Master’s Degree Programs in Sports Broadcasting Overview
Majors Overview July 4, 2015No schools offer sports broadcasting master’s degree programs. Bachelor’s degree programs, including the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) programs in Communications emphasizing in sports communication or sports broadcasting, provide sports broadcasters with training. Sports broadcasting minors are available at some colleges.
Master’s Programs in Sports Broadcasting
Coursework in a 4-year bachelor’s degree program is devised to impart to sports broadcasting majors foundational skills and knowledge in journalism, in addition to general radio and television broadcasting skills. Courses in composition and public speaking supplement this coursework. Technical, behind-the-scene skills necessary for producing sportscasts are also available to aspiring sports broadcasters. The majority of sports broadcasting programs is on sports commentary methods and on-camera interviewing. The program combines field and lab experience and classroom work to teach students.
Topic areas such as legal issues in sports, sports finance, public relations, and sports management may be in other courses. The history of American sports and current topics are also in the program. The school features general education requirements for incoming students who don’t have to comply with any special admission procedures.
Coursework
The journalistic skills of sports broadcasting majors are developed through sportscasting for their college sports teams, either through radio or television media. Typically, professional sports broadcasting experience is part of the core coursework. Core coursework may cover topic areas such as:
•Live sportscast productions
•Sports officiating guidelines and rules
•Sports history
•Sports Ethics
•Audio and video production
•Media laws
•Psychology and Sports
•Media relations in sports
•Writing about sports
•Sportscasting and live announcing
Job and Wage Outlook
In 2014, television and radio announcers, including sports broadcasters, brought in an average annual wage of $44,030 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Over the 2012 – 2022 decade, TV and radio announcers are expected to see a slow job growth of two percent (BLS).
Continuing Education Choices
Program graduates seeking continuing education may look into a related graduate degree. Some degree programs include a Master of Science (M.S.) in Journalism with a broadcasting emphasis or Master of Arts (M.A.) in Broadcast Journalism. Due to the increase in Internet broadcasts, television, and radio sportscasters, students may aspire for a Master of Science (M.S.) or Master of Arts (M.A.) in Mass Communications or another broad yet pertinent degree.