Officials at Northwestern’s Graduate School are reviewing a proposal to offer a master’s degree in sports administration as early as 2005, according to administrators in the Graduate School and the School of Continuing Studies.

But the program probably will not be ready for students in the fall, said Simon Greenwold, associate director of academic programs for the School of Continuing Studies, which would offer courses in the program. The program would not be open to undergraduates.

“We are still in the approval process — so it’s not a degree (yet),” Greenwold said.

The administrative board of the Graduate School — the body that helps determine curricula for graduate students — is reviewing the program and will vote on whether to approve the degree in the coming months, said Larry Henschen, an associate dean for the school.

If the Graduate School approves the proposal, the School of Continuing Studies will offer the program’s classes while the Graduate School will award the degree, he said.

Henschen said he does not know when the program would be ready for students, adding that the degree might be administered through another NU graduate school.

“The bulk of the discussion is centered around issues concerning what might be a proper home for that particular program,” Henschen said.

The program would combine coursework on the business side of the sports industry — such as sports marketing, promotion and athletic administration — with experience working at NU sporting events, said Mark Murphy, director of athletics.

“During the games — that’s an area where they could be helpful to us,” Murphy said.

The size of the business end of the sports industry has mushroomed in recent years, Murphy said, and demand has grown nationwide for more focused graduate programs. NU’s program would prepare students for work behind the scenes of the industry, he said.

“Especially at the professional level, there are a lot more opportunities for people to work in athletics,” Murphy said. “I think it’s a field that a lot of people have grown up with an interest in — either as athletes or fans — and seeing it as a career they would enjoy.”

Former athletes might find added appeal in a sports administration program, said Doug Szymul, a Communication senior who played football at NU for four years.

“I’ve wanted to pursue a graduate degree in sports administration,” said Szymul, who now is an intern for NU’s athletic media services. “I’ve always been very interested in sports in general. Going from being a football player to the offices, I really want to stick with it.”

The growth of the administrative side of the sports industry can be seen everywhere, said Andrew Kreutzer, coordinator for the sports administration and facility management program at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Kreutzer oversees the oldest sports administration program in the country.

Ohio University offers a two-year program that awards students a master’s degree in sports administration. The first year involves core management courses while in the second year students study specifics, such as sports marketing or sponsorship, he said.

Sports management and marketing are two growing fields in particular, Kreutzer said. On the media side, the industry’s growth is best exhibited by the amount of sports coverage on TV today, he added.

“In 1960 there were 300 hours of televised sports for the whole year — when they said game of the week they meant it,” Kreutzer said. “Now there are over 1,000 hours a week.”