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  1. Sport Management vs. Sports Administration: What’s the Difference?

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    There are many ways to be a key player in the world of athletics without risking yourself on the field. One such way is to work in sports management or sports administration.

    One question that is often asked is what is the difference between sports management and sport administration? The short answer is that the two fields are quite similar. Sports management involves overseeing all aspects of an athletic program or organization. In sports administration you also oversee or work with athletic organizations to improve programming.

    As the two fields are virtually the same, it stands to reason that a master’s in sports administration and a master’s in sports management are also virtually synonymous.

    Sports Administration vs. Sports Management: Choosing the Right Program

    Since the master’s in sports administration and sports management programs are both so similar, it’s important for you as a prospective student to look at their specifics — and how they align with your career goals. For example, if you want to improve your marketing skills, you might consider a master’s program with a concentration or specialization in sports marketing.

    Below is a list of questions to help you evaluate program flexibility and curriculum as you explore master’s degree programs in sports administration and sports management:

    • Is the program full-time or part-time?
    • Does the program align with my schedule?
    • Can the program be completed online?
    • Does the program offer options to specialize?
    • What resources does the program have in terms of connections to alumni or affiliate organizations?

    Read on to learn about the typical curriculum, common admission requirements and job opportunities (including salary information) for sports management and sports administration master’s programs.

    Curriculum

    Master’s in sports administration and master’s in sports management programs prepare students to successfully work in athletics management and administration. Many programs include coursework in the following areas:

    • Sports marketing
    • Technology
    • Business
    • Sports analytics
    • Public relations

    In addition to core coursework, some programs offer elective, concentration and specialization options. As noted above, a specialization or concentration is something that you want to consider when you evaluate programs. In addition to a general track, the online MS in Sport Management from Adelphi University features two distinct optional specializations to choose from.

    • College Athletic Administration prepares students to supervise every aspect of a university or college program in roles such as athletic administrator and director.
    • Sport Marketing helps students develop the skills to promote brands in today’s complex, fast-paced marketing landscape.

    “The exciting part of our sport management program is it can be tailored to a variety of interests to meet the needs of our ever-growing world of sports. Our dedicated and experienced faculty have direct contact with numerous alumni and sport organizations throughout the tristate area and the world to assist and help you get the inside track on the latest trends in sports.”— Dan Bedard, Clinical Assistant Professor, Health and Sports Sciences

    Admission Requirements

    All master’s degree programs, including those in sports management and sports administration, want to ensure that students have the right foundation to succeed in graduate courses. Programs also want to know that their incoming students will be a good fit for the program based on their previous experience in the field, as well as their goals and interests. They also want to ensure that accepted students are making the right educational choice relevant to their experience, goals and interests.

    Common admission requirements for master’s in sports management and master’s in sports administration programs include undergraduate transcripts with a minimum GPA, graduate test scores (like the GRE or GMAT), personal statements and letters of recommendation.

    The online MS in Sport Management from Adelphi University has the following application requirements:

    • Application and $50 fee
    • Official transcripts from all prior institutions
    • Proof of bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year institution
    • Two letters of recommendation
    • Essay
    • Resume (preferred)

    Careers and salary information

    Both sports administration careers and hrefsports management careers focus on managing and overseeing multiple aspects within athletic organizations and teams, including the following tasks:

    • Balancing budgets
    • Overseeing marketing initiatives
    • Signing and managing talent
    • Managing public relations
    • Creating and managing rosters
    • Negotiating contracts

    The average salary for an individual with an MS in Sports Management is $53,000 a year. Below are five careers you can pursue with either a master’s in sport management or master’s in sports administration:

    Job Title Average Salary
    Event Coordinator $43,709
    Sports Agent $51,998
    Corporate Partnerships Manager $50,000
    Athletic Director $61,191
    Facilities Operations Manager $71,470

    Degree and career salary information taken from Payscale in March 2022.

    Event Coordinator

    In this case, the job description is right in the name. Event coordinators (sometimes called game day coordinators) oversee every aspect of a particular event or game, working with the venue, security staff, reporters and food vendors. Event coordinators can work in a variety of industries, so it helps to have a wide breadth of skills. In order to be successful, event coordinators should know how to budget their time and communicate effectively with others.

    Sports Agent

    Sports agents represent professional athletes in many different facets of their careers. First and foremost, sports agents negotiate. Negotiations can take place around contracts, endorsement deals and public appearances. Sports agents also need to have expertise in the sports they represent. In addition, sports agents should be able to analyze statistics in order to best negotiate for their clients. As seen in the movie Jerry Maguire, sports agents have to be salespeople, which means they need to possess excellent networking and people skills.

    Corporate Partnerships Manager

    When you see advertisements running across a screen during a game, you’re likely viewing the work of a corporate partnerships manager. A corporate partnerships manager is in charge of cultivating and securing relationships between both nonprofit and for-profit organizations. In terms of sports, the corporate partnerships manager might partner with a company or corporation to create events or other marketing opportunities between those organizations and the sports team.

    Athletic Director

    Athletic directors coordinate athletic activities for a high school or college/university. An athletic director creates budgets, develops marketing, sets schedules, hires staff (including coaches), fundraises and organizes special events. This is an administrative position, which means that athletic directors must possess both analytical and organizational skills.

    Facilities Operations Manager

    A facilities operations manager supports recreational and sports facilities. Some of the tasks of a facilities operations manager include the buying, selling and leasing of the facility. Other tasks include capital management and marketing.

    About the Adelphi University MS in Sport Management

    The online MS in Sport Management at Adelphi University is designed for hard-working, ambitious individuals with a passion for sports. The degree is available online and on campus and includes optional specializations in sport marketing or athletic administration.

    At Adelphi, students gain an in-depth understanding of the sport industry with coursework that includes business management, market analysis, budget preparation, sport law, sport marketing and public relations. They also learn how to turn previous athletic experience and interests into professional strengths in order to stand out in the industry.
    Our students benefit from the connections they build with their peers and with faculty members who work in the industry. This is a team that will support you throughout your career.

  2. Sport Management Blog: Olivia Franks on Internship Experiences

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    Sport Management Blog: Olivia Franks

    My Internship Experience in Pro Sports

    The Master of Science in Sport Management program prepares graduates for a wide range of roles in the industry. Our alumni excel in positions in professional organizations across the tri-state area and the program’s reach is only continuing to grow. Discover more about how Adelphi alumni have advanced their careers and continued to use their graduate skills throughout their professional paths.

    Olivia Franks chose Adelphi University for both her undergraduate and graduate degrees. From her internships as an undergrad to her current success as a marketing coordinator with Screenvision Media, Olivia has gained insights into sports marketing that can help anyone interested in launching a career in the industry. For more from Olivia, check out her previous blog post on why she chose the MS in Sport Management from Adelphi University.

    In order to be successful in the sports industry, I knew I needed to gain experience through internships. Applying for internships early on in your college career is important because it’s crucial to be in the field learning while studying. Sports and entertainment are very competitive fields and I knew I had to be open to different types of opportunities while staying true to my goals. During my college career, I had three internship roles: campus ambassador with BSE Global, corporate communications intern at Endeavor and community relations intern with the New York Islanders.

    From the beginning of college, I knew I wanted to have an internship with the New York Islanders, but I needed to build my résumé first. When I first applied to intern with the Islanders, I was not offered a position. I didn’t want to give up on that goal, so I focused on gaining experience in other sports and entertainment roles. At an Adelphi career fair, I found my first internship as a campus ambassador for Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment (now BSE Global, the parent company of Barclays Center and the Brooklyn Nets). In this role, I was able to develop creative marketing skills while promoting Nassau Coliseum events on Adelphi’s campus. This internship gave me invaluable insight into the industry and set the tone for my future in sports and entertainment.

    After Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment, where I was in a fan-facing role, I moved on to the global sports and entertainment company Endeavor and learned what it is like to be on the corporate side of the industry. This shift was not only interesting, but also valuable to my development: having a variety of positions builds your skill set and prepares you for all scenarios in the workplace.

    After my summer at Endeavor, I tried again in fall 2018 for an internship with the Islanders and was offered a position as a community relations intern. The position taught me how to create successful events, fundraise for charities, interact with fans on game days and supervise a volunteer staff.

    The support and flexibility of my professors at Adelphi was vital, because I occasionally had to prioritize large Islander events such as the Annual Golf Outing over class. For two seasons, I even teamed up with Professor Daniel Bedard, who played for the Islanders as a practice player and worked for the organization for 20 years, to give Adelphi students game-day volunteer opportunities in my department. Some of my volunteers went on to receive internships within my department. Following my internship, I was promoted to part-time community relations representative with the Islanders. I have since begun a full-time role as marketing coordinator at Screenvision Media, an advertising company that creates ads and content for cinema exhibitors, sports venues, e-gaming and live event platforms. I continue to work Islander game days when I can, though.
    I have learned through my various roles how important it is to stay in contact with your supervisors and co-workers. Keeping solid relationships can lead to new opportunities that you wouldn’t learn about otherwise. This industry is about making connections and creating a positive experience for fans: you should do the same for yourself too. For me, utilizing the resources at Adelphi, as well as taking on leadership roles in clubs and organizations, truly prepared me for this industry. On-campus clubs can give you event management experience, sharpen your public speaking skills and help you to bond with your peers. I came out of the Adelphi MS in Sport Management completely prepared for sports and entertainment. Adelphi readied me for the workplace, so take advantage of your college experience and make it your own.

    About the Adelphi University MS in Sport Management

    The MS in Sport Management at Adelphi University is designed for hard-working, ambitious individuals with a passion for sports. The degree is available online and on campus and includes optional specializations in sport marketing or athletic administration.

    At Adelphi, students gain an in-depth understanding of the sport industry with coursework that includes business management, market analysis, budget preparation, sport law, spot marketing and public relations. They also learn how to turn previous athletic experience and interests into professional strengths in order to stand out in the industry.

    Our students benefit from the connections they build with their peers and with faculty members who work in the industry. This is a team that will support you throughout your career.

  3. Master of Nutrition vs. Master of Sports Nutrition: What’s the Difference?

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    Masters in Nutrition vs. Masters in Sports NutritionA widely shared concept of nutrition is that the smallest change in one’s habits can lead to incredible results. We’ve recently seen it crop up in the wellness industry, with people rejecting processed health foods and diet shakes in favor of fresh, natural ingredients. High schools and colleges are emphasizing the importance of nutrition as well, encouraging better diets among their student athletes. One student interviewed by The New York Times said that simply replacing red meat and processed foods with healthier alternatives and increasing his water intake led to improved muscle endurance and fewer cramps.

    Such a simple adjustment encourages us to consider the ways that comprehensive expertise in nutrition and sports nutrition can significantly improve peoples’ health and performance outcomes.

    A master’s degree in nutrition dives deep into the ways nutrition and diet affect the health of individuals and communities. These programs cover how nutritional needs vary across the human lifespan, nutrition’s impact on chronic diseases and effective ways to educate the public on healthy food and exercise choices.

    A master’s degree in sports nutrition narrows this approach, showcasing how diet and nutrition affect athletic performance and recovery. Students learn how to counsel individual athletes and teams on diet and exercise plans that support their unique fitness needs.

    In this article, we’ll compare a master’s in nutrition and a master’s in sports nutrition, contrasting the different degree requirements, curricula and career opportunities they open. Our goal is to help you choose between a comprehensive program that opens a variety of career opportunities and a focused pathway for a career in a specific industry.

    Admission Requirements

    Requirements for admission are similar for both master’s in nutrition and master’s in sports nutrition programs. To start, you’ll need to have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. Minimum GPA requirements vary among colleges, but most request anywhere from a 2.5 to a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

    Your degree doesn’t have to be in a health-related discipline, though such a background is valuable. If your degree is outside of the health sciences, you’ll be asked to take prerequisite courses before the program starts. These courses include but aren’t limited to anatomy, physiology, chemistry and biology.

    Master’s In Nutrition/Sports Nutrition Admission Requirements Summary
    • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
    • Minimum GPA
    • Undergraduate degree or prerequisite in health, anatomy, physiology, chemistry and biology

    Curriculum

    Nutrition

    A graduate-level nutrition curriculum covers the diet and nutritional needs from infancy to late adulthood. Students learn how a person’s health needs change as they age, the effects of genetics, and how individual nutrition impacts public health outcomes.

    This wider focus allows for a greater variety of career applications, preparing graduates to find jobs in areas like public health, private practice, government organizations, nonprofit groups, research and schools. Much of the information studied will be beneficial to careers in sports nutrition, and graduates are at least partially eligible for certification programs such as:

    Certification Certifiying Organization Eligibility Requirement
    Master Sports Nutritionist The National Association of Sports Nutrition
    • An Advanced professional degree in a healthcare field that incorporates a four-year degree with sufficient science and nutrition hours
    • A score of 90 percent or better on the Primary Sports Nutritionist Board exam
    Sports Nutrition Specialist International Society of SPorts Nutrition
    • Working knowledge or basic exercise training, general nutrition, and sports supplements
    • Familiarity with the ISSN’s current position papers
    • High school diploma or its equivalent
    Certified Sports Nutritionist International Society of Sports Nutrition
    • A 4-year undergraduate degree in a health- or sports nutrition-related discipline OR
    • A 4-year undergraduate degree in an unrelated field with a recomended college-level education in nutrition, sports nutrition, or a similar course

    Subjects covered in a nutrition master’s degree program include:

    • Advanced human nutrition
    • Nutritional needs through the human lifespan
    • Nutrition and chronic diseases
    • Nutrition and community health
    • Nutritional education and communication

      • Sports Nutrition

      A master’s in sports nutrition curriculum combines nutritional science with exercise physiology to cover the nutritional needs of athletes. Students learn how energy is produced in the body, how muscles are developed and deteriorate, how repeated physical stress affects different parts of the body, and the effects of nutrition on an athlete’s career and post-career health.

      This specific focus means that certain aspects of nutritional science, such as age-related needs and chronic disease prevention, aren’t covered in these programs. Athletes aren’t immune to these and other conditions, so sports nutritionists may need to supplement their training with additional classes or certifications, gaining knowledge that is covered in a master’s in nutrition program.

      Subjects in a master’s in sports nutrition program include:

      • Kinesiology
      • Exercise science and physiology
      • Nutrition and performance
      • Diet and nutritional planning

      Career Outlook

      Between the rapid rise of boutique fitness studios, healthy-living influencers and wellness-focused startups, it’s clear that consumer demand is high for knowledgeable diet and nutrition experts. Estimates from McKinsey & Company value the global wellness market at more than $1.5 trillion, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment for dietitians and nutritionists to grow at a faster-than-average rate of 11 percent between 2020 and 2030. Many of these jobs are suitable for both nutrition and sports nutrition graduates, although the former will likely have more career flexibility.

      Careers for graduates with a master’s in sports nutrition include:

      • Registered Sports Dietitian: Creates diet and exercise plans for individual athletes and teams, and monitors their progress. Requires further training, including course and field work accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND).
      • Personal Coach: Works one-on-one with athletes to improve performance during games and competitive meets.
      • Exercise Physiologist: Develops careful health and exercise programs to help athletes recover from injuries.
      • Fitness Entrepreneur: Combines fitness and business expertise to create and market unique fitness solutions such as boutique studios, workout gear and equipment, and online exercise classes.

      Professionals with an MS in nutrition may find that their education prepares them well for the above careers, or find that they need only a small number of classes — rather than a separate degree — to become eligible. Still, an MS in nutrition prepares graduates for professions outside of sports nutrition as well. Additional careers for graduates with a master’s in nutrition that are outside of the field of sports include:

      • Health Educator: Develops campaigns to spread awareness on the impacts of diet, exercise and other health-related matters. Often employed in schools, government agencies or hospitals.
      • Public Health Administrator: Oversees operations in public or private health departments with the overall goal of improving community health.
      • Health Researcher: Analyzes medical data to uncover noteworthy trends in public health or discover new treatments.
      • Sports Nutritionist: A master’s degree in nutrition can help job-seekers find careers in sports nutrition, although additional training may be required for certification.

      Adelphi University’s Online MS in Nutrition

      No matter which nutritional career path interests you, the online MS in Nutrition can help you achieve your goals by providing a streamlined curriculum concentrating on the skills and knowledge that both reflect the latest nutrition science research and align with current career opportunities. The program is geared toward busy working professionals in health or health-related fields who want to expand their knowledge so that they can more effectively help others and/or earn a professional credential that is required for employment or career advancement.

  4. Sport Management Blog: Olivia Franks on Adelphi University

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    Sport Management Blog: Olivia Franks

    Why Adelphi?

    The Master of Science in Sport Management program prepares graduates for a wide range of roles in the industry. Our alumni excel in positions in nearly every professional organization across the tri-state area and the program’s reach is only continuing to grow. Discover more about how Adelphi alumni have advanced their careers and continued to use their graduate skills throughout their professional paths.

    Olivia Franks chose Adelphi University for both her undergraduate and graduate degrees. From her internships during undergrad, to her current success as a marketing coordinator with Screenvision Media, Olivia knows sports marketing inside and out. Her expertise provides insights not only into Adelphi, but into the sports industry as a whole.

    After I graduated from Adelphi University with a bachelor’s degree in communications in December 2019, I decided to pursue a master’s degree in sport management. By earning a master’s degree, I would be able to pursue more diverse job opportunities (like my current marketing coordinator position at Screenvision Media) and be qualified for a higher salary later on in my career.

    I was confident that the relationships I created with sport management professors as an undergraduate would help me throughout graduate school and into my career. I was able to get a graduate assistant position, which gave me the chance to help contribute to the growth of the program by collaborating on special projects with the sport management program directors. I also developed my graphic design and writing skills, in addition to connecting with alumni and students in the sports industry as a graduate assistant. I also was able to help develop social media accounts for the sport management program and create its first-ever e-magazine.

    Adelphi offers specializations in college athletic administration, sport-based youth development and sport marketing. Choosing the sport marketing specialization made sense for me, as my goal was to work in the marketing and events division of a sports and entertainment company. I also needed to understand the sport industry at a deeper level than what I learned in undergraduate courses. In-depth graduate courses like Sport Licensing and Merchandising, Sport Promotion and Sales Management and Analysis of Sport Branding Strategies helped give me a deep dive into the field.

    Pursuing graduate school online at Adelphi meant I wouldn’t have to leave my position with the New York Islanders. In 2018, as a junior at Adelphi, I began an internship in the Islanders community relations department and was later promoted to a part-time position. I worked during all Islanders home games, making Adelphi’s online program perfect for my schedule. The online and self-paced coursework provided me with the best possible academic experience while gaining hands-on experience in the field.

    Adelphi is located in the center of the world’s sport industry, providing countless internship and job opportunities with the NHL, MLB, NBA, MLS and NFL, to name only a few of the major sport properties that call New York home. Even during my undergraduate years at Adelphi, I was able to take advantage of the University’s proximity to an array of elite sport organizations, agencies and facilities. I had internships with Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment (now BSE Global), the sports and entertainment company that oversees the Barclays Center, and Endeavor, the sports and entertainment agency that represents sports talent and owns UFC and Professional Bull Riding.

    What separates the Adelphi sport management program is the invaluable expertise that the industry pros on its faculty share in the classroom itself. For example, Professor Greg Bouris has over 40 years of experience in professional sports, working with teams and organizations from the New York Islanders to the Major League Baseball Players Association, where he oversaw all strategic communications for the union’s labor relations, licensing and non-profit activities. Professor Frank Supovitz was the head of events for the NHL, where he helped launch the Winter Classic games played at outdoor stadiums. He was head of events for the NFL too, and was on site for the Super Bowl blackout in 2013. Hearing how he handled a blackout during one of the biggest events in the world showed me that though unplanned things may happen during events, the outcome can be successful. A sport management degree from Adelphi will ensure that you have lasting relationships: I’m still in contact with my former professors so I can keep up with the goings-on of the Adelphi sport management program and keep them updated on my own activities.

    About the Adelphi University MS in Sport Management

    The MS in Sport Management at Adelphi University is designed for hard-working, ambitious individuals with a passion for sports. The degree is available online and on campus and includes optional specializations in sport marketing or athletic administration.

    At Adelphi, students gain an in-depth understanding of the sport industry with coursework that includes business management, market analysis, budget preparation, sport law, spot marketing and public relations. They also learn how to turn previous athletic experience and interests into professional strengths in order to stand out in the industry.

    Our students benefit from the connections they build with their peers and with faculty members who work in the industry. This is a team that will support you throughout your career.

  5. Careers With a Sport Management Degree

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    The global sports market is growing exponentially, projected to reach nearly $600 billion by 2025. Worldwide, sports sponsorships were worth $57 billion in 2020 and are expected to hit nearly $90 billion by 2027. Among the contributing factors to the growing market are rising demand for sports apparel, increased programming availability via streaming services, growing interest in Major League Soccer, expansion of esports and the explosion of sports betting.

    There are many career opportunities in this flourishing industry. Popular sport management jobs include:

    • Athletic Director
    • Director of Guest Experience
    • Director of Promotions
    • Director of Social Media
    • Event Planner
    • Facilities Manager
    • General Manager
    • President
    • Public Relations Specialist
    • Sales Manager
    • Sports Information Director
    • Sports Manager / Business Manager
    • Sports Marketing Director
    • Vice President of Corporate Partnerships

    Earning a master’s in sport management helps you gain the sports business knowledge and leadership skills needed for these roles. You’ll also have the opportunity to develop important industry connections. In this article, we dive into several sport management careers and cover the sports industry in New York City.

    Careers in Sport Management

    There are many avenues you can pursue with a master’s in sport management, including working directly for high school or collegiate programs or professional teams, or with sports associations and organizations, such as MLB, the NBA or the NFL. You can also find employment with sport marketing, public relations and player representative agencies, facilities, broadcast and digital media outlets, licensing and retail operations and consulting agencies. And there are plenty of areas where you can have the opportunity to make an impact on challenges in the industry, including the advocacy for fairer wages for professional athletes and the legalization of sports betting.

    Sport management salaries can vary widely, depending on the role and the professional’s industry experience. Below, we’ve detailed several careers with a sports management degree, including important sports management skills* and salary information for each position.

    Athletic Director

    Athletic directors (ADs) are responsible for overseeing all sports teams and activities at the high school and collegiate levels of the industry. ADs must be able to cohesively lead and promote all programs. They recruit new faculty, staff and athletes; develop and monitor departmental goals; lead communication efforts; and manage the department’s marketing program.

    There is a wide salary range for athletic directors. At the collegiate level, where the median annual salary is about $120,000, the highest paid athletic director, Chris Del Conte of The University of Texas at Austin, is earning approximately $2.4 million over eight years. There is the potential for athletic directors to earn even more with performance bonuses.

    The Adelphi University master’s in sport management with collegiate athletic administration specialization helps students prepare for this role, covering such topics as sports law, intramural and recreation management, sport communication and media relations and sport facility and event management.

    Top baseline and specialized skills for college athletic directors:

    • Budgeting
    • Communication skills
    • Scheduling/programming
    • Planning
    • Teamwork/collaboration

    Director of Social Media

    Social media directors design and implement social media strategy for their organization. This includes collaboration with content, marketing, communications and multimedia teams to develop compelling copy, images and videos for specific social media platforms. Social media directors may also work with influencers to promote their organizations on social accounts. They may be tasked with growing a brand’s social media following and keeping their audience engaged, along with identifying ways to increase revenue through this channel. Directors of social media typically manage and mentor a social media team.

    Professionals in this role can move on to work as senior directors of social media, like Will Carafello of the New York Mets. Their career paths might also involve entering a marketing director or digital strategist position. The average salary for social media directors is $75,646.

    Top defining skills for social media strategists:

    • Social media
    • TikTok
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Social media platforms
    • Social media strategy

    Sports Marketing Director

    Typically reporting to the VP of marketing, sports marketing directors develop and execute strategic marketing initiatives. This includes email marketing, in-game presentation, marketing collateral, public relations, social media and media planning and buying. Supervisory responsibilities include managing and coaching other members of the marketing department.

    Marketing directors also collaborate with other internal teams, including communications, sales, and social media. A master’s in sport management with a sport marketing specialization can help prepare you for this role with courses in branding strategies, public relations and promotion and sales management.

    Sports marketers are reported to earn an average salary of $119,808, while those working in New York receive an average of 9% more. As with other sport management roles, your earnings can vary greatly depending on the sports entity you’re working for, your exact role and your experience.

    Eventually, marketing directors can work their way up to the role of chief marketing officer, like Karin Timpone of Major League Baseball or Melissa Proctor of the Atlanta Hawks, where they oversee all marketing efforts for the organization.

    Top defining skills:

    • Marketing
    • Budgeting
    • Market strategy
    • Social media marketing
    • Digital marketing

    Learn more about top skills for sports marketing professionals.

    Vice President of Corporate Partnerships

    The VP of corporate partnerships leads and provides overall direction to the corporate partnerships team. Among their responsibilities, they must manage and strengthen current accounts; cold call and land new corporate partners, which includes the creation and delivery of sales presentations and development of sales proposals; and maintain and report on the prospect pipeline. Overall, VPs of corporate partnerships must meet annual sales and revenue targets for the organization. They often report to the CEO or president of the company.

    Amos Varon serves as the senior vice president of partnership and premium development for all of BSE Global, heading up the business development team for the Brooklyn Nets, Barclays Center, the NBA G League’s Long Island Nets and the NBA 2K League’s NetsGC.

    Across all industries, the average salary for corporate partnerships VPs is about $170,000, with the ability to earn bonuses for signing clients and revenue earned.

    Top defining skills for corporate partnership professionals:

    • Sales
    • Business development
    • Account management
    • New business development
    • Sales goals

    *The top skills for all of the above positions were taken from Burning Glass.

    Sports Business in The Big Apple

    New York City is the center of the sports universe, with 9 Big Four sports league teams boasting 29 World Series titles, 11 Stanley Cups, 5 Super Bowls and 2 NBA Championships. It’s where the headquarters of the MLB, MLS, NBA, NFL, NHL and WNBA are located. Top events like the New York City Marathon and U.S. Open Tennis Championships, along with hundreds of sports companies and organizations, call it home. Not to mention that it’s the media capital of the world.

    Completing your graduate education at a university located in the center of it all is incredibly beneficial. The optional internship capstone in the master’s in sport management program at Adelphi University allows you to form valuable industry connections and put your skills to use in the real world while completing the degree. Students can also take advantage of career development and job placement assistance. The program’s faculty members have a wealth of experience in the sports industry, including in administration, coaching, consulting, marketing, public relations and research.

    Adelphi MS in Sport Management graduates have found success with professional sports teams and organizations in New York and beyond, including the NFL, NHL, MLB, MLS, PGA, USTA and WNBA.

    About the Adelphi University MS in Sport Management

    The MS in Sport Management at Adelphi University is designed for hard-working, ambitious individuals with a passion for sports. The degree is available online and on campus and includes optional specializations in sport marketing or athletic administration.

    At Adelphi, students gain an in-depth understanding of the sport industry with coursework that includes business management, market analysis, budget preparation, sport law, spot marketing and public relations. They also learn how to turn previous athletic experience and interests into professional strengths in order to stand out in the industry.

    Our students benefit from the connections they build with their peers and with faculty members who work in the industry. This is a team that will support you throughout your career.

  6. Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Manoj Pardasani

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    Dr. Manoj Pardasani joined Adelphi University as dean of the School of Social Work at a very precarious time.

    “I started in June 2020 in the midst of a pandemic,” Dr. Pardasani said. “It was a strange time to start as a leader of any school.”

    Though the timing wasn’t ideal, Pardasani embraced his dual role at Adelphi. In addition to being an administrator of Adelphi’s on-campus and online MSW programs, he’s a tenured professor, specializing in gerontology, non-profit leadership, community practice and social policy analysis.

    Prior to his experience as an administrator and educator, Pardasani developed his experience in the social work field, where he worked with several populations, including older adults.

    “One of my interests is case management for homebound older adults who do not need a nursing home, but who are in need of support services, programs and other resources,” said Pardasani.

    Read on to find out Pardasani’s thoughts on the importance of customized courses like Social Work Practice In Health Care, what stands out most about Adelphi’s online MSW program, and how Adelphi has made its residency for online MSW students accessible.

    Please tell me a little about your role at Adelphi as a dean and professor.

    When I started at Adelphi University, it was going through a period of transition in a positive way. A year ago Adelphi celebrated its seventieth anniversary as a school of social work. We’ve been around for a long time as a nationally ranked school of social work in this country.

    A few years ago we started our online MSW (OMSW). This program has a nationwide reach, and we’re really proud to have this impact across the country. Our graduates go on to work in the field of social work across the United States—sometimes even internationally—and we’re proud we’ve helped our graduates pursue opportunities everywhere.

    I’ve read that you are interested in public policy reforms for aging populations on social welfare. Please expand on this.

    I started my career in social work in gerontology. I was a program director, and then the director of a senior center in the Bronx in New York City. Those experiences really sparked my interest in working with older adults and conducting research on social work practice with that age group. Our over 65 population is going to double in just a few years. We also have a significant proportion of our population that’s going to be 50 years and older.

    What we really need to look at is not just programs and services, but social policies that are designed to help older adults age successfully in their communities, with the support and resources they need to be as independent as long as possible in order to have a great quality of life.

    As my research has expanded and transformed over the years, what I get really excited about is conducting research where I see gaps or needs in social policies or social services .

    Why do you think students would choose the Adelphi online MSW program over others offered in the region?

    Our program was developed in-house by our faculty and administrators with an accredited curriculum that is identical to the one offered on-campus. We offer the same quality, content and expertise in our online program as we do in-person.

    Our program is focused on engaging students and helping them grow professionally and personally, so that when they graduate they become effective and ethical practitioners. Another area of focus in the program is social justice and human rights. We prepare our students to not only be effective, ethical practitioners that work with multiple populations, but to also strive for social justice, and figure out ways to address disparities, inequities and injustices in society.

    Another benefit of our online MSW is that our classes are small. This means that we are able to give our students a lot more direct attention in the virtual and field environments.

    In addition to wanting our students to become changemakers, we also want them to be able to get licensed as practicing social workers. We created a comprehensive licensure prep program that is available to all our MSW students. We’ve developed an eight-module course that gives our students access to strategy sessions on licensing and the licensing exam, including how it is structured. We also provide an exam bank of prior licensing exam questions so that they can practice on their own.

    We also offer refresher sessions and exam practice tests. And our licensing advisors are available at no cost to students throughout their programs.

    These are some of the things that set our MSW program apart from some others in the region. We are focused on education as well as professional development—we don’t forget about our students once they graduate. We offer a comprehensive array of continuing education programs to social workers in the field, including our own alumni.

    I know that Adelphi’s online MSW is customizable to fulfill the needs of your students. Please tell me more about the Health Across Life specialization, and what outcomes you have seen from that.

    In our Social Work Practice in Health Care course, we teach our students about health in a comprehensive way. What social work does best is really look at human beings holistically. When we talk about health, we’re not just talking about physical health, but also emotional, social, economic and environmental health.

    Often in social work—both in education and practice—the focus is on health and development in the early stages of life, as if to say that development ends at 18. But the brain continues to evolve past the age of 21, and human beings continue to grow and develop throughout their lifetime through all their experiences. The Health Across Life specialization helps students understand the importance of comprehensive and holistic health across a person’s life span. As a result, we’re seeing these students more effectively able to market themselves for jobs because they haven’t been so siloed to one age population.

    Another positive aspect is that this understanding of development through the lifespan, really brings more knowledge and skills to their practice. This concentration gives students the ability to learn about the full breadth of issues and conditions that impact people at different stages of their lives.

    Finally, the Social Work Practice in Health Care course really utilizes the strengths of our faculty. Many of them focus on health care throughout the lifespan. Some of them have more expertise with older adults, and some with children, adolescents and young adults. Our faculty members also have a range of experience in mental health, substance abuse and general healthcare.

    We are able to bring those strengths together and create a comprehensive continuum of life model which I think is really helpful.

    Please tell me about the field work opportunities available for Adelphi MSW students.

    Traditionally, MSW students have a field placement for 600 hours in their foundation or beginning year, and then another 600 hours in their advanced year.
    First-year field placements are more generic. Students are just learning to engage clients, conduct preliminary assessments, develop intervention plans, evaluate whether what they are doing is working or not, and learn how to work in an organization with different stakeholders and multiple disciplines.

    In terms of field placements, students will work in a variety of fields, like domestic violence, with homeless populations, or in a school system. They could be working in a mental health clinic or community health clinic, or they could be working in a substance abuse treatment program or a hospital setting. There’s a really wide range of services and programs that they might work in.

    In their advanced year, they can work in more specialized environments. For example, within the hospital system, they may work in oncology or neonatal care. This gives them the opportunity to work with new populations, and learn new interventions and skills in the field.

    What career opportunities can people pursue with an MSW outside of a clinical setting?

    Social workers work in a variety of settings. For example, a social worker might connect families to resources that they need, or work in hospitals doing discharge planning and case management. Social workers may work in community centers and senior centers with children, adolescents, adults and older adults. Social workers can also find government jobs doing policy analysis and policy advocacy. You’ll find social workers working in the corrections system, both in jails and prisons, working with clients that are incarcerated as well as those who were recently released. These social workers help people reintegrate in their communities.

    Social workers may also work with immigrants and refugees, helping them resettle and acclimate to their surroundings. There are social workers who work with homeless populations, getting them housing, food services, and other support systems. And there are those who work in advocacy, connecting clients to specific services and giving them the support that they need. Social workers are employed in schools, mental health and substance abuse treatment programs, private counseling, psychiatric centers, social justice coalitions, veterans administration (VAs) and many more settings.

    Please tell me about some faculty accomplishments.

    There are three or four core areas of strength among our faculty that are really critical. One is that we have faculty who are very strong in practice. They’ve been able to create curriculum, syllabi and courses that study practice in diverse settings with diverse populations.

    A second area of strength is what we’ve recently been referring to as diversity, equity and inclusion in social work and academia. Many of our faculty are not only engaged in their own area of service but are also teaching from the perspective of social justice and human rights. We’ve been able to merge that into our curriculum, so students are getting this perspective and are being trained through this lens, which makes for strong, effective social workers who are going to be changemakers.

    A third area that I think is critical is that we have several faculty members who are focused on international social work. This encompasses work that is being done across the world in different communities, work that informs our own practice in the United States. This betters our own understanding of practice, not just with immigrants and refugees, but overall.

    Finally, we also have a number of faculty members who are engaged in policy analysis and policy advocacy, which strengthens both the curriculum and the real-world preparation we provide for our students.

    Are there any recent trends or developments in social work research and methods that are of general interest to your student groups?

    Our MSW students take two classes on research: one on research methods, and one on qualitative analysis. I think these are very critical for two reasons. The first is that the field of social work has been pushed to implement practices or interventions that are evidence-based. It’s important that social workers are able to recognize how certain interventions are designed, how they are supposed to be implemented and what issues could come up. The second is that social workers need to be strategic and rigorous in their selection of intervention modalities for their clients.

    The other focus is for social workers to be able to evaluate their own work and document the impact or effectiveness of it. We are ultimately our own advocates for what we do. If we’re not able to evaluate what we’re doing and look at the impact both positive and negative, then we are doing ourselves and most importantly our clients a disservice. So, I would say that those are really critical for our students.

    Most of the instructors who teach research courses in the online MSW program are full-time faculty members who are currently doing their own research. They have the requisite skills, knowledge and experience to engage and train students.

    In addition, some of our classes are taught by doctoral students, and a large part of their work involves designing and implementing research. Furthermore, most of our doctoral students are active practitioners.

    In terms of field work opportunities, do you have someone who assists with the placement of the field?

    Every student in the online MSW program is connected to one field professional who they work with to help craft a field opportunity during their first and second year. That’s the person who helps them locate and settle into the placement. Every student is also supervised by a licensed social worker in the agency or the placement where they are doing field work. In addition, every student who’s in the field is also assigned a faculty member who serves as a field instructor.

    In addition, all students are assigned a faculty field liaison to work with the student for academic advising.

    Have there been any recent changes to your online MSW program?

    We now offer more residency options for our online MSW students. We have always had an in-person residency.

    During the pandemic, however, we conducted everything virtually, and that gave us an opportunity to design an entirely online residency for our program. Beginning in January 2022, new MSW students will be able to choose if they want to attend an in-person residency or a virtual one. If they choose a virtual residency, they will not need to travel or come to a physical campus. They will receive all their instruction virtually.

    Is there anything else you would like potential students to know?

    The director of our online MSW program, Dr. Beverly Dawson, is also a faculty member in the School of Social Work. That really is a testament not just to her leadership skills and her vision, but also to her connection between the online program and our on-campus program. It’s integrated fully—it’s not a separate entity—and we never treat it like that.

    The other thing that makes us special is our online academic advising. Our online students are served by the same academic advisors and field advisors as students who attend on-campus or any in-person program. Our students receive individualized attention, not just in the virtual classroom, but in all student services including field education and academic advising.

    We’ve gone to great lengths to ensure a campus community engagement experience for our online students. Whether they engage in social activities, workshops, seminars or continuing education opportunities, online students can have an experience that makes them feel like they’re part of the school.

  7. From Marketing to College Athletics, Your Guide to Esports Careers

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    esports careersThe scene outside the Staples Center in Los Angeles looked like a typical Sunday on April 28, 2013. The temperature hovered in the low 70s with a light covering of clouds until the sun emerged in the early afternoon. Inside, the scene wasn’t too unusual. All 15,000+ seats were filled with fans who had come to see two of the best sports teams in North America face each other.

    The crowd carried an electricity, an excitement that could be felt in the chants that reverberated back and forth across the arena and steadily grew in volume as the time for the game’s start crept closer. But the excitement in the air that Sunday felt different. This was something more.

    This was the final game in the first professional League of Legends Championship Series. One of the giants in esports, Team SoloMid, faced off against a team that had long been seen as the underdog, Good Game University. This match would decide who won the championship and the $50,000 grand prize.

    For League fans and players, it was the culmination of years of anticipation; they could finally see their favorite game played at a professional level.

    For industry onlookers, it was a clear message: esports had finally arrived in North America.

    The Explosive Growth of the Esports Industry

    The industry has come a long way since 2013. In the 2021 LCS Summer Split series, teams competed for a $200,000 grand prize, four times the reward from several years earlier. A larger variety of games have also made it to the regional and national arenas. From digital trading card games like Hearthstone to iconic sports franchises like FIFA, the market for competitive gaming continues to climb — as do the professionals pursuing careers in esports.

    In addition to the players and coaches, a variety of people work behind-the-scenes to support the teams and host events capable of keeping stadiums packed with fans.

    These roles cover a wide variety, from software and platform engineering to marketing and broadcasting. For this article, we’ll focus on the types of esports careers that match the skills taught in our online master’s in sport management program, which include jobs in marketing, management, communications, coaching and college athletics administration.

    For those with more of a technical background that are interested in a career switch, knowledge of the technology behind esports games is a valuable plus for many communications and community-oriented opportunities. These are the kinds of roles that bridge the potential communications gaps that could emerge between players, teams, publishers, developers and their growing, global fanbases.

    Esports Careers in Marketing

    In many ways, the most common esports marketing careers overlap with parallel roles in physical sports. For example, brand sponsorships and event marketing are critical to the growth of the esports professional gaming sector, and corporate partnerships are a key source of both revenue and brand awareness for competitive teams. Additionally, backgrounds in licensing and merchandising will continue to play important roles as the professional gamers and teams seek to monetize their growing intellectual property, such as gamer tags, logos, streaming presence, logos and other valuable elements of their brands.

    Positions in esports also put significant emphasis on digital marketing skills, such as social media, content marketing and digital broadcasting. While print media and other traditional efforts remain important for esports tournament promotion and merchandising, successful marketing in this industry is especially dependent on brands’ ability to use digital media alongside traditional avenues.

    As esports franchises, broadcasting companies and video game developers and publishers alike expand their marketing, many of the career paths highlighted below can be pursued in numerous work environments.

    Job Title Job Summary
    Marketing Manager
    • Develop strategies for increasing viewership and attendance for esports events.
    • Utilize social media, search marketing and other digital channels to promote esports events and brand awareness.
    • May focus on overall brand marketing or specific marketing channels, including email, social media, organic search, digital media and corporate partnerships.
    Licensing Manager
    • Protect trademarks and copyrights for distinguishing elements of their esports brands.
    • Develop partnerships with retailers and sponsors for merchandising deals and esports brand promotions.
    • Ensure third-party usage of logos and branding are compliant with team/franchise standards.
    Communications Manager
    • Develop messaging and public relations strategy for esports teams, franchises and other organizations.
    • Coach individuals and teams on how to effectively respond to press questions and give compelling interviews.
    • Develop and grow longterm professional relationships with esports journalists and other media.
    Director, Partnerships
    • Pursue partnerships with sponsors to build franchise awareness and drive revenue via product advertising.
    • Create and manage promotional and merchandising strategies with sponsors and other corporate partners.
    Esports Content Creator
    • Develop a wide range of multimedia content to drive audience engagement, such as fan Q&A videos, social media posts, blogs and website content.
    • May specialize in different marketing channels.
    • Leverage third-party research, audience feedback and website/engagement data to determine which types of content resonate most with fans.
    Esports Manager
    • Manage the structure and overall operations of esports teams.
    • Develop strategies for sourcing and recruiting esports talent.
    • Assist players’ in building their personal brands and preparing for competitions.

    Esports Careers in College Athletic Administration

    Alongside the growth of professional esports, universities have begun hiring coaches and administrators, as well as supporting student-led esports events and clubs. At Adelphi, we supported tournaments in Rocket League and Super Smash Brothers earlier this year, and many of our students are engaged at all levels of play. Near the end of 2020, for example, one of our business school alumni, George Adamou, was named one of the world’s top-ranked FIFA 20 players.

    Depending on the size and structure of the university’s sport teams, the roles below may not be solely focused on esports and may have administrative duties across a range of different types of sports. For example, director-level and higher administrative roles usually manage overall operations for sporting events and recreational activities across the university, including esports programs (if applicable).

    Director, Student Engagement/Affairs
    • Oversee a variety of events, clubs and organizations for universities, ranging from LGBTQIA+ awareness initiatives to sporting and other recreational events.
    • Manage university budget for hosting and managing engagement initiatives.
    • Manage professional and other development programs, such as forming partnerships for students interested in internships.
    Head Coach, Esports
    • Build and develop competitive esports teams.
    • Train players to hone their individual technical skill as well as teamwork and collaboration.
    • Oversee the growth and coordination of esports clubs and events.
    Esports Coordinator
    • Assist in a range of coordination and management activities, including marketing and promoting esports events to students, developing recreational and athletic programs and other administrative duties as needed.
    • Schedules strategy and planning meetings and assists with the development of new esports programs.
    • Supervise student volunteers and workers during university-sponsored esports events.

    While momentum for esports shows little sign of stopping, the gaming industry at large has run into numerous challenges as fans of video games become increasingly diverse. Diversity, equity and inclusion in gaming entered the international spotlight in 2021, but it’s also an issue with a complex and lengthy history.

    Challenges in the Esports Industry: Diversity, Inclusion and Equity

    As many analysts have commented over the last decade, diversity has become a key point of contention for the gaming industry, and the esports segment may have especially significant challenges to navigate as major brands face more pressure to reduce harassment against women and people of color in gaming communities. Activision/Blizzard, the developer behind several esports titles — such as Call of Duty, Overwatch and Hearthstone — faced a lawsuit in July 2021, which alleged an organization-wide culture of sexual harassment targeting women persisted through the company. Although Activision/Blizzard released a public statement, more than 2,000 employees signed a petition that called its response, “abhorrent and insulting,” and the company’s investors have also criticized the response, calling on Activision/Blizzard to take more accountability.

    Many esports organizations have taken some initiative to support diversity internally and within the fan communities that grow and expand around their games. For example, a partnership between Riot Games, Nerd Street Gaming and Comcast led to a historic, all-women virtual League of Legends tournament in September 2020.

    Electronic Arts also sought to rethink how it approached diverse representation after one game designer performed an analysis quantifying the representation of women in FIFA. The designer proceeded to lead the charge for a pilot project to view 12 more of EA’s games through the lens of diversity and inclusion.

    These initiatives are laying the foundation for more work in this area, but there is still more that needs to be done to fully support safe and inclusive environments. One issue is that the video game industry itself isn’t representative of people who play video games, since developers and publishers are significantly less diverse by comparison.

    In addition, the anonymity of online communication and misperceptions about who should play video games have presented significant obstacles to creating more inclusive communities.

    While progress is still ongoing, significant strides have been made to increase awareness and address the issue of harassment and other negative community behavior. In 2019, for example, VentureBeat hosted a discussion panel, including experts from game design, advocacy and union administration. Katie Scott, senior game designer at Electronic Arts (EA), shared her experience, in which she has tried to build greater empathy and communication skills within the developer community, and how she’s pushed for larger scale change within EA.

    With awareness around diversity and inclusion growing, organizations have also started to take more proactive steps to managing their player and fan communities. Some game developers have started addressing the issue by focusing on inclusion within the game design process, leading to additional cooperative and positive social elements within their online games. On the community management side of the industry, experts have made recommendations around intentionally building inclusive and diverse communities within gaming.

    Some examples of steps that can be taken include:

    • Develop and publish clear expectations about diversity and inclusion in the code of conduct for games as well as esports events.
    • Advocate for training employees managing, promoting and coaching within esports to build more awareness around toxic behavior and how to better support diversity and inclusion.
    • Feature and promote in-game moderation tools to limit the impact of negative behavior in player communities on a day-to-day basis.
    • Ensure community moderators or support staff are involved in moderating in-game player behavior. Do not rely exclusively on automated tools.
    • Implement harsher penalties for esports players and leaders who do not adhere to community standards.
    • Evaluate recruiting practices to maintain an equitable hiring process for all roles and candidates.

    The video game industry has come a long way from the days of the Atari, and the connected nature of modern games has created a lot of challenges for businesses to navigate. While esports is an emerging sector, organizations like Twitch have started to invest more resources into the community management aspects of their platforms. Last year, for example, Twitch posted roles looking for data analysts focused on improving the overall health of its communities. As more companies start to explore ways of addressing the issue, there are also likely to be more opportunities in positions that oversee diversity, inclusion and equity initiatives as well as more community support roles in esports.

    Will Esports Careers Be Stable for the Future?

    The Labor Insight database from Burning Glass offers a glimpse into how rapidly careers in esports have grown and where the demand is the highest. Just as the North American esports scene seemingly sprung into existence around 2012-2013, the number of U.S. jobs mentioning esports launched from 40 postings in 2012 to more than 4,600 in 2020. Demand is highest in Los Angeles and San Francisco, followed closely by New York City.

    While the U.S. job market for esports is relatively new compared to other industries, we expect the trend to continue in the long-term. The growing popularity and profitability of professional gaming on a national and global stage has made it feasible for esports to also rise among smaller regional and college tournaments.

    On an international scale, opportunities within esports careers are even more varied. As one of the first countries to recognize esports players as athletes, South Korea is the world’s leader in professional gaming, and the same trend is taking shape in China. In Germany, a new class of visa for esports professionals has been created to allow more freedom of movement between the country and other EU members.

    Like any other emerging sector, esports is a field with both a lot of opportunity and risk. However, it’s an area that has proven hugely successful internationally, and the popularity of esports continues to climb in the United States.

    It’s a field to consider if you’re someone who is passionate about technology and gaming, and want to leave your mark on an industry while it’s still maturing.

    About the Adelphi University MS in Sport Management

    The MS in Sport Management at Adelphi University is designed for hard-working, ambitious individuals with a passion for sports. The degree is available online and on campus and includes optional specializations in sport marketing or athletic administration.

    At Adelphi, students gain an in-depth understanding of the sport industry with coursework that includes business management, market analysis, budget preparation, sport law, spot marketing and public relations. They also learn how to turn previous athletic experience and interests into professional strengths in order to stand out in the industry.

    Our students benefit from the connections they build with their peers and with faculty members who work in the industry. This is a team that will support you throughout your career.

    Editor’s Note: We initially began development of this article before the news of the Activision/Blizzard lawsuit became public. We originally intended this as a broader career resource, but as more news came out about the issues at the company and throughout the industry, we wanted to make sure we discussed the potential impact these issues would have on the field.

    If you have any questions about our diversity and inclusion initiatives, please contact our Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

  8. How a Master of Social Work Can Provide a Broad Array of Human Services Career Options

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    msw in human services careersThe human services field combines elements of many different disciplines to address individual and societal needs. The field offers a broad range of human services career options, from direct social work practice in governmental, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, to leadership roles within these organizations.

    Social workers must have a unique blend of knowledge about and skills in working with individuals, groups, families and communities to be successful. They must simultaneously have a strong understanding of psychology, human behavior, policies and societal systems, as well as how individuals and groups interact with these systems.

    In this article, we’ll explore how earning a Master of Social Work (MSW) can help advance your human services career. To get started, here are a few key questions to think about as you’re reading and planning your future:

    • Are you interested in pursuing clinical and administrative/leadership roles that are likely to require licensure?
    • Do you want to specialize in a specific area of human services or pursue a generalist career path?
    • Are you more interested in direct client practice roles or finding opportunities in other areas, such as policy advocacy?

    How an MSW Can Benefit Your Career in the Human Services

    One of the major benefits of earning an MSW for your human services career is that social work degrees offer a versatile skill set for navigating complex challenges and empowering both individuals and communities.

    For human services careers that require licensure, such as clinical social work, an MSW isn’t just beneficial—it’s necessary. Job titles such as Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) come with stringent state requirements. New York, for example, requires a master’s degree in social work and 12 hours of clinical coursework from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). You will also need to pass the clinical license exam to become a practicing LCSW.

    While state education and fieldwork requirements for licensing vary significantly, earning an MSW will help make you more attractive to employers, even if you’re not pursuing licensure. Data from the labor insight platform Burning Glass shows, of all job postings looking for social workers in 2020, 65% listed a master’s degree as either a preference or requirement. Completing an MSW can also signal to potential clients that you have attained an appropriate level of competency and are dedicated to keeping your knowledge current.

    Studying social work gives you a unique lens — the person-in-environment perspective — to deal with one of the major challenges facing modern organizations: creating diverse and inclusive work environments. There is an increasing amount of research showing organizations that successfully support diversity, equity and inclusion tend to outperform their competitors.

    However, the corporate world continues to struggle to achieve its diversity goals. In fact, in a 2020 survey, more than 50% of employees said their employer failed in creating a diverse environment. Social workers are accustomed to challenging the status quo and connecting people with resources, making their skills increasingly valuable as organizations start to turn their attention toward corporate culture and social responsibility.

    Master’s in Human Services vs. Master’s in Social Work

    While some institutions offer master’s degrees in human services, this is not an accredited credential. PayScale’s salary data shows that employers favor employees with MSW degrees; those who reported earning an MSW outnumber those with a master’s in human services by 8 to 1. We also see the same trend when looking at career and job posting data. According to Burning Glass, more than 70,000 jobs have listed an MSW degree as an acceptable requirement in 2021, while just 4,000 list a general human services master’s.

    Related Content: Career Options With a Master of Social Work Degree

    Human Services Skills for a Successful Career

    The skills in highest demand within human services can vary significantly by sector. However, this field is all about working within systems and connecting people to resources. So, an understanding of different systems, persuasion, communication and empathy are essential across the board.

    Human Services Skills for Healthcare

    Human services professionals in medical settings offer a wide range of patient support, from counseling patients on post-treatment care options, to actively connecting them with rehabilitative services, community-based care options, and other resources. Because these professionals must often act as both advocates and mental health counselors, many of the key human services skills that Burning Glass identifies align with the skills of an LCSW:

    • Mental health
    • Case management
    • Behavioral health
    • Treatment planning
    • Crisis intervention
    • Discharge planning

    Medical social workers often start off in direct practice, but if you are more interested in leadership, you can pursue opportunities as a clinical supervisor managing other social workers and human services personnel within a larger practice. For more information about licensing requirements and opportunities in this sector, please read our article about social workers in healthcare.

    Human Services Skills for Organizations

    Within nonprofit and business settings, human services professionals like HR managers use their core skills to help train employees or volunteers, develop their organization’s culture and promote diversity and inclusion initiatives. While some of the baseline skills overlap with core competencies in healthcare settings, work in organizations is more heavily geared toward process and project management:

    • Employee training
    • Employee relations
    • Compensation and benefits
    • Basic customer service
    • Project management

    PayScale’s data also shows that many MSW graduates pursue opportunities in management and leadership, in both profit and nonprofit organizations. Social workers are also engaged in employee assistance programs that target the mental and emotional well-being of employees.

    Looking at business through the lens of social work also carries advantages for leaders, giving them the ability to become advocates for equity, inclusive hiring practices and helping their organizations operate more ethically.

    Is an MSW Right for You?

    Social work is a profession that provides a set of frameworks and tools that can help you to support the empowerment of people and communities. In addition to direct client work, an MSW can help you find opportunities in countless work environments.

    However, you should take some time and think about how you want to approach your career. An MSW is a great option if you want to be someone who integrates social justice into their work and is passionate about creating equitable, safe environments throughout the world around you.

    About Adelphi’s Online MSW

    The highly respected School of Social Work at Adelphi has a long history of producing leaders in social work and helping to shape social policies. Since 1951, we have continually been accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, and Adelphi’s Social Work graduate program is now ranked in the top 25% of the country, according to US News & World Report. Additionally, our faculty are expert practitioners and researchers, having published across the full range of topics within the field—including disparities in healthcare, child advocacy, the role of social workers in shaping policies and more.

    Our Online Master of Social Work program brings the combined decades of expertise and legacy of Adelphi’s leading social work school to a flexible curriculum designed for working professionals. Because building relationships is essential to the social work field, we include two annual experiences, which can be completed online or on-campus.

    Along with the standard track, we also have an Advanced Standing option specifically designed for students who graduated from an accredited BSW program in the last five years. In this alternative, professionals earn an MSW part-time in just 15 months.

    Our Human Service Professionals track in the MSW program offers a pathway to professionals who are concurrently employed in human services and are eligible to complete an employment-based field placement. Students in this track can complete their MSW degree in three years.

  9. Q&A: How Adelphi’s Nutrition Faculty Bring Real-World Practice Into Their Classes

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    Meet Feon Cheng and Kimberly Cox-York. They’re part of the team of nutrition experts who teach in Adelphi’s online MS in Nutrition program. They have a passion for teaching and, like their students, strive to build a healthier world through nutrition science.

    In these two spotlight interviews, Cheng and Cox-York each talk about how they got into the nutrition field and what excites them about their work. They also share advice for future students on how to make the most of Adelphi’s graduate nutrition program.

    Feon Cheng

    “We love working with our students and can’t wait to work with you!”

    Kimberly Cox-York

    “I really enjoy discussing the cultural differences in nutrition and food. I like to hear about the backgrounds of the students and how they observe nutrition in their communities.”

    Feon Cheng

    Feon Cheng, PhD, MPH, RDN, CHTS-CP, is a passionate nutrition researcher and educator. She received her PhD in Nutritional Science at the Pennsylvania State University, her MPH in Community Health Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles, and her BS in Nutritional Science at the California State University, Los Angeles. Her research interests include nutritional epidemiology, nutrition education, program planning and evaluation, and research methods. She has worked in research, public health and clinical settings. Dr. Cheng is an active member in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She served as a program reviewer for the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics and as a member of both the Council on Future Practice and the Dietetics Practice Audit Task Force.

    Please tell us about your journey to become a nutrition educator. What brought you to the field?
    I have always been passionate about food and nutrition! After becoming a registered dietitian nutritionist, I worked as a clinical dietitian in a local hospital. While I loved my in-patient experience, I was very interested in preventing patients from getting sick in the first place. With my manager’s support, I was able to work as a nutrition educator and provide out-patient counseling, which I loved!

    You have an MPH in addition to a PhD in nutritional science. How has having experience in public health influenced your work in nutrition?
    It allowed me to see health and nutrition from a broader perspective. I learned how the health system works as a whole and was able to identify opportunities to prevent the onset of illnesses.

    What excites you most about your work?
    Improving the health of our population through evidence-based nutrition!

    Looking towards the future, what are some of the most important topics in nutrition today? What will people need to learn to face what is to come?
    By 2030, an estimated 50% of US adults will have obesity, which is associated with a host of adverse health outcomes. Understanding the importance of this issue, our program dedicated an entire course to this topic. It’s also very important to understand that issues like obesity don’t exist in isolation — they intersect with all kinds of factors, from personal health issues to differences in cultural and community health.

    Let’s talk about the Adelphi Master of Science in Nutrition. What courses do you teach at Adelphi?
    I teach:

    • Nutrition in the Life Cycle, which includes topics such as nutrition requirements and dietary recommendations for each stage of the lifespan.
    • Nutrition Education and Community, which includes topics like cultural competency in nutritional education and interpersonal communication; integrating clinical and experimental evidence in nutrition education; and communication for health promotion and disease prevention.
    • Nutrition and Obesity, which includes topics such as understanding the prevalence, pathophysiology, and health consequences of overweight or obesity; determining possible etiology and risk factors; and prevention and medical nutrition therapy for those who are overweight or obese.

    These courses help students become competent nutritionists who can work in various settings.

    Where do your students end up working after they graduate?
    We have students working in different nutrition settings, from clinical settings to starting their own businesses.

    What would be one thing you’d tell someone who is deciding whether to pursue their master’s degree in nutrition?
    Our online MS in Nutrition offers a cutting-edge curriculum that focuses on important competencies and topics so students will be well-prepared for working in the nutrition field after graduation. Our students gain communication skills that will help them approach their work with empathy and understanding, in addition to the core nutrition expertise that employers today need.

    Is there anything else you’d like prospective students to know?
    We love working with our students and can’t wait to work with you!

    Kimberly Cox-York

    Kimberly Cox-York received her MS in Nutrition from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa and her PhD at Colorado State University (CSU). After a postdoctoral fellowship at The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, she joined the faculty in the department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at CSU in Fort Collins. Dr. Cox-York’s research background is in estrogen metabolism and regulation of adipose tissue and the gut microbiome. In the last few years, she has gravitated toward education in research ethics and she now serves as the Responsible Conduct of Research Coordinator and Research Integrity Officer for CSU. She has a 16-year-old daughter and a cat, and enjoys hiking, camping, yoga, cooking and learning to play the mandolin.

    Tell us about your journey to become a nutrition educator. What brought you to the field?
    I started out in biochemistry. At the time I was completing my undergraduate degree, there was evidence for a role of aluminum in Parkinson’s Disease. I was interested in this idea and wanted to study it in graduate school. When my partner was transferred to Hawai’i with the Coast Guard, the only person studying aluminum was in the nutrition department. I got my MS in Nutrition there at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa. For several years I worked as a scientist for a biotechnology start-up and then in the pharmaceutical industry.

    When I was ready to complete my PhD, we were moving back to Colorado and I had developed a passion for studying metabolism. Since I had a background in nutrition, I identified an advisor in that department at Colorado State University who studied sex differences in metabolism. I had only ever done research and my plan was never to teach but after my postdoc, I returned to the nutrition department at CSU and started working with graduate students. That is where I found I had a passion for teaching.

    What excites you most about your work?
    I get most excited about watching students progress. I enjoy learning about their passions and then seeing them pursue those passions.

    Can you tell us about your interest in research ethics? What does research ethics mean to the field of nutrition?
    I became interested in research ethics through my work as a researcher and my interactions with graduate students.

    Having been in the field a long time, I experienced many approaches to research, and they weren’t always as ethical as I expected when I entered the field. The longer I was in it, the stronger my desire to help improve it.

    I participated in an ethics infusion program and developed a course in Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) for our Nutrition department

    Research ethics is incredibly important in the nutrition field. Everyone must eat, so there is significant scrutiny on nutrition research. Food policy and recommendations are driven by nutrition research. If that work isn’t done with integrity, there can be serious consequences for all aspects of food and nutrition, and ultimately human health and trust in science.

    What do you think would surprise people the most about the research you do?
    I think people would be most surprised that gut microbiota metabolize estrogen.

    How do you see the field changing in the next five years?
    In the next five years, I see more focus on food systems — working toward solutions that improve health for both people and the planet.

    Let’s talk about the Adelphi Master of Science in Nutrition. What courses do you teach at Adelphi?
    Over the past several years I have taught Nutrition and Diabetes, Nutrition and Heart Disease, Recent Advances in Micronutrients and Recent Advances in Macronutrients.

    Beyond learning relevant skills, what would you say are the benefits a student would get from a nutrition master’s program?
    Any graduate education should improve critical thinking. This is important regardless of how students apply their degree. Students will learn how to interpret and apply nutrition research findings and how to convey these findings to a lay population. A nutrition master’s program will also allow students to explore various career options they might not have otherwise considered.

    What are some of your favorite discussions to have with your students?
    I really enjoy discussing the cultural differences in nutrition and food. I like to hear about the backgrounds of the students and how they observe nutrition in their communities.

    What’s one piece of advice that you’d like to give to future MS in Nutrition students?
    I would say to approach your degree with an open mind. Be available to question long-held beliefs, receptive to other approaches and always willing to learn something new.

    Is there anything else you’d like prospective students to know?
    The MS in Nutrition program is a small, diverse group. Students come from different backgrounds with varying academic and professional experience. This makes for a rich learning environment.

    About the Adelphi MS in Nutrition

    The Adelphi MS in Nutrition is designed to support busy professionals in health or health-related fields. Whether you want to work directly with clients and patients or want to lead change through research or policy development, this fully online graduate program gives you the evidence-based knowledge you need, without overwhelming your schedule.

    To find out how you can start your nutrition master’s degree and learn directly from professors the professors featured here, download our program brochure or call 888.252.4110 to talk with one of our enrollment specialists.

  10. Going Beyond Informatics with Health Analytics

    Comments Off on Going Beyond Informatics with Health Analytics

    informatics in health analyticsHealthcare data is a powerful resource that can deepen understanding of patients’ needs and reveal ways to improve healthcare organizations and policies. The amount of patient data available will grow rapidly as organizations collect more and more patient details and embrace advanced solutions in imaging and analytics. With evidence and predictions gleaned from big data, organizations can work together more productively, benefiting businesses, providers and patients alike.

    Organizations need experts who can interpret the data that is collected and provide insights that address the healthcare industry’s complex and constantly evolving challenges. To prepare for this role, professionals and career-changers can supplement the training offered in a traditional master’s in healthcare informatics curriculum with coursework in health analytics. A sufficient understanding of the two disciplines allows you to use cutting-edge methods such as predictive modeling and advanced data mining to develop deeper insights and more effective long-term strategies. You’ll graduate better prepared for the realities of a varied, complex job market.

    What is the Difference between Health Informatics and Healthcare Analytics?

    Health informatics and healthcare analytics are closely related disciplines, and some employers expect their hires to be versed in both areas. However, the two have vital distinctions that affect daily work and overarching objectives.

    • Health informatics draws principles from computer and information science for the day-to-day work of collecting and managing data.
    • Healthcare analytics searches for significant patterns within large quantities of data collected from a variety of sources.

    In essence, the conclusions reached by healthcare analytics rely in part upon the data acquired through health informatics. Whether used individually or together, both fields lead to strategies that can be used to improve operations and plan for the future.

    Comparing Skill Sets: Health Informatics vs. Healthcare Analytics

    Studying informatics can teach you the best practices to:

    • Create, maintain and securely share electronic health records
    • Monitor operations in a facility or business
    • Gather useful details about patients and treatment results to support research and new product development
    • Promote greater efficiency in daily operations

    Applying analytics to healthcare informatics makes it possible to:

    • Solve managerial problems, such as adjusting pricing and reworking strategy in response to market forces
    • Make predictions about an organization’s future performance based on past data
    • Develop a big-picture view of the healthcare industry, observing and measuring the effects of treatment innovations and policy decisions
    • Build decision models that direct an organization’s responses to new conditions, to specific populations of patients and other challenges

    What Can I Do with a Master’s in Healthcare Informatics?

    The widespread adoption of electronic health records (EHR) has placed data management at the center of operations and administration in healthcare organizations. Professionals with skills in collecting and interpreting healthcare information may pursue careers like:

    Care Coordinator

    Ensuring that individuals receive high-quality treatment can become complicated when they must see multiple providers or visit more than one facility. A care coordinator is responsible for keeping the efforts of primary care physicians, specialists, nurses and technicians on the same page. These professionals analyze EHR to spot possible hazards, eliminate redundant tests and help patients manage their insurance coverage.

    Clinical Data Manager

    Clinical informatics professionals strengthen an organization’s network infrastructure and practices for collecting, storing and analyzing healthcare information. Data managers process and evaluate clinical information, planning resources and workflows to meet the requirements of specific projects. They may build databases or design interfaces in addition to providing training and troubleshooting assistance for the clinical staff who work with these systems.

    Informatics Nurse

    Integrating expertise in nursing with a knowledge of health informatics can lead to improvements in hospitals, clinics and other facilities. Informatics nurses may be tasked with designing, developing and implementing health information solutions. They establish processes for making the best use of those systems and serve as a link between healthcare providers and technical staff, with the sole purpose of affecting safe patient outcomes.

    Informatics Pharmacist

    With electronic systems widely used to manage prescriptions, pharmacies must handle the relevant health information safely and securely. An informatics pharmacist maintains and tracks information about medications, seeking opportunities to streamline processes and preventing dangerous errors.

    Studying Health Analytics in Your Informatics Master’s Program

    Healthcare analytics professionals use quantitative information to solve problems, make decisions and draw inferences. The resulting insights could guide major changes in the future of value-based care, helping insurance payers manage costs, facilities improve patient outcomes and manufacturers build the next generation of pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Healthcare informatics master’s programs with coursework in analytics can lead you to even more job opportunities than those listed above, including:

    Data Analyst

    Data analysts can build careers in furthering the objectives of healthcare organizations, including insurance companies, health systems, private physician groups, government agencies, EHR vendors and consultancies. In these contexts, analysts capture, organize and report on relevant information from sources such as health records, insurance claims and patient surveys. But data specialists contribute the greatest value when they develop what they’ve learned into strategic recommendations and clearly communicate their ideas to multiple stakeholders.

    Health Marketer

    Today’s marketing teams make decisions about campaigns and ad buys based on a wealth of data, including consumer preferences, lead generation statistics and evidence of engagement through various channels. Promoting healthcare organizations comes with unique regulatory challenges, which makes it even more important to target messaging with accurate research. Marketing analytics professionals may examine sources like insurance claims and patient surveys to help organizations communicate the benefits of a new product or spread the word about public health initiatives.

    Informatics Director

    To lead electronic recordkeeping in today’s rapidly changing healthcare organizations, an executive must have a more thorough understanding of data acquisition and management than other informatics specialists. Informatics directors use analytics to accomplish an organization’s goals for maintaining EHR and scaling up operations. They oversee the implementation of new technology, supervise training and identify opportunities to improve the accuracy and speed of reporting.

    With further experience in health analytics, you may be prepared for roles such as:

    Chief Medical Information Officer (CMIO)/Chief Nursing Information Officer (CNIO)

    These healthcare organization executives lead the exploration, purchasing and implementation of clinical IT systems that focus on interoperability and use the resulting data to recommend policies that optimize care. A CMIO and/or CNIO sets the budget and timeline for projects intended to make facilities more agile in adopting the most advanced techniques, drugs, devices and software.

    Chief Population Health Officer

    Population health is a major focus in value-based systems with organizations investing in wellness throughout communities to deliver wide-ranging benefits. Analytics methods allow government agencies, hospitals, nonprofits and other organizations to determine a course of action that expands healthcare access and prevents disease or injury for an entire group of people. The chief population officer leads the collection and analysis of relevant evidence and addresses the connections between social factors and health problems.

    Harnessing the Power of Big Data in Healthcare Organizations

    Big data solutions allow you to achieve the major strategic and operational shifts that sustain organizations in a rapidly transforming industry. Incorporating analytics has changed the way doctors, hospitals, public health officials and more approach many of their most pressing problems, allowing for greater efficiency and outcomes across multiple areas.

    For example, New York City Health + Hospitals uses data science to identify and care for homeless patients. By searching for specific indicators within electronic medical records, registration documents and insurance claims and analyzing the results, the public hospital network is better able to address the unique health struggles of homeless New Yorkers and ensure its branches have proper resources. In some cases, NYC Health + Hospitals is able to connect homeless patients with supportive community services like food benefit programs and housing opportunities, which are known to have a positive impact on health.

    The advantages of big data extend beyond the individual healthcare organization to address large-scale or ongoing public health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, the COVID-19 Index, developed by the National Minority Quality Forum, uses predictive analytics to anticipate upcoming surges of the virus. This allows governments and health organizations to take proactive rather than reactive approaches to supplying resources and managing cases.

    Data analytics can also promote equity by helping organizations support disadvantaged individuals. Philadelphia’s Jefferson Health uses data analytics to ensure the people most at risk for COVID-19 are prioritized for vaccine distribution.

    Informatics are important to render raw data visible and actionable in healthcare settings. Analytics allows health organizations to improve their practices, and therefore their outcomes, from top to bottom. By enrolling in a healthcare informatics master’s program that offers coursework in analytics, you can prepare to meet the needs of employers and to thrive in increasingly interconnected and data-rich healthcare environments.

    About Adelphi’s Online MS in Healthcare Informatics

    The online Master of Science in Healthcare Informatics from Adelphi University’s College of Nursing and Public Health prepares students for careers in implementing cutting-edge medical technologies to meet the needs of patients and healthcare professionals. This degree program is an excellent fit for healthcare administrators, practicing nurses and doctors interested in transitioning to administrative or director-level positions, health IT professionals and career changers. No matter your experience level or background, Adelphi provides multiple layers of support, especially for those who may have been out of school for a while.

    Our expert faculty offer personalized instruction in convenient online courses that are informed by years of professional experience. The healthcare informatics curriculum is designed to help working professionals transform healthcare management and delivery. Hands-on exercises and a comprehensive education in health information technology will develop your proficiency in working with emerging healthcare technologies, electronic medical records and the systems that are critical to improving patient care.

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