Aussie University Offers Surfing Diploma

[Starlyte]

Surfing, considered by most Australians a pastime and privilege, was elevated to university status after a campus based on the Gold Coast's surfing strip offered a diploma course in the sport.

Southern Cross University (SCU) is offering the diploma in Sports Management (Surfing Studies) at its Tweed Gold Coast campus, just meters from some of the best breaks in Australia and minutes down the highway from tourist hot spot Surfers Paradise.

The university stressed the course is aimed at those who work, or want to work in, surfing management or the broader industry.

Surfing itself is not on the curriculum.

"This is not a degree in surfboard riding, but rather a vocationally-focused professional development program," SCU vice-chancellor John Rickard said Friday.

And nor is it cheap. Being a fully fledged course at a reputable university, the diploma will cost aspirants 6,816 dollars.

The one-year full-time or two-year part-time course will comprise eight units including marketing, events management, sport media, business and sport management and technology with lessons held in the classroom, not at the beach.

You don't even have to know how to surf to be eligible to apply. But, the university said, it would be an advantage.

"Our long term aim with Surfing Australia is to become the world leader in surfing industry education and research," Rickard said.

Surfing Australia chief executive Alan Atkins said almost two million Australians were involved in surfing and the sport needed to be more professional and competitive with other sports.

"Surfing is a 715-million-dollar-plus industry in Australia and 5.7 billion dollars worldwide, and it brings in millions in exports and tourism," Atkins said.

He said he had had more than 250 expressions of interest from interstate and overseas for the 40 positions on offer next year.

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[Kryso]

Makes sense...