The Media School
Minor in Sports Media – Minors
The Sports Media minor allows students to explore the world of sports content and coverage as a part of their academic journey. This minor is a great choice for any student who is interested in gaining insights and experience into storytelling and content creation in the sports media world. Through this minor, students will have the opportunity to take courses in sports writing, sports broadcasting, sports and social media, and other areas of sports media.
Requirements
The minor requires at least 15 credit hours, including the requirements listed below.
- Making Media. One (1) course:
- MSCH-C 250 Story Lab I
MSCH-C 250 Story Lab I
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Intensive, hands-on course introduces storytelling skills, techniques and tools for effective media creation in a digital, multi-platform environment and provides the knowledge and skills needed for success in higher-level, more specialized courses of study across the Media School curriculum, including advertising, digital media, journalism, and public relations.
- Grading
- Students are able to earn credit for only one of the following: MSCH-C 250; JOUR-J 210; MSCH-C 226; MSCH-C 21001
- Sports Media Core. Four (4) courses:
- MSCH-B 320 Sports Documentary Analysis
- MSCH-B 321 Sports Media Imagery when taken Fall 2026 or later
- MSCH-B 322 Global Sports Media when taken Fall 2026 or later
- MSCH-B 330 Sports Media Literacy
- MSCH-B 331 Managing Sports Media
- MSCH-B 332 Sports Writing and Reporting when taken prior to Fall 2026
- MSCH-B 333 Sportscasting when taken prior to Fall 2026
- MSCH-B 334 Social Media in Sports when taken prior to Fall 2026
- MSCH-B 340 Sports Video Storytelling when taken prior to Fall 2026
- MSCH-B 341 Multimedia Sports Content
- MSCH-B 342 Producing Sports Studio Shows when taken Fall 2026 or later
- MSCH-B 360 Sports Media Topics
- MSCH-B 430 Sports Media Laboratory when taken prior to Fall 2026
- MSCH-B 432 Advanced Sports Writing when taken prior to Fall 2026
- MSCH-B 445 Sports and Television
- MSCH-C 250 Story Lab I when taken Fall 2026 or later
- MSCH-X 386 Introduction to Live Event Sports Production
MSCH-B 320 Sports Documentary Analysis
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Examines the history and present state of the sports documentary. Covers a range of documentary forms and approaches that address sports as a topic and considers how these representations communicate social, political, and ethical ideas about sports and their meanings in the world.
MSCH-B 321 Sports Media Imagery
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Explores how sports media texts are infused with power relations through a critical media literacy methodology, including how sports media texts sometimes reflect and reproduce social inequalities, while at other times helping to illuminate and challenge them.
MSCH-B 322 Global Sports Media
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Examines the relationship between media, local sport cultures, and the globalizing forces shaping contemporary existence, especially the impact of globalization on sport, media, and thus, sports media.
MSCH-B 330 Sports Media Literacy
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Introduces key concepts, historical elements, and future considerations within the areas of sports and media, emphasizing how these two fields interact. Geared toward preparation for careers in sports journalism and sports media.
MSCH-B 331 Managing Sports Media
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- MSCH-C 218, MSCH-C 227, or MSCH-B 330
- Description
- Overview of the sports media industry including processes of content distribution, finance, and technology. Provides historical background of the business of media. Students learn about the symbiotic financial relationship between sports and the media, including team- and league-based media that compete with traditional media.
MSCH-B 332 Sports Writing and Reporting
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- MSCH-C 225, MSCH-H 225, or MSCH-C 251
- Description
- Develops the research, writing, and reporting skills necessary to effectively cover teams, leagues, athletes, and other parts of the sports industry. Provides opportunities to gain hands-on experience writing and researching sports stories.
MSCH-B 333 Sportscasting
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- MSCH-C 225, MSCH-C 226, MSCH-C 250, MSCH-H 225, or MSCH-J 343
- Description
- Introduces the art and technique of sportscasting. Develops skills in proper breathing, script writing and delivery, extemporaneous on-camera discussion, reporting, anchoring, producing, and filming packages.
MSCH-B 334 Social Media in Sports
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- MSCH-C 101 or MSCH-B 330
- Description
- Introduces the theory and practice of social media usage within sports media. Builds skills in content creation and management on the major social networks and explores the implications of audience demographics and communication theory for social media engagement.
MSCH-B 340 Sports Video Storytelling
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- MSCH-C 225, MSCH-C 226, MSCH-C 250, MSCH-H 225, or MSCH-J 343
- Description
- Introduces the skills needed to produce video packages used in sports journalism, including how to find, set up, film, write, and edit a story. Explores techniques used to tell a story with a visual narrative.
MSCH-B 341 Multimedia Sports Content
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- A grade of C- or higher in MSCH-C 250; or consent of instructor
- Description
- Project-based course that focuses on the creation and production of sports media content in multiple media formats. Emphasizes the development of expertise across written content, audio content, and video content, and the integration of social media as a platform for the publication of that content.
MSCH-B 342 Producing Sports Studio Shows
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- MSCH-C 250 with a grade of C- or better, or permission of instructor
- Description
- Explores the vital role of a producer in the creation of sports content for television broadcast and digital platforms. Covers how to produce a single story, a sportscast, a dedicated sports show, a game broadcast and digital exclusive content.
MSCH-B 360 Sports Media Topics
- Credits
- 1–4 credit hours
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Focuses on emerging trends in sports media, including related social and political issues, content creation and production, and special event coverage.
- Repeatability
- May be repeated up to 6 times with a different topic for a maximum of 18 credit hours.
MSCH-B 430 Sports Media Laboratory
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- Consent of instructor required. Email mschugrd@iu.edu for more information
- Description
- Simulates a working sports media newsroom. Focuses on the production of professional-caliber sports media content and building skills in senior-level editing, management, and decision-making that are needed in the process of creating, promoting, and disseminating such content.
- Repeatability
- May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 12 credit hours.
MSCH-B 432 Advanced Sports Writing
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- MSCH-B 332, MSCH-J 301, or consent of instructor
- Description
- Explores advanced techniques in sports writing, including research skills, longform approaches to writing, character profiles, and multi-part stories. Requires the production of multiple major stories and submission for publication to sports media outlets.
MSCH-B 445 Sports and Television
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- C- or higher in MSCH-C 203, MSCH-C 207, MSCH-C 208, MSCH-C 209, or MSCH-B 330
- Description
- Seminar exploring issues in televised sports in support of and in conflict with other cultural icons in society, business, and education. Includes writing on the ways sports, as program content, influences the television industry and on the ways television influences college and professional sports.
- Repeatability
- Credit given for only one of MSCH-B 445 or MSCH-S 445
- Fall 2026CASE SHcourseSummer 2026CASE SHcourse
MSCH-C 250 Story Lab I
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Intensive, hands-on course introduces storytelling skills, techniques and tools for effective media creation in a digital, multi-platform environment and provides the knowledge and skills needed for success in higher-level, more specialized courses of study across the Media School curriculum, including advertising, digital media, journalism, and public relations.
- Grading
- Students are able to earn credit for only one of the following: MSCH-C 250; JOUR-J 210; MSCH-C 226; MSCH-C 21001
MSCH-X 386 Introduction to Live Event Sports Production
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- Consent of instructor
- Description
- Provides students with an introductory experience to live event production in sports media. Students engage in training on live video production, including camera work, graphics, replay, audio, and technical directing. Students apply training through a series of live video productions of sporting events through the Big Ten Network Plus program.
- Grading
- S/F Grading.
- Minor GPA, Hours, and Minimum Grade Requirements.
- Minor Residency. At least 9 credit hours in the minor must be completed in courses taken through the Indiana University Bloomington campus or an IU-administered or IU co-sponsored Overseas Study program.
- Minor Upper Division Courses. At least 9 credit hours in the minor must be completed at the 300-499 level.
- Minimum Grade. Except for the GPA requirement, a grade of C- or higher is required for a course to count toward a requirement in the minor.
- Minor GPA. A GPA of at least 2.000 for all courses taken in the minor--including those where a grade lower than C- is earned--is required.
Minor Area Courses
-
Unless otherwise noted below, the following courses are considered in the academic program and will count toward academic program requirements as appropriate:
- Any course contained on the course lists for the academic program requirements at the time the course is taken—as well as any other courses that are deemed functionally equivalent—except for those listed only under Addenda Requirements
- Any course directed to a non-Addenda requirement through an approved exception
This program of study cannot be combined with the following:
- Bachelor of Arts in Journalism [JOURBAJ]
- Bachelor of Arts in Media [MEDIABA]
- Bachelor of Fine Arts in Cinematic Arts [CINEARTBFA]
- Bachelor of Science in Game Design [GAMEDSGNBS]
- Certificate in Journalism [JOURUGACR1]
- [Name unavailable] [PBLCRELNBS]
- [Name unavailable] [SPTMEDIABS]
Exceptions to and substitutions for minor requirements may be made with the approval of the unit's Director of Undergraduate Studies, subject to final approval by the College of Arts and Sciences.