-hour certificate is open to all majors throughout the university and will equip students with the foundational knowledge needed to delve into diverse careers in the sports industry. Photo provided by UK Athletics.
The University of Kentucky is now offering a Certificate in Sport Communication, Media and Promotion to allow students to explore the intersection of sports, communication and society through coursework across multiple units in the College of Communication and Information.
This 12-hour certificate is open to all majors throughout the university and will equip students with the foundational knowledge needed to delve into diverse careers in the sports industry. The curriculum will also touch on global issues within the sports and media realm and provide students with communication strategies for various audiences.
“I’m incredibly excited that our college is launching this certificate,” said Jennifer Greer, dean of the College of Communication and Information. “It was a huge group project that involved so many different units in our college all coming together to get our students better prepared for jobs in the sports industry. This certificate was a way to bring many of our great sports-related classes together and make them available to all students.”
This certificate consists of two required courses:
- COM 327: Communication and Sport
- JOU 208: Issues in 21st Century Sports Journalism
In addition to these required six credit hours, students enrolled in this program must also complete two of the following electives:
- COM 353: Technology Mediated Communication in Sport
- COM 426: Sport Communication and Analytics
- ISC 473: Sport Promotion and Branding
- ISC 551: Sales Promotion and Sponsorship
- JOU 308: Sports Reporting and Editing
- JOU 538: Law, Media and Sports
The certificate program’s goal is to give foundational knowledge to anyone interested in a career related to sports.
“When we were working to create the Certificate in Sport Communication, Media and Promotion, I kept thinking about how many ways it could’ve helped prepare me for my 20-year career in sports journalism,” said Jen Smith, assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Media and faculty director of the certificate program. “Being able to have access to classes in sports promotion, sports law and sports analytics on top of my journalism classes would've been incredible.”
For more information, visit https://ci.uky.edu/jam/academics/certificate-sport-communication-media-and-promotion.