Students learn to be inquisitive and receptive to varying points of view and proficient in communication and interpersonal relations. Graduates will have the ability to motivate and to help others enrich their lives through the constructive use of leisure. Students develop appropriate professional capabilities and attitudes required for work in a variety of settings. They learn to advise customers and to organize, plan, budget, and manage both leisure services and recreation and park resources. The department offers the bachelors and masters degrees and the minor in Recreation Administration.
Preparation is provided within the major for four distinct degree options.
Within these options, students may further focus their training into special areas. For example, students within the Option in Community and Commercial Recreation may specialize in public, volunteer, private, commercial, entrepreneurial, resort management, military, and employee services recreation. Those with an Option in Parks and Natural Resources Management select environmental education and interpretation, recreation and natural resource management, park operations, and planning and design as areas of concentration. The Option in Resort and Lodging Management focuses on communication skills, market analysis, human resource management, lodging operations, and food and beverage management. The Option in Therapeutic Recreation stresses clinical and community-based recreation for the physically, emotionally, or socially limited.