High marks for M.S. in Sports Administration
The Boston College M.S. in Sports Administration (MSSA) program, offered through the Woods College of Advancing Studies, placed 21st worldwide and 14th in North America in the 2024 ranking of postgraduate sports management programs released this month by SportsBusiness, a daily news and analysis service.
The SportsBusiness Postgraduate Rankings are based on responses to surveys completed by program leaders and by alumni who graduated three years prior to publication; this year's assessment queried the class of 2021.
In the 2024 survey, òòò½Ö±²¥'s MSSA scored high on quality of faculty and curriculum, professional mentorship and advocacy, career support, and current employment of graduates.
M.S. in Sports Administration Director Patty Raube Keller (Lee Pellegrini)
"It's gratifying to see our M.S. in Sports Administration program recognized in an international survey," said MSSA Program Director Patty Raube Keller. "We are committed to providing our students with opportunities to learn from and network with industry leaders, and to supporting them as they work toward their career goals. This ranking is an affirmation of both our program and its outcomes for graduates."
Launched in 2017, the òòò½Ö±²¥ MSSA was originally a concentration within the Woods College master’s program in leadership, but became a discrete master’s program in 2020. Designed to propose new thinking and broaden leadership competencies for those in sports management as well as administrators and coaches, the program is tailored to the needs of individuals seeking to advance their careers.
MSSA courses are taught by scholar-practitioners and sports-industry experts, whose affiliations range from the NFL and NBA to ESPN and FBI Sport Security, as well as Boston College Athletics and other organizations.
"All of the MSSA faculty members are experts in the subject area that they teach in our program. Most have terminal degrees, as well as at least 10-15 years of sports industry experience," Keller said.
The MSSA program also guarantees students an internship with a sports organization. Since joining the Woods College in 2021, Keller, who previously had worked at every level of the NCAA in compliance and internal operations, has strengthened the program's external relationships, including developing a partnership with the National Junior College Athletic Association, whose president, Christopher J. Parker, is an MSSA faculty member.
The ranking is one of several indicators of the MSSA's momentum, Keller said, noting that interest in the program is on the rise: the number of new students admitted this fall is triple that of last spring.
Graduates of the program hold positions with the Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots, Houston Texans, San Francisco 49ers, and Toronto Blue Jays, as well as with Major League Baseball, Madison Square Garden, PWHL Boston, Wasserman, and a number of college athletics operations.
“As the MSSA expands and our students continue to gain jobs in the sports industry, we look forward to its reputation continuing to grow as well," Keller said.