Sport Communication Minor
The sport business industry is one of the largest and fastest growing industries in the U.S., generating billions of dollars each year. The sport communication minor at WVU can prepare you for a career in this exciting field.
You will gain practical skills in media writing, public relations and strategic communications, as well as an understanding of the issues affecting professional and college sports today.
Job areas could include advertising, media relations, media sales, athlete endorsements, media placement, merchandise licensing, media broadcasting rights, sport information, community relations and more.
This minor requires 18 hours, nine of which are offered from the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences and nine of which are offered from the School of Journalism. The sport communication minor requires the following courses:
| I. Three Courses from School of Journalism (9 hours) | |
1. |
ONE of the following (3 Hours) |
ADV 201 Advertising and Society, 3 hours |
|
| As a social institution, advertising plays a critical role in our daily lives. The course will examine the social, economic, and legal aspects of advertising. | |
| This course can be taken on campus or online. This course is generally offered every term. | |
ADV 215 Principles of Advertising, 3 hours |
|
| An introduction to all sides of the advertising field and to the process, quantitative, strategic and aesthetic, by which the sales message is planned, produced and delivered. This is the first advertising course for advertising majors and must be taken as a pre-requisite for other courses in the sequence. | |
| This course can be taken on campus or online. This course is generally offered every term. | |
PR 215 Introduction to Public Relations, 3 hours |
|
| Introduces the student to the principles of public relations. Definition and historical development, opportunities and challenges, techniques, and management of public relations are included. | |
| This course can be taken on campus or online. This course is generally offered every term. | |
2. |
Required Course |
JRL 361 Media Relations in Sport, 3 hours |
|
| Online course provides an in-depth understanding of how effective public relations plays an integral role in any sports organization via a myriad of communication efforts used in the dissemination of information to the media and the public. | |
| Prerequisites: One of the following: ADV 201, ADV 215 or PR 215 | |
| JRL 361 must be taken online. This course is generally offered during the fall and summer terms. | |
3. |
ONE of the following (3 Hours) |
JRL 412 Sport Journalism, 3 hours |
|
| This course helps students develop critical thinking skills in reporting and writing stories. Students will also examine the value of sports journalism, the way sports function in society, and gain an understanding of ethics in sports journalism. | |
| Prerequisites: One of the following: ADV 201, ADV 215 or PR 215 | |
| JRL 412 must be taken online. This course is generally offered every term. | |
PR 412 IMC for Sport, 3 hours |
|
| This course seeks to describe the essential and interconnected role of Public Relations in Integrated Marketing Communication. Using sport-specific examples students will examine the attributes of successful IMC campaigns and "the campaign mindset" as it applies to sport promotion and communications. | |
| Prerequisites: One of the following: ADV 201, ADV 215 or PR 215 | |
| PR 412 must be taken online. This course is generally offered during the spring and summer terms. | |
| II. Three Courses from College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences (9 hours) | |
4. |
Required Course |
SEP 271 Sport in American Society, 3 hours |
|
| This course provides a comprehensive analysis of sport structures with a close view of who competes and the consequences of such competition. A major emphasis is placed on the sociological phenomena that contribute to sport in the United States. In-depth discussion of the apparent positive and negative consequences of the way sport is organized in society will occur. | |
| This course can be taken on campus or online. This course is generally taught every term. | |
5. |
TWO of the following (6 hours) |
SM 426 Liability in Sport (Sport Law), 3 hours |
|
| An overview of the legal system as it applies to sport, including contracts, tort law, drug testing, rights of athletes, product liability, legal duties of coaches, facilities supervisors, and athletic directors. | |
| This course can be taken on campus or online. Recommended to complete SEP 271 before enrolling in this course. This course is generally offered online during the summer term. | |
SM 485 Sport Management, 3 hours |
|
| The study of management principles as they relate to sport organizations. The analysis includes specific references to planning, organizing, leading and evaluating functions of management in sport. | |
| This course can be taken on campus or online. Recommended to complete SEP 271 before enrolling in this course. This course is generally offered online during the summer term. | |
SM 486 Sport Marketing, 3 hours |
|
| The study of marketing principles as they relate to sport organizations. Specific attention is focused on the marketing planning process, marketing information systems, and internal marketing. | |
| This course can be taken on campus or online. Recommended to complete SEP 271 before enrolling in this course. This course is generally offered online during the summer term. | |
To earn a minor in sport communication a student must earn a grade of C or better in each course.
Students who double-minor in sport communication and advertising must complete PR 215 Introduction to Public Relations. Students who double-minor in sport communication and public relations must complete either ADV 215 Principles of Advertising or ADV 201 Advertising & Society.
Students who triple-minor in advertising, public relations, and sport communication must complete all listed courses. However, JRL 101 Introduction to Mass Communication can be taken only once and must be replaced with one of the School of Journalism's online 200-level or higher open-enrollment courses.
School of Journalism majors who wish to minor in sport communication must complete the same SOJ courses as noted for the minor (9 credits total), as well as all 12 credits from CPASS: SEP 271 (Sport in society), SM 426 (Sport law), SM 485 (Sport management) and SM 486 (Sport marketing).
To register for these courses, contact Extended Learning at 1-800-2Learn2 or elearn@mail.wvu.edu. For more information, please contact School of Journalism's Online Undergraduate Programs Coordinator Cathy Chickerell at 304-293-3133 or cathy.chickerell@mail.wvu.edu or sojonline@mail.wvu.edu. For more information about College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences classes, visit http://cpass.wvu.edu/.
