Recreation

College of Health and Human Services
Dean: Donald P. Zingale

Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies
GYM 307
415-338-2030
Chair: Don Taylor

Graduate Coordinator: Rene Dahl

Faculty

Professor--Michaelis

Associate Professors--Dahl, Severin, Taylor, Tierney

Programs

B.A. in Recreation

Minor in Recreation

M.S. in Recreation

Program Scope

The Bachelor of Arts prepares students for full-time, multi-optional public and private sector careers in leisure services, one of America's largest industries. Students majoring in this program are expected to actively participate in appropriate professional organizations.

Students desiring to major in recreation are encouraged to consult with the Department of Recreation-Leisure Studies as soon as possible. Transfer students should consult with the department upon initial enrollment at the university.

Students desiring to minor in recreation are encouraged to consult with the Department of Recreation-Leisure Studies as soon as possible. They will be directed to a faculty adviser related to their area of specific interest.

The Master of Science in Recreation is designed to qualify students for professional positions of greater responsibility in leisure service management in both the public and private sectors. Within the program, the student is able to choose from a wide range of career path options. Students wishing to become certified as recreation therapists at either the state or national level will become eligible upon completion of the M.S. in Recreation and specified course work, including an internship.

Students are expected to observe requirements stated in this Bulletinand specific department requirements.

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN RECREATION

Courses for this program are listed in alphabetical sequence (consult Index for page reference).

Units

Program

REC 200	Introduction to Recreation and 
Leisure Services 3
REC 300	Leisure Leadership		3
REC 380	Developmental Play Processes		3
REC 400	Theory of Program Planning		3
REC 410	Foundations of Therapeutic 
Recreation 3
REC 500	Organization of Recreation and 
Leisure Services 3
REC 520	Park and Outdoor Leisure 
Resources 3
REC 550	Planning and Evaluation of 
Recreation and Leisure Services 3
REC 660	Seminar in Current Professional 
Issues 3
Six units from the following:		6
REC 230	Growth Through Adventure
REC 330	Arts and Crafts for Leisure
REC 340	Conference and Event Planning 
and Management
REC 430	Ecology of Outdoor Recreation
REC 445	Recreation Therapy and the 
Expressive Arts
REC 610	Therapeutic Recreation 
Principles and Procedures:
Clinical and Community
Applications
In the final semester, students complete a 
twelve-unit Directed Field Experience
in appropriate recreation or leisure ser-
vices setting. A minimum of 800 hours
of paid or volunteer work in recreation
settings and completion of core courses
are required prior to enrolling in the
Directed Experience 12
REC 680	Directed Field Experience in 
Recreation and Leisure
Services (6)
REC 690	Directed Management Experi-
ence in Recreation and Leisure
Services (6)
Additional course work is required for students 
seeking internships in settings which
require special skills; i.e., outdoor, thera-
peutic, commercial, etc. Such course
work is prescribed in consultation with

an adviser.
Total for major		45

MINOR IN RECREATION

Units

Required Core

REC 200	Introduction to Recreation and 
Leisure Services or
REC 420	Leisure and Contemporary 
Society 3
REC 400	Theory of Program Planning		3
REC 680	Directed Field Experience in 
Recreation and Leisure Studies 6
In consultation with an adviser, students 
should select from the following elec-
tives according to the area of interest: 8-10

General/Community

REC 340	Conference and Event Planning 
and Management
REC 380	Developmental Play Processes
REC 330	Arts and Crafts for Leisure

Parks and Resources Management

REC 430	Ecology of Outdoor Recreation
REC 520	Park and Outdoor Leisure 
Resources
One course selected from the following:
GEOG 418	Management of National Parks 
and Natural Areas (4)
GEOL 250	Geology of the National Parks
BIOL 300	Nature Study
GEOG 652	Environmental Impact Analysis

Outdoor Recreation

REC 230	Growth Through Adventure
REC 430	Ecology of Outdoor Recreation
One course selected from the following:
REC 123	Ski Touring and Winter 
Trekking (2)
REC 128	Downhill Skiing (2)
REC 152	Small Boat Sailing (1) and
REC 184	Small Boat Maintenance (1)
REC 210	Introduction to Camping

Therapeutic Recreation

REC 380	Developmental Play Processes
REC 410	Foundations of Therapeutic 
Recreation
REC 445	Recreation Therapy and the 
Expressive Arts or
REC 610	Therapeutic Recreation Prin-
ciples and Procedures: Clinical
and Community Applications

Commercial Recreation

REC 230	Leisure Travel and Tourism
REC 460	Destination Recreation Resorts
REC 540	Administration of Private 

	Recreation Enterprise
Minimum total for minor		21

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN RECREATION

Graduate Advisers--Dahl, Michaelis, Jaquith, Taylor, Tierney

Admission to Program

Students interested in this program ordinarily must have received a baccalaureate degree in recreation. However, a degree in a related major (e.g., creative arts, natural science, physical education, psychology, business, special education, public administration, park planning, social welfare, etc.) may be accepted provided such applicants demonstrate through experience and/or training a knowledge of recreation and the ability to program and organize recreation in a variety of settings.

Applicants lacking successful field experiences, professional preparation, full-time paid experience, or an appropriate undergraduate degree may be required to complete indicated undergraduate courses and requirements to become eligible for consideration.

To be considered for admission, applicants must have a 3.0 GPA for the last 60 units of undergraduate work, and submit the following documents to the department: three letters of recommendation, transcripts of all academic work, and a departmental application. A personal interview is recommended.

Classified Status

Students admitted to the department under "conditionally classified status" may achieve fully classified status after meeting the conditions set by the department for admission to classified status. Such conditions vary by student experience and undergraduate degree and may include: (a) prerequisite course requirements, such as REC 400, REC 410, REC 500, and REC 520, or judged equivalents; (b) full-time work experience in the field, or judged equivalent, within a specified time frame; and/or (c) a grade of B or better in two graduate courses.

Written English Proficiency Requirement

Level One:students must take the Graduate Essay Test (GET) or petition the department's graduate faculty to approve an equivalent demonstration, either prior to or during the first semester of enrollment. In no case will a student be advanced to candidacy until this requirement is met. Level Two:assessment of writing proficiency takes place near the end of the student's course of study, and is based on performance on either the written comprehensive examination or the thesis. An independent literacy assessment, separate from other proficiency standards and requirements, is carried out for either culminating experience requirement.

Advancement to Candidacy

Besides meeting all general requirements, applicants must:

Courses for this discipline are listed in alphabetical sequence (consult Index for page reference). Upper division courses of the department are acceptable on approval of the graduate adviser.

Units

Foundation

REC 710	Research Methods in Recreation 
and Leisure Studies 3
REC 730	Foundations of Leisure		3
REC 750	Leisure Education		3

Professional Core

REC 850	Human Resources Development 
in Leisure Services 3
REC 862	Management of Leisure Services		3
REC 880	Trends and Issues in Leisure 
Services 3

Area of Specialization

Selected courses with adviser approval (maxi-
mum of nine units upper division
courses) in areas such as tourism, thera-
peutic recreation, outdoor recreation,
gerontology 12

Culminating Experience Option

REC 898	Master's Thesis and Oral Defense or
Selection of upper division or graduate 
recreation courses with approval of grad-
uate major adviser and Master's Compre-

hensive Written and Oral Examinations		3
Total		33
NOTE:Total units may exceed 33 units for students with an interest in therapeutic recreation. Students with an interest in therapeutic recreation must complete all requirements for the M.S. in Recreation. If the student desires a state and/or national certification in therapeutic recreation, provision is made for course work and an internship of three to six (3-6) units at an approved agency.

Examination.In addition to the oral defense required of all students, those candidates not completing a thesis must pass a comprehensive written examination. This written examination broadly assesses the student's integration and synthesis of required foundation and professional core content. The comprehensive written examination may be attempted a total of two times.