Graduate students may concentrate their studies in a variety of specialty areas, including recreation and park management, commercial recreation and tourism, therapeutic recreation, outdoor recreation, and environmental interpretation.
Students learn to initiate research, implement it, and disseminate the results.
The leisure studies graduate programs are part of Penn State's School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Recreation Management. Created in 1991, the school was formed by combining well-established, nationally respected programs in hotel, restaurant, and institutional management and in recreation and park management. The school offers undergraduate and graduate programs in hospitality, recreation, and tourism, and its faculty conducts research in hospitality management, institutional administration, recreation management, travel and tourism, outdoor recreation, and related areas. The college was established in 1987, bringing together strong programs that once were offered by other Penn State colleges. The master's program is designed to increase students' knowledge in park, recreation and tourism management, research techniques, and program development and evaluation.