A brand new Professional Tennis Management (PTM) Certificate Program will be offered by Queens College in January, in collaboration with the United States Tennis Association (USTA).
Queens College, located 65-30 Kissena Blvd. in Flushing, is the first school in the country offering a new certificate for people hoping to work or move up in the tennis industry that does not require them to be enrolled in a degree program.
“Queens College has many years’ experience with professional education for working adults,” said Queens College Interim President William Tramontano. “Such courses can have an enormous impact on social mobility and life opportunities, which is extremely valuable to the students and communities we serve. We think the PTM Certificate will open a lot of doors.”
The program, developed for accomplished tennis players and sports managers, has two tracks — Tennis Professional and Tennis Management, which helps to prepare students to teach or manage professional tennis programs, equipping them to work in such positions as instructors, coaches, administrators, and sports business owners.
The program is accredited by the USTA, which is the nonprofit owner and manager of the U.S. Open.
Since Queens College and the USTA are located in Flushing, their partnership will give students the combined benefits of entree to a top-ranked college, a robust and prestigious support network, and state-of-the-art facilities.
Taught by industry leaders, the PTM Certificate Program will consist of convenient online modules, evening classes at the college, and on-court training sessions. Students will also receive guidance on securing paid internships and job placement.
“There are so many opportunities in tennis from the professional event side to club work to parks and physical education, profit and nonprofit,” said Skip Hartman, USTA-U director of PTM at Queens College and CUNY. “We hope this experience will open many doors.”
Jay Hershenson, vice president for Communications and Marketing and senior advisor to the President of Queens College, added, “If you love tennis, and want to get involved in the coaching or management side, then this program is your ‘centre court.’ “Accredited by USTA, you can earn your certificate through both on-line and class instruction and become well-positioned to join the booming world-wide tennis industry.”
The PTM Certificate Program will start its first semester on Jan. 13, 2020. For more information about the Queens College PTM Certificate Program, visit www.qc.cuny.edu. To register, visit the Professional & Continuing Studies/Queens College website.
Partial scholarships are available for the first 15 students who register for the program, as well as for those who are currently working as employees or active coaches within the tennis industry.
