University announces new interdisciplinary M.S. in sport venue and event management

Program leverages local, national, global relationships with pre-eminent facility management organizations from AEG Worldwide to SU’s Carrier Dome

In response to a strong career outlook in the fields of facility and event management and a growing need for professionals trained specifically in this area, Syracuse University has announced a new interdisciplinary master of science degree in sport venue and event management.

This diversified degree will be housed in the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics and will welcome its first class in fall 2012. The program includes faculty from the Falk College’s Department of Sport Management, as well as SU’s School of Information Studies (iSchool), S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and the Martin J. Whitman School of Management. Unlike any other master’s program, this 36-credit hour graduate degree is focused on educational knowledge and skill development, leveraging experiential opportunities in the Carrier Dome, the only multi-purpose domed sports facility on a college campus.

As an on-campus ‘living laboratory,’ the Carrier Dome will provide master’s students formalized training while allowing them to tap into an established network of partnerships with industry leaders, resulting in unlimited and unparalleled hands-on opportunities to excel in this highly specialized field. The degree will prepare students for managerial careers in professional and recreational sports and entertainment, including stadium and arena facilities management; production and programming of events; technological operations management; and middle-level management, marketing and planning in the sports and entertainment industries.

“This new master’s degree in the Falk College situates a one-of-a-kind collaboration of critical academic programs at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School, the iSchool and Whitman, which will lead the industry in sport venue, entertainment and event management,” says Diane Lyden Murphy, dean of the Falk College. “Students will benefit from the academic components of this program, as well as the local, national and global partnerships only we can offer. Students will have access to world-leading facility management organizations, such as AEG Worldwide, as well as valuable opportunities right on the SU campus at the Carrier Dome.”

SU is one of only three programs in the country whose graduates participate in the AEG Worldwide Facilities Leadership Development Program to train future facilities management personnel.

“The iSchool is delighted to partner in this exciting, in-demand program and looks forward to providing the expertise for the increasingly important areas such as information enterprise technology for the management of sports venues, social media marketing and the sports business analytics made possible by ‘big data’ analysis. The iSchool’s current hands on student-project courses, which involve partners such Major League Baseball, welcome the students in the new Falk College program,” says iSchool Dean Elizabeth D. Liddy.

The new master’s program leverages an abundance of experiential opportunities within the local sports and entertainment venues by requiring nine credit hours of practicum work. Students will receive formalized training in multi-purpose sport venues and in professional and intercollegiate sports, including football, basketball, hockey, lacrosse and indoor soccer, among other events.

“The Whitman School of Management is thrilled to partner with the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics to provide academic resources for the new interdisciplinary master of science degree in sport venue and event management. We welcome this wonderful opportunity to further leverage Whitman’s community of business experts and our position as a cutting-edge school of management with an innovative experiential learning environment in order to prepare Syracuse University students for managerial careers in the fields of sports and entertainment,” says Whitman Dean Melvin T. Stith.

“The Newhouse School is pleased to partner with the Falk College on this new interdisciplinary program in event and facilities management. This partnership will allow Falk students to complement their studies with selected media courses taught by an outstanding faculty in a broad range of communication majors, from advertising and public relations to new media and television production. It will also provide opportunities for collaboration with Newhouse students on a variety of projects that combine expertise in communications and event and facilities management. We look forward to welcoming the first students into the program this fall,” says Newhouse Dean Lorraine Branham.

“This collaborative, interdisciplinary graduate degree will provide our students with a rigorous and unique academic platform, supported with practical, real-world experience in managing facilities and multi-faceted events in sports and entertainment programs,” says Michael Veley, director and chair, Department of Sport Management. “It combines the vast resources of Syracuse University with the greater Syracuse/Onondaga County sports and entertainment communities. We have also worked diligently with international facilities, event and hospitality companies, including AEG Worldwide, Comcast-Spectacor and Aramark to build partnerships and create a global network for our students to become engaged in.  Students will be exposed to the critical skills necessary for managing events ranging from local running competitions to hosting a Super Bowl, NCAA basketball tournament or World Cup soccer event.”

Over the years, the Falk College, along with the iSchool, Newhouse and Whitman, have created unique interdisciplinary courses, projects and research, which have led to the new contemporary model master’s degree. The Falk College has offered a bachelor of science degree in sport management since 2005, which requires each student to complete an extensive 12-credit senior capstone to gain hands-on experience before they graduate. For more information about program admissions and applications, contact the Falk College Admissions Office at 315-443-5555 or falk@syr.edu.