Editorial Record: Submitted August 7, 2024. Revised and accepted November 28, 2025.
Authors
Betsy Emmons
Associate Professor
University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Nebraska, USA
Email: eemmons3@unl.edu
Elizabeth S. Cox
Assistant Professor
University of Kansas
Kansas, USA
Email: escox@ku.edu
ABSTRACT
Sport management master’s programs are young and increasingly popular graduate programs at many United States universities. As public relations is a key employment area within sport organizations, this research reviewed whether public relations is taught at sport management master’s programs, and if so, what strategies and tactics were presented. Results indicated that a majority of sport management master’s programs included at least one course with public relations learning outcomes. However, PR management, strategy, and tactic presentation were inconsistent among programs, and some programs reported only an ancillary address of PR. Implications for more consistent and pedagogically-grounded PR learning outcomes are discussed, along with opportunities for curricular development bodies in PR to play more active roles in advising non-PR master’s programs on PR education.