Sports Media Certificate

Sports Media
Certificate

Preparing aspiring sports media professionals in the most in-depth yet wide-ranging program of its kind.

CERTIFICATE TRACK: HOW IT WORKS

Students enrolled in the Sports Media Certificate program take three core courses, two topics courses and one capstone course. The program is designed to be completed in at least three semesters, including two spring semesters.

SPTM 3800 – Sports, Media and Society

Explore how sports, and the media coverage of sports, reflect and drive social change through this course taught in a hybrid online/lecture format.

SPTM 5750 – Social and Digital Media Production for Sports

Learn how to produce compelling sport-related content for social and digital media. Study how social and digital content affect audience engagement for sports media outlets, teams, leagues and athletes.

SPTM 5800 – Sports Enterprise Reporting and Writing

A project-oriented laboratory experience that will focus on the various competencies required in reporting and writing in-depth and multi-faceted sports enterprise stories.

SPTM 5810 – Sports Media Relations

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SPTM 3800 – Sports, Media and Society

Explore how sports, and the media coverage of sports, reflect and drive social change through this course taught in a hybrid online/lecture format.

SPTM 5880 – Advanced Topics in Sports Media

Multiple topics course available.

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SPTM 5900 – Sports Media Capstone

This class, usually completed via an internship with a professional media outlet or sports organization, allows students to explore their specific sports media interests and possible career paths in a real-world setting. Instructors provide learning parameters and objectives for the students’ supervisors. The supervisors give critical feedback on student work as the term progresses. Students learn to apply their knowledge and skills in a professional environment. They also learn to adapt to daily demands in the ever-evolving sports media industry.

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Vicki Michaelis

John Huland Carmical Chair in Sports Journalism & Society

About: Vicki Michaelis is the director of the John Huland Carmical Sports Media Institute at UGA. She teaches classes in the institute’s undergraduate Sports Media Certificate program. View Curriculum Vitae […]

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Welch Suggs

Associate Professor

About: David Welch Suggs, Jr. is associate director of the Carmical Sports Media Institute and an associate professor of journalism. He has had previous careers as a journalist, as a policy […]

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Carlo Finlay

Lecturer, Assistant Director of Carmical Sports Media Institute

Carlo Finlay is the associate director and lecturer for the Carmical Sports Media Institute.

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David Lawson

Lecturer, Sports Media

David Lawson in a lecturer at Grady College.

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Andy Johnston

Editor in Residence

Johnston has covered sporting events on every level in his 33 years as a writer and editor for daily newspapers and websites. He was recognized as one of the country’s […]

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Darryl Ledbetter

Part-time faculty

About:: His professional background includes work in both the print and broadcast media. He’s currently the award-winning Atlanta Falcons Beat Writer for The Atlanta Journal Constitution. He has appeared on […]

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Dayne Young

Program Coordinator

Dayne is the program coordinator for both the NMI and the Carmical Sports Media Institute. With the NMI, Dayne serves as the TEDxUGA Producer, chair of the New Media Advisory […]

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The Latest

Read the newest headlines, get updates and discover events happening at Grady.

Students interview an athlete at the Paralympics.

September 23, 2024

Students cover Paralympics as freelancers for Associated Press

A trip to Paris for many is a dream vacation. For a group of nine students and two professors from Grady College, their trip to Paris to cover the Paralympics […]

August 13, 2024

Grady InternViews: Alanna Jacob

This is part of a series where we ask Grady College students to describe their internship experience. Alanna Jacob is a fourth-year journalism student working with ESPN as a Production […]

August 07, 2024

Grady InternViews: Jack Little

This is part of a series where we ask Grady College students to describe their internship experience. Jack Little is a second-year journalism and sports media student working at Mansfield […]

July 30, 2024

Grady InternViews: Will Hopkins

This is part of a series where we ask Grady College students to describe their internship experience. Will Hopkins is a fourth-year journalism student working with Anchorage Bucs as a […]

Student taking pictures of boys soccer game.

April 22, 2024

Sports Media students cover Clarke Central sports

It’s 5:30 p.m. on a Friday night, and instead of resting after a busy week and getting ready to go downtown for the evening, Amy Duggan and Avni Trivedi are […]

Cassidy Hettesheimer on a whitewater rafting trip in Washington.

March 11, 2024

Sports Media senior Cassidy Hettesheimer wins top student paper award at international conference

Two years ago, Cassidy Hettesheimer was struck by the challenges female athletes in “adventure” sports faced in marketing themselves to fans and sponsors. At the time, the journalism major was […]

Audrie Uphues stands at the UGA Arch with a cap and gown.

December 11, 2023

Audrie Uphues named senior speaker for Fall 2023 Convocation

Audrie Uphues, a graduating journalism major from Odessa, Florida, has been named the distinguished senior speaker for the Grady College Fall Convocation. Graduating students will be celebrated during Convocation ceremonies […]

August 28, 2023

Students return from covering World Cup with sharpened skills and AP bylines

This summer, 17 University of Georgia sports media and visual journalism students traveled to Australia to cover the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup for The Associated Press. “It’s one thing […]

June 27, 2023

Sports Media students prepare for Women’s World Cup

Covering the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia would be a dream opportunity for most college journalists. For a group of University of Georgia sports media and visual journalism students, […]

Perspectives

“This was massive. This was the best decision I’ve ever made. I transferred to Georgia a little over a year ago, and this is why. These opportunities.” Winstel covered the Australian national team as a writer in Brisbane during the Women’s World Cup.

Luke Winstell

Journalism, Current Student

Perspectives

“I chose Grady and journalism because I love to talk and tell stories. I love meeting people and learning random information. Journalism has allowed me to be put in spaces and opportunities that I wouldn’t normally be in because I have to tell the story.”

Armani Kardar

Journalism, (AB ‘22)

Perspectives

“My favorite memory is getting selected to cover the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia. THe opportunity to cover such talented and high-profile athletes at an event like the World Cup is a dream come true.”

Emily Dozier

Journalism, AB ‘23

Perspectives

“My favorite memory is covering several Clarke Central athletes at the Track and Field State Championships for my Sports Social Media Production class. I worked, learned and grew with them all season, and it was awesome to be there in person to see it all come to fruition.”

DonA Traylor-Askew

Journalism, AB ‘23

Perspectives

“The Carmical Institute “aided me in finding my true passion of videography. It’s good to be multi-dimensional in this industry, but it’s just as important to find something specific that you can turn into a career path.””

LJ Jackson

Social content specialist, Purdue Sports, AB ‘22

Perspectives

“I am so thankful to have gone through one of the toughest programs in the country and learned from some of the greats in the industry. They have given me the resources and guidance to be successful.”

Kennedie Weems

Audio Video Technology and Film teacher, Richmond Hill High School, AB ‘22

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Gain the skills and knowledge necessary to become a successful sports media professional.

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