Recreation and Sport Management (B.A.)
The Recreation and Sport Management major is comprised of a common core of courses and offers concentrations in community recreation and park resources, outdoor recreation, recreation therapy, and sport management. Students in the program must complete all core course requirements and one concentration. Both the core curriculum and recreation therapy concentration are accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Related Professions.
The major combines content in recreation and sport with business, education, psychology, health and wellness science, public administration and human relations. Course content prepares students with competencies to provide high quality leisure service experiences to various publics.
The Recreation and Sport degree prepares students for a broad range of professional career opportunities in leisure services, including:
- Community recreation and park resources with career opportunities in municipal parks and recreation, land management agencies, state and national parks, and not-for-profit organizations.
- Recreation therapy with career opportunities in medical health care facilities, special recreation agencies, mental health programs, adventure education facilities, social service agencies and youth development organizations.
- Sport management with career opportunities in sport facility management, sport marketing, athletic administration, club sport operations, professional and collegiate sport associations, and community recreation and park facility management.
Students in the program must complete all core course requirements and one concentration. Core curriculum focuses on understanding the following concepts and relationships: significance of recreation and leisure throughout one’s life span; interrelationships between leisure behavior and the natural environment; issues and trends in the profession; diverse delivery systems; service to diverse populations; program and event planning; administration; management and leadership; marketing and public relations; finance and budgeting; risk management and legal foundations; human resource management; and research and evaluation.
A unique feature of the program is the Advanced Field Experience (AFE) requirement during the senior year in which students applies classroom knowledge during a 12-14 week full-time internship. To qualify for the AFE, majors must provide evidence of current certification in CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer by the American Red Cross, and must have a minimum 2.5 overall GPA at the time of registration for and start of the internship.
Multi-disciplinary minor programs in Youth Development, Sport Marketing, Sport Communication, and Leadership studies are available to majors and non-majors.
Major Program (63-70 credit hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| RSTM 100 | Introduction to Recreation and Leisure Delivery Services (Introduction to Recreation and Leisure Service Delivery Systems) | 3 |
| RSTM 211 | Program Design and Leadership (Program Design and Leadership Methods) | 3 |
| RSTM 299 | Inclusion and Leisure in Society | 3 |
| RSTM 323 | Outdoor Recreation and the Environment | 3 |
| or RSTM 200 | Outdoor Leadership | |
| RSTM 390 | Professional Development Seminar | 1 |
| RSTM 391 | Intermediate Field Experience | 2 |
| RSTM 399 | Research Methods in Recreation and Leisure Services | 3 |
| RSTM 422 | Senior Seminar | 3 |
| RSTM 498 | Advanced Field Experience | 12 |
| Select one of the following concentrations: | 30-38 | |
| Total Hours | 63-71 | |
Community Recreation and Park Resources Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration Core | ||
| LEAD 101 | Introduction to Leadership Studies | 3 |
| RSTM 103 | Wellness and Lifestyle Satisfaction | 3 |
| RSTM 250 | Recreation and Youth Development | 3 |
| RSTM 300 | Team Facilitation and Leadership Principles (Team Facilitation and Leadership) | 3 |
| RSTM 316 | Design, Operations and Management of Community Recreation and Park Resources | 3 |
| RSTM 325 | Administration and Resource Management | 3 |
| Concentration Electives | ||
| Select nine credit hours from the following: | 9 | |
| Principles of Biology I (3) and Principles of Biology I Lab (1) | ||
| Principles of Biology II (3) and Principles of Biology II Lab (1) | ||
| Ecology (4) | ||
| Special Problems in Biology (1-4) (Special Problems) | ||
| Business Research (3) | ||
| Consumption Economics (3) | ||
| International Economics (3) | ||
| Entrepreneurship (3) | ||
| Environment and Humanity (4) | ||
| Environmental Issues (3) | ||
| Independent Study (1-3) | ||
| Leadership in Global Community (3) | ||
| Women and Leadership (3) | ||
| Field Experience (3) | ||
| Management and Organizational Behavior (3) | ||
| Organization Development (3) | ||
| Business, Society, and Environment (3) | ||
| Ethics and Environmental Issues (3) | ||
| Just Business (3) | ||
| Introduction to Law (3) | ||
| Public Administration (3) | ||
| State and Local Politics (3) | ||
| Policy Analysis (3) | ||
| Scope and Methods of Political Science (3) | ||
| Social Psychology (3) | ||
| Personality (3) | ||
| Wellness and Lifestyle Satisfaction (3) | ||
| Topics (1-4) | ||
| Outdoor Leadership (3) 1 | ||
| Sport, Culture and Society (3) | ||
| Topics: (1-4) | ||
| Sport Organizations and Business Practices (3) | ||
| Outdoor Recreation and the Environment (3) 1 | ||
| Topics in Recreation (0-3) | ||
| Introduction to Anthropology (3) | ||
| Human Behavior in Social Environment I (3) | ||
| Human Behavior in Social Environment II (3) | ||
| Christian Morality (3) | ||
| Total Hours | 27 | |
- 1
May be taken as a concentration elective if not applied to the major core.
Recreation Therapy Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 113 | Anatomy & Physiology (fulfills Gen Ed. Science) 1 | 4 |
| PSYC 111 | General Psychology (fulfills Gen. Ed. Social Awareness) 1 | 3 |
| PSYC 240 | Life-Span Development | 3 |
| or SWRK 242 | Human Behavior in Social Environment II | |
| PSYC 250 | Abnormal Psychology | 3 |
| RADT 102 | Medical Terminology | 1 |
| RSTM 210 | Foundations of Recreation Therapy | 3 |
| RSTM 300 | Team Facilitation and Leadership Principles | 3 |
| RSTM 331 | Program Planning and Evaluation in Recreation Therapy | 3 |
| RSTM 333 | Principles and Practice of Interventions in Recreation Therapy | 3 |
| RSTM 335 | Recreation Therapy Assessment and Documentation | 3 |
| RSTM 337 | Diagnostic Groups in Recreation Therapy | 3 |
| RSTM 392 | Clinical Field Experience in Recreation Therapy | 2 |
| RSTM 405 | Issues and Trends in Recreation Therapy | 3 |
| Total Hours | 37 | |
- 1
Note: Concentration is 37 hours total, less 7 general education hours as noted.
Sport Management Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration Core | ||
| RSTM 275 | Sport, Culture and Society | 3 |
| RSTM 300 | Team Facilitation and Leadership Principles | 3 |
| RSTM 316 | Design, Operations and Management of Community Recreation and Park Resources | 3 |
| RSTM 319 | Sport Organizations and Business Practices | 3 |
| RSTM 325 | Administration and Resource Management | 3 |
| Concentration Electives | ||
| Select twelve credit hours from the following: | 12 | |
| Sports Information (3) | ||
| Entrepreneurship (3) | ||
| Introduction to Leadership Studies (3) | ||
| Leadership in Global Community (3) | ||
| Women and Leadership (3) | ||
| Field Experience (3) | ||
| Management and Organizational Behavior (3) | ||
| Organization Development (3) | ||
| Corporate Communications (3) | ||
| Business, Society, and Environment (3) | ||
| Advertising and Promotion (3) | ||
| Consumer Behavior (3) | ||
| International Marketing (3) | ||
| Just Business (3) | ||
| Ethics and Environmental Issues (3) | ||
| Public Administration (3) | ||
| Policy Analysis (3) | ||
| Sport Psychology (3) | ||
| Wellness and Lifestyle Satisfaction (3) | ||
| Topics (1-4) | ||
| Recreation and Youth Development (3) | ||
| Care Management and Athletic Injuries (3) | ||
| Topics: (1-4) | ||
| Sustainable Community Development & Planning (3) | ||
| Topics in Recreation (0-3) | ||
| Total Hours | 27 | |
Students work with their advisors in selecting additional elective credits to fulfill the 120 credit hours required for graduation.