The new sports management master’s program is an online program launching in fall 2024, for graduates and working professionals to gain experience in the field beyond an entry-level position.

Lecturer for the School of Management Adrijana Sekulovic said the program is to serve as a platform where working professionals and people who may want to career shift can gain valuable experience and information beyond the entry-level position. She said the program gives graduates a chance to gain knowledge that can land them a job in the sports industry. 

Due to the program being online, she said the goal is to create a more globally inclusive community that can engage many different mindsets, and encourage them to pursue their passions. 

“By making the program completely online we open it up to an audience that we would otherwise, with an on-campus program, not reach because of their other commitments,” Dean of the School of Management Gerhard Apfelthaler said. We would also broaden our reach and enroll students from all over the United States.” 

Apfelthaler said the sports management master’s program will deliver graduate-level education to those already working in the field and can give them an upgrade that prepares them for leadership positions. He said the program is also for those who want to put their foot in the door of the sports industry despite not having that specific background.  

Due to the location of Cal Lutheran and the Los Angeles area, Apfelthaler said the program will bring diversity to students’ experience. He said since the program will be online, the impact it would have on Cal Lutheran would be somewhat minimal.  The program he said will also implement a number of the current undergraduate programs and new programs that will be launching in the fall.

Carol Chung director of Graduate Admissions said in an email interview that as a fully online program, the sport management program will have a greater geographic reach. She said this would allow for more diversity in the applicant pool.

The new program, Sekulovic said, is different from what California Lutheran University has done before. The program, she said, has created excitement among faculty to learn from past experiences and make it an amazing program for the students.

“What’s really exciting about the new program is that it’s going to be a fully online program, which enables us to not only cater to students who are in the area, we expected a lot of students in the program will actually be working professionals who will have limited time because of their work schedules,” Apfelthaler said. 

Chung said she believes academic programs should support the unique educational journeys of every student.

There will be thirteen courses, Chung said, and three capstone offerings that are in development for the program. Chung said the program will be able to give students options when choosing elective courses to customize an academic plan that aligns with their personal and professional goals within the sports management field.

This past year, Apflethaler said California Lutheran University has had low enrollment. He said that the new program being accessible and accommodating, will hopefully encourage people to apply and increase enrollment.

“We are confident that an online program like the Sports Management Masters is going to make our enrollment rebound,” Apfelthaler said. 

Sekulovic said this program will be unique and provide helpful insight into the current changes in the sports industry so those taking the course will be well-equipped to partake in the fast-moving environment.

“We are going to be able to offer courses that align with the current changes in the sports industry,” Sekulovic said.

Sekulovic will be running the new program and said she is excited because she has the opportunity to express her ideas and move past the stereotypes that exist within the male-dominated field of sports management.

“It will open a new window of possibilities and growth that will also allow us to a certain extent broadcast the Cal Lutheran vision and mission in higher education,” Sekulovic said.