Mount St. Mary’s University and the Washington Commanders have entered into an exciting educational partnership.
Under the agreement, university students will have the opportunity to work directly with and for the NFL team through semester-long internships and experiential learning projects. Commanders’ employees will benefit from leadership training from Mount faculty and discounted access to undergraduate and graduate business courses offered online or in person through the university’s Division of Graduate, Professional and Continuing Education.
The two organizations will collaborate to develop a service program focused on providing resources to communities in the Washington metropolitan area. University administrators are working with the Washington Commanders Charitable Foundation to plan an initiative.
“Working alongside a university with a legacy like the Mount’s means that our team just got stronger,” said Washington Commanders President Jason Wright.
With its excellent business, accounting, economics, entrepreneurship and sport management programs offered through the Richard J. Bolte, Sr. School of Business, the Mount has numerous alumni who have worked for professional sports organizations, including the Washington Nationals, Washington Wizards, Washington Kastles, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia Union and others. Susan O’Malley, the first female president of an NBA franchise (the Washington Bullets in 1991), graduated from Mount St. Mary’s in 1983 and interned at the Washington Capitals as an undergraduate.
“Mount St. Mary’s is excited to provide students with the opportunity to learn from a professional sports organization before they graduate,” said Mount St. Mary’s President Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D. “This type of experience will make our students highly marketable upon graduation. We also welcome the chance to help provide leadership training to such an important organization to our region’s economy.”
“Our sport management students will work on direct marketing, operations and logistics projects with Washington Commanders personnel and Mount faculty,” explained John Nauright, Ph.D., dean of the Richard J. Bolte, Sr. School of Business. “Further experiential learning opportunities for sport management students will be available within the course curriculum.”
Commanders staff, sponsors and season ticket holders will have discounted access to Mount courses in undergraduate and graduate business and sport management offered through the university’s Division of Graduate, Professional and Continuing Education in Frederick.