PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With its expanding business programs, Grand Canyon University (GCU) is meeting the needs of tomorrow's business sector: producing highly qualified accountants and professionals adept at managing the ever-evolving world of sports management.

“Sports management is expected to be a growing field over the next decade, and with the aging boomer population, there will be a big vacancy in the accounting field in the coming years, the likes of which we have not seen since the 1980s.”

The Bachelor of Science in Sports Management and the Master of Science in Accounting will be offered through GCU’s Ken Blanchard College of Business, beginning at the end of April. The degrees will be offered both at GCU’s traditional campus and online.

“These two degrees are ideally suited to our existing curriculum and environment,” said Dean of the Grand Canyon University Ken Blanchard College of Business Kevin Barksdale. “Sports management is expected to be a growing field over the next decade, and with the aging boomer population, there will be a big vacancy in the accounting field in the coming years, the likes of which we have not seen since the 1980s.”

With GCU's roster of 22 NCAA-competitive sports and the opening in 2012 of a 5,000-seat events center on campus, a sports management program has been discussed for some time. The degree would focus on those who want to pursue a career in the sports industry, but is also for those who want to run youth sports programs, coach teams and pursue a sports career from an academic level in the teaching field.

The master’s degree in accounting is a natural progression for GCU, which already provides an undergraduate accounting program. With the University’s focus on servant leadership, GCU helps guide students in applying a servant leadership philosophy to their accounting practice.

“In an era of increasing corporate scrutiny from a financial perspective, we have found our values-focused curriculum a real benefit to our students,” Barksdale said.

More information about the degree programs is available at www.gcu.edu or 877-860-3951.