SRU’s sport management program awarded reaccreditation

Slippery Rock University, which was the first school in the country to have its sports management program reaccredited by the Commission on Sports Management Accreditation, currently has students interning for the nation’s top sports organization, including the Daytona International Speedway.

Feb. 27, 2018

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - Slippery Rock University's Sport Management Program was the first degree program of its kind in the country to be accredited by the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation in 2010, so it was fitting that SRU was the first university to achieve reaccreditation by COSMA.

   CROW

The COSMA Board of Commissioners recently awarded SRU's bachelor of science in sport management a "reaffirmation of accreditation" in advance of the program reaching its seventh and final year of initial accreditation.

According to Brian Crow, professor of sport management and department chair, the process was not simply a "rubber stamp" but an extensive analysis to ensure that SRU faculty are qualified, the curriculum meets academic expectations and graduates are reaching outcomes that meet industry expectations.

"(The reaccreditation) shows that our curriculum is recognized as meeting and exceeding all the standards," Crow said. "We are the standard-bearer, in a way, because we went through the process first. It shows that we are one of the best programs in the country."

COSMA, recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, has accredited 53 undergraduate and graduate sport management program across the country.

During the seven years of the SRU's first accreditation cycle, the Sport Management Department moved to SRU's College of Business with a steady enrollment featuring approximately 145 students majoring in the field.

SRU sport management students are currently interning with some of the nation's top sports teams and organizations, including the Daytona International Speedway, the NBA's Orlando Magic, the NHL's Florida Panthers, University of Pittsburgh athletics and the U.S. Naval Academy athletics.

The program recently hosted the Sport Management Career Expo for high school seniors and juniors at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry Township.

MEDIA CONTACT: Justin Zackal | 724.738.4854 | justin.zackal@sru.edu