Sports Communication & Media (MA)

The Iona University Master of Arts (MA) in Sports Communication and Media program covers the full spectrum of sports content creation, from legacy media reporting and live game reporting to video editing, podcast production, social media content creation, and sports blogging. This diversity in platforms and media types is crucial in the job market. PricewaterhouseCoopers indicates, “By 2025, the number of U.S. viewers who stream a sports event at least once a month is projected to rise to over 90 million — a steep rise from 57 million in 2021.”

According to MA graduate Ray Jarvis, “The experience has been everything I could have hoped for and more. You get hands-on industry experience as well as actual interviewing [of] former and current athletes. Production, behind-the-scenes, how to run a studio, how to edit, and post-production. Everything you want to do; this program has it.”

Yes, internships and interdepartmental collaboration are both key aspects of the MA in Sports Communication and Media program at Iona. Students may choose to complete up to two elective internship courses that include off-campus, supervised work experience at a media organization, as well as regular meetings with the internship coordinator. Interns must also complete a final paper that relates the work experience to their coursework in mass communication.

Mary Omatiga, a graduate of the MA program and current writer at NBC Sports, notes that “Professors at Iona go above and beyond [...] to make sure students are aware of internships and job opportunities.”

Iona students can also collaborate with students in other departments. Many sports communication students choose to work with media teams at Iona’s television club (IUTV), radio club (WIUR), and newspaper (The Ionian). These activities give MA students the chance to get in front of a camera, behind a microphone, or in front of an audience and gain invaluable experience for their careers.  

Students in the MA in Sports Communication and Media program must complete a Thesis Project as part of their studies. The MA Thesis Project consists of supervised, directed research, and the completion of a video documentary. Students take two required courses, a three-credit project preparation course that is a prerequisite for their thesis project, and a subsequent three-credit thesis course. Compared to a capstone project, the thesis project requires students to find and tell a new story using their research and reporting skills.

Completing a video thesis project for the MA program provides a major advantage for graduates as they enter the job market. The thesis project showcases the range of media skills that Iona graduates acquire during their time in the program, from video production and editing to storytelling and interviewing skills. Depending on their career goals, students can use their thesis projects to demonstrate on-camera talent, as well.  

Yes, the MA in Sports Communication and Media is open to applicants from all undergraduate majors. Interested students should apply using Iona’s Graduate Application Portal. Applicants are asked to submit one writing or video sample that demonstrates video production skills and/or the ability to discuss a sports-related topic or issue. However, the writing or video sample is an entirely optional part of the application process.  

In addition to academic skills cultivated during their undergraduate careers, applicants should have the following to succeed in any master’s program:

• Strong communication skills
• Ability to balance obligations in and out of the classroom
• Desire to continuously learn 

GRE scores are not required to apply to the MA program. Instead, subjective measures like recommendations from undergraduate professors are a strong indication of future graduate school success.  

Graduates of the MA in Sports Communication and Media program move into many different jobs in sports media. Recent graduates of the program currently work as:

• Broadcast Associate at CBS Sports
• Writer for NBC Sports
• Graphics Producer and Broadcast Associate for MLB Network and NHL Network
• Producer and Editor for the New York Red Bulls
• Production Assistant at NBC Sports 

These competitive positions set new graduates up for continued success in the sports media sector. Sports media jobs can cover a range of titles, but according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the demand for producers and directors is expected to grow by 5% between 2025 and 2035, which is faster than the average for all jobs.

Similarly, the demand for film and video editors is expected to grow by 3%, and the demand for public relations specialists is expected to grow by 5%. The rapidly changing media landscape means that jobs that exist today may evolve in the near future, but the breadth of experience offered by Iona graduates prepares them well for the future, no matter what it may hold.