BA Sports Communication & Media

Students in the sports communication & media (SCM) program at Sacred Heart receive intensive training in the art and craft of digital storytelling across multiple platforms from traditional television to contemporary social media. Sports communication & media majors will graduate prepared for careers as responsible media professionals with well-developed critical thinking skills. SHU is located in the geographic center of the sports media industry, and students are supported by experienced faculty with industry connections, which provides students with exciting internship opportunities at nearby sports media companies such as ESPN and NBC Sports.

Incoming freshmen with a strong high school academic performance and an expressed interest in communication are eligible to join our combined five-year program, which leads to the completion of both a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and a Master of Arts (MA) degree in five years.

Students in the SCM program develop a theoretical, aesthetic and historical understanding of the sports communication field, and will acquire the knowledge and technical skills necessary to pursue careers in the digital world of the sports media industry.

The sports industry has shown dynamic growth over the past five years, and is projected to reach over $83 Billion by 2023 in North America alone. Sports communication & media graduates pursue careers across the sports media industry in a variety of roles, including:

The SCMA program is housed in the Frank & Marisa Martire Center for the Liberal Arts, a $50 million, 120,000-square-foot world-class facility offering unparalleled resources. Students have access to media production studios and interactive laboratories designed to advance the skills and knowledge students need for the global marketplace. The Martire Center and Sacred Heart’s West Campus offer these fully featured production spaces: 

The curriculum is supported by an abundance of sports media experiences both in and outside the classroom. These include annual events, like our annual Sports in Society speaker series, Women in Sports Media symposium and Esports Invitational Tournament, as well as individually scheduled programming featuring sports media scholars and professionals. Additionally, the undergraduate sports media club and the program curriculum are integrated with practicum experiences including working on SHU’s football and basketball productions broadcast on SNY sports network, other SHU sports broadcasted on NEC Front Row.

Students from across the university can take advantage of the eight different minors offered by the School of Communication, Media & the Arts:

These minors allow non-majors to explore an area of focus within the fields of Communication, Media & the Arts while developing an understanding of media theory, history and technical skills.

Qualified sports communication & media majors will also be eligible to continue their studies in SHU’s highly respected sports communication & media graduate program (completing a 4+1 BA/MA program or pursuing an MA by taking up to two graduate courses during their senior year.