Clemson University

Clemson University

Clemson University Sport Management Degrees

Clemson University appears in our ranking of the 10 Best Online Masters in Parks and Recreation Management.

Degrees in sport management prepare individuals for careers in many exciting industries. With such degrees, people can find lucrative careers as coaches, event coordinators, contract administrators, agents and more. Clemson University offers degree programs designed to prepare individuals for these growing and exciting careers.

Bachelor of Arts in Sports Communication

The Bachelor of Arts in Sports Communication provides students with an understanding of the integral role communication plays in sports. Professional athletes must have a strong communications foundation to be successful and competitive. The program provides a multifaceted and diverse approach to communication in the sporting world by examining areas such as social media, public relations, organizational and interpersonal communication. Students gain a strong theoretical foundation with instruction in how messages work, how to optimize communication in the sports industry and more. Courses required may include:

  • Advanced Sport Communication
  • Communication Academic and Professional Development
  • Communication, Sport, and Society
  • Communication Theory
  • Composition and Rhetoric
  • Critical-Cultural Communication Theory
  • Critical-Cultural Research Methods in Communication Studies
  • Introduction to Communication Studies
  • Mass Communication Theory
  • Public Speaking
  • Quantitative Research Methods in Communication Studies
  • Survey of Sports Communication

A senior capstone seminar is also required.

Related Resource: Can I Earn a Specialized Sports Marketing Degree?

Bachelor of Science in Turfgrass

The Bachelor of Science in Turfgrass prepares students for careers as superintendents or athletic grounds managers who must meet the expectations of spectators and players. The program provides an understanding of science, technology, management, and business that goes beyond the grass. Students learn to manage a budget, employees, equipment, chemicals, environmental factors, soil and technology to develop a product that can take the constant abuse that occurs on an athletic field. Courses required may include:

  • Advanced Turfgrass Management
  • Applied Turfgrass Physiology
  • Biology of Plants
  • Business Calculus
  • Composition and Rhetoric
  • Diseases and Insects of Turfgrass
  • Essential Mathematics for the Informed Society
  • General Biology I & II
  • General Chemistry
  • Horticulture
  • Insect Biology and Diversity
  • Introduction to Turfgrass Culture
  • Irrigation System Design
  • Landscape Plants
  • Plant Physiology
  • Principles of Plant Pathology
  • Soil Fertility and Management
  • Soils
  • Urban Tree Care
  • Weed Management

A capstone course and an internship are also required.

About Clemson University

Thomas Green Clemson, a politician, Belgian ambassador, and United States Superintendent of Agriculture under President James Buchanan, died in 1886. His wife and children all having died before him, Clemson left his fortune to the State of South Carolina for the establishment of a land-grant institution that he wanted to be called “The Clemson Agricultural College of South Carolina.” The school was to be established on his Fort Hill estate. The school was established in 1889 and the doors opened in 1893. Clemson’s will stated that the school should be designed after what is now Mississippi State University, under the control and management of a Board of Trustees and modeled after what was then known as the Agricultural College of Mississippi.

When the school opened, funds were transferred under the Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act and the Hatch Act of 1887 from South Carolina College, which is today the University of South Carolina, to the new school. In order to address dwindling enrollment during World War I, Clemson established a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps in 1917 and a Student Army Training Corps in 1918. Enrollment declined again during the Great Depression and during World War II. During the war, 6,500 students were sent overseas, and 5,850 ROTC members were commissioned officers. In 1943, there were only 343 graduates and, by the end of the war, 376 Clemson students had died.

Clemson underwent restructuring in 1955, transforming from a military college to a civilian institute of higher learning. Women were admitted during that year and, in 1963, the first African-American, Harvey Gantt, who was later elected Mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina, enrolled. The school became Clemson University in 1964.

Today, Clemson is ranked the 23rd best national public university by U.S. News & World Report and ranked among the best public colleges for value by Kiplinger. The Princeton Review includes Clemson in its list of “colleges that pay you back.”

Related Resource: What Are the Best Classes for Sports Management Majors?

Clemson University Accreditation Details

Clemson University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Accreditation allows students to apply for and receive federal student aid. It also indicates that the school has the resources to meet its stated goals and objectives. Programs throughout the school are accredited by the following organizations:

  • Accrediting Board for Engineering and Technology
  • Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics
  • American Camp Association
  • American Council for Construction Education
  • American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  • Association for Childhood Education International
  • Association for Middle-Level Education
  • Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
  • Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education
  • Commission on Collegiate Interpreter Education
  • Committee for Recreational Therapy Education
  • Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education
  • Council for Exceptional Children
  • Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation
  • Educational Leadership Constituent Council
  • Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
  • International Literacy Association
  • Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board
  • National Architectural Accrediting Board
  • National Association for the Education of Young Children
  • National Association of Schools of Art and Design
  • National Council for the Social Studies
  • National Council for Teachers of English
  • National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
  • National Recreation and Park Association
  • National Science Teachers Association
  • Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management

Clemson University Application Requirements

Applicants for either the Bachelor of Arts in Sports Communication or Bachelor of Science in Turfgrass who have not earned college credit after high school graduation must provide official high school transcripts as well as official ACT or SAT scores.

Applicants who have earned college credit after high school graduation must provide official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. Applicants must have a GPA of 2.5 or higher and be in good standing at the last school attended. Those with fewer than 30 transferrable credits may need to provide official high school transcripts and test scores.

Related Resource: Do I Need a Degree in Sports Journalism to Become a Sports Journalist? 

Clemson University Tuition and Financial Aid

Tuition for the Bachelor of Arts in Sports Communication and the Bachelor of Science in Turfgrass is $657 per credit hour for South Carolina residents and $1,657 per credit hour for non-residents.

Financial aid is available and students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to qualify. Students may be offered grants, scholarships or loans to cover the cost of tuition. Those attending on campus may also be offered work-study programs.

Clemson University offers several degree programs designed for those who want to enter the sports management industry.

Related Articles: