The Minor | Sport, Media, and Culture Minor | University of Notre Dame

The Minor

Student working at ND Studios

How do representations of sport reinforce, question, or contest contemporary relationships of power and identity?

The minor in Sport, Media, and Culture (SMAC) invites students to examine the cultural politics of sport from a scholarly point of view, and to practice them with an eye towards social justice and the dignity of every human being. 

SMAC thus defines media broadly—to include visual art, historical texts, and performing arts as well as print journalism, radio, film, television, and social media—and incorporates analyses of race, gender, sexuality, class, and inequality from across the humanities and social sciences. Through SMAC, students will consider how their own interest in sport engages in the politics of representation, and how they can promote equity and justice through it. 

SMAC is for students interested in:

Black Sports Cover
  • sports media, broadcasting, or journalism
  • analysis of sports, representation, and power from an Arts & Letters perspective
  • sports education, coaching, and community engagement
  • examining one's own relationship with sport through an academic lens
  • a career in the sports industry

The SMAC Minor offers a diverse array of courses and internship opportunities. Participation is limited but students from any major are welcome to apply.  

Requirements include:

  • AMST 30192 Sports and American Culture (3 credits)
  • 11–12 credits of electives
  • a 1-credit, public-facing capstone project 

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