Bachelor of Arts in Sports Communication

Graduates from our program have found jobs in:

Freshman Year

Sophomore Year

Junior Year

Senior Year

120 Total Semester Hours

ⁱ The foreign language requirement is a proficiency requirement. Students must complete through 2020 in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Portuguese, Russian, or Spanish.
ⁱⁱ EX ST 2220 or 3010 or MTHSC 2030
ⁱⁱⁱ See General Education Requirements. Six of these credit hours must also satisfy the Cross-Cultural Awareness Requirement and, if EX ST 2220 is not selected, the Science and Technology in Society Requirement.
^iv See advisor. Emphasis area courses consist of 12 credit hours at the 3000/4000-level that fit an approved theme. [6 or 9] credit hours must be Sports Communication courses.

Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes

Upon graduation with a B.A. in sports communication, students will demonstrate mastery of the following:

1. The history and distinguishing characteristics of the sports communication field.
2. Relevant communication theory and its applications to sports contexts.
3. Range of research methods used in sports communication research.
4. Communication law and ethics as they apply to sports communication.
5. How communication in sports contexts may be used to pursue long-term professional goals in communication within the student’s context of interest (e.g., mass media, public relations, workplace/business, etc.)
6. Academic and professional writing characterized by elegance in presentation (i.e., mechanics and style) as well as intellectual and practical sophistication appropriate to a graduate of a B.A. program at a major research university.

COMM 1010 - Communication Academic and Professional Development I (1 Credit Hours):
Introduces students to General Education and Communication Studies major requirements, explains connections between general education and major courses, explores careers in communication, and prepares students to develop digital portfolios, resumes, and interview skills specific to communication professions and/or graduate school. To be taken Pass/No Pass only.

COMM 2010: Introduction to Communication Studies (4 Credit Hours):
Introduces Communication/Sports Communication majors/minors to and prepares them for continued study in the discipline by providing them with an overview of important issues, areas of study, and approaches to the field. Includes a writing laboratory experience. Preq: COMM 1010. Coreq: COMM 2011.

COMM 2020: Communication Theory (3 Credit Hours):
Students explore the breadth and depth of theories within the major frameworks of the communication studies discipline. Preq: COMM 2010 with a C or better.

COMM 2030: Communication Inquiry (3 Credit Hours):
Survey of communication modes of inquiry that expose students to the range of research methods for general understanding; culminates with student development of methods proposal. Preq: COMM 2010 with a C or better.

COMM 2090: Communication Across Media Platforms (3 Credit Hours):
Provides an overview of the communication convergence strategies and practices used across multiple media platforms, including print, broadcast, Internet and social media. Emphasis is placed on media law, ethics and communication practices used across multiple media platforms. Preq: COMM 2010 with a C or better.

COMM 3240: Communication, Sport and Society (3 Credit Hours):
Covers the cultural influence of communication about sports on society. Explores how communication enables cultural meaning and values to become associated and established within sports. Exposes students to the ways that factors such as race, gender and nationalism manifest and perpetuate via communication about sports. Preq: COMM 2010 with a Cor better.

COMM 3260: Strategic Communication in Sports (3 Credit Hours):
Spans strategic communication topics in sports such as public relations, media relations, sports information, and advertising. Theory-driven, but with a focus on applied exercises (e.g., press releases, media advisories, production of media guides, etc.) Preq: COMM 2010 with a C or better.

COMM 3270: Sports Media Criticism (3 Credit Hours):
Students gain in-depth understanding of sports communication issues through critically analyzing actual media coverage of sporting events, addressing social issues involved in college and professional sports, and developing an understanding of sports promotion and advertising. Preq: COMM 2010 with a C or better.

COMM 3280: Social Media and Sports Communication (3 Credit Hours):
Covers the influence of communication and social media in sports and how these technologies are changing the communicative infrastructure of sports. Students explore how social media and emerging theories related to social media are re-configuring sports media, how sports organizations are managing social media, and how social media affects fan behavior and athlete communication. Preq: COMM 2010 with a C or better.

COMM 3290: Sport News Media (3 Credit Hours):
This course traces the historical development of the field of sport news media and immerses students in the contemporary landscape. Relevant communication theories guide students’ understanding of key concepts and issues, and students also are expected to produce high-quality multimodal sports media artifacts that demonstrate technical expertise. Preq: COMM 2010 with a C or better.

COMM 3780: Communication and Sport Socialization (3 Credit Hours):
Explores how individuals are socialized into, via, and out of sport. Spans how agents of socialization (families, schools, media, coaches, and peers) come to inspire sporting participation and fandom, what involvement in sports contributes toward human development and identity, and how the process of ending involvement in sport may be managed. Preq: COMM 2010.

COMM 3790: Team Communication (3 Credit Hours):
Explores the communicative theories, frameworks, and perspectives that relate to the function of sports teams. The course spans issues of coaching, athlete-athlete communication, and relations with external stakeholders (e.g., parents). Preq: COMM 2010.

COMM 4250: Advanced Sports Communication (3 Credit Hours):
Combination seminar and primary research class that explores contemporary sports communication issues. Students write position papers on seminar topics and conduct primary research on sports communication topics of their choice.

COMM 4270: Communication in Sports Organizations (3 Credit Hours):
Examines communication dynamics in sports organizations. Among other topics, may include identifying how sports organizations manage crisis communication, communication with stakeholders, sexual harassment, ethical issues, and dissent. Preq: COMM 2010 with a Cor better.

COMM 4980: Communication Academic and Professional Development II (1 Credit Hour):
Students reflect upon curricular relationships among general education, major, and minor courses. They complete and revise digital portfolios for presentation to the major, University, graduate schools, or potential employers. Students participate in resume building, job seeking, and interviewing activities. To be taken Pass/No Pass only. Preq: COMM 2020 and COMM 2030, each with a grade of C or higher; and Senior standing in Communication or Sports Communication.

Our academic advisors work with freshmen, sophomores, students changing majors, and transfer students. Services include:

• Academic advisement
• Course selection
• Transferability of courses; and
• Completion of various academic forms.

Academic advisors are also available to meet with prospective students considering various majors within the colleges. All students are encouraged to make appointments with an advisor in their intended major.

• Students must have a minimum of a 2.8 Clemson GPA
• Students must have completed a minimum of 12 credit hours at Clemson or elsewhere.
• Students must have completed the following courses:
  • COMM 1010 (Academic and Professional Development I)
  • COMM 2010 (Introduction to Communication Studies) with a C or higher

Change of Major forms will only be accepted in the last week of each semester in December, May, and August.

These appointments are offered throughout the semester and are for current Clemson students who are interested in changing their major to Sports Communication. Please schedule an appointment in CU Navigate with Hunter Allen for an Explore Sports Communication appointment. These are group Explore appointments.  Please note, Explore Appointments will not be available during the pre-registration advising season. If you have any questions, please reach out to Kaela Gardner at kaelag@clemson.edu.

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