DWC Sport Management Program Nationally Approved by NASSM-NASPE

(Nashua) - The Daniel Webster College (DWC) Sport Management program has been accepted for a full seven-year national approval by the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM) and National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE).

The announcement was recently made by DWC Provost Michael Fishbein. “I am pleased to announce that the NASSM-NASPE board voted unanimously to grant us full seven-year national approval for the program here at Daniel Webster College.”

Dr. Eric Schwarz, associate professor of sport management, noted that the approval puts the DWC program squarely among the best undergraduate programs in the nation.

“The importance of the approval is that academically — from the viewpoint of other institutions around the nation — we are viewed as being among the top sport management programs,” said Schwarz. “More importantly, it confirms that we are successfully providing the academic ‘rigor’ that is required for students entering the field of sport management.”

According to Schwarz, approval is contingent upon the successful meeting of 13 different criteria that must be met within the curriculum set by the NASSM and NASPE.

Daniel Webster is now one of only 40 colleges nationally that have earned this approval by NASSM-NASPE. Of those 40, DWC is one of only 13 schools that house a sport management program fully within a “business division,” according to Schwarz.

“Further, Daniel Webster is one of the smallest colleges, enrollment-wise, to earn such approval,” said Schwarz. “This is important to understanding how well our sport management program is progressing. We are not only holding our own, but we are also excelling against much larger schools.”

Thanks to this national approval, Schwarz expects the success of the program to continue to build upon itself. “This is a great marketing tool for us,” Schwarz said. “It means we are now recognized nationally as one of the most respected sport management programs in the country from an academic standpoint. That, along with the extensive experiential learning that we offer through the program, legitimizes us as one of the best small-school management programs in the country.”

The DWC Sport Management program has produced a myriad of graduates who have gone on to attain various positions in professional sports administrative capacities. Currently, DWC can count a number of professional sports franchises that employ sport management program graduates including the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Mets and Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB), and the Philadelphia Flyers and Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). DWC graduates are also found working with franchises in the American Hockey League, Triple-A baseball, and various other sports-related organizations.

The major in sport management at DWC prepares students for successful careers in the sport industry. The knowledge and skills provided through the program prepare students with the basic theory on the major content areas of sport management.

Daniel Webster College, founded in 1965, educates men and women for professional entry and advanced studies through its nationally ranked degree programs in aviation and its innovative programs in business and management, computer science and information technology, aeronautical and mechanical engineering, sport management, and social science.

The NASSM is actively involved in supporting and assisting professionals working in the fields of sport, leisure and recreation. The North American Society for Sport Management promotes, stimulates, and encourages study, research, scholarly writing, and professional development in the area of sport management — both theoretical and applied aspects. The NASSM is interested in sport marketing, future directions in management, employment perspectives, management competencies, leadership, sport and the law, personnel management, facility management, organizational structures, fund raising, and conflict resolution.

The NASPE is a nonprofit professional organization comprised of individuals engaged in the study of human movement and the delivery of sport and physical activity programs. Through its members, as well as corporate and public partnerships, NASPE develops and supports quality sport and physical activity programs that promote healthy behaviors and individual well-being. Educating the American public about the importance of physical education for all children and youth is a primary focus. NASPE's 20,000 members include K-12 physical educators, college and university faculty, researchers, coaches, athletic directors and trainers.