Major Requirements — Parks and Recreation

Bachelor of Science
The parks and recreation industry involves directing and managing the programs and business operating systems of recreation settings such as park districts, national parks, community recreation departments, private clubs, resorts, organized camps, outdoor centers and youth organizations. Parks and Recreation grad­uates manage the $350 billion annual revenues generated by the leisure services industry, community agencies and youth recreation organizations. The recreation administration program is accredited by the National Recreation and Park Asso­ciation and the American Association of Leisure and Recreation.

The purpose of the parks and recreation program is to prepare students for entry-level leadership positions in recreation settings. The program enables students to develop core values of integrity, citizenship, excellence and lifelong learning and acquire foundational recreation administration knowledge and skills. Additionally, the development of critical thinking, written and oral com­munication skills are addressed throughout the curriculum.

Students in recreation administration are expected to pass the national certi­fication examination to become a Certified Parks and Recreation Professional (CPRP). Students are also advised throughout the undergraduate program that parks and recreation professionals must continually update their profes­sional knowledge and skills during and after degree completion.

Parks and Recreation Core, Support Courses and Service Requirements
Parks and recreation majors take core professional and supportive courses and complete general education degree requirements. In addition, prior to the recreation administration internship, students must provide written documenta­tion of three different activity skill competencies. Students may fulfill the skill requirement by choosing three semester hours of recreation activity courses, skill workshops, or demonstrate skill competency with documentation of certification cards earned from external agencies such as the American Red Cross.

Required Core Program: 44 semester hours in courses; 12 semester hours internship

Required Support Core: 7 semester hours

Student Performance Review and Evaluation Process
Professional parks and recreation education requires high standards of aca­demic, personal and professional conduct to prepare students for a successful career in parks and recreation. The educational program at the under­graduate level requires the student to develop professional ethics, values, knowl­edge and skills.

The parks and recreation program faculty reserves the right to main­tain academic standards for admission and retention in the undergraduate pro­gram above and beyond compliance with the academic standards of the university. In addition, the parks and recreation faculty has determined that there are professional competencies and conduct not measurable by aca­demic achievement alone. Therefore, the parks and recreation program faculty reserves the right to make decisions regarding admission and retention of students based on high standards of personal and professional conduct.

For successful parks and recreation career placement, students will com­plete professional pre-internship practica and internship professional field expe­riences. Therefore, students are expected to demonstrate high standards of ethics, values, knowledge, skills, and both personal and professional conduct throughout their academic program in class and during field placements. The parks and recreation program faculty utilizes the student performance review and eval­uation process to give students feedback on their professional development each term. The faculty will honor not only the rights of students, but also the rights of pre-internship- and internship-partnering agencies, clients and others to whom the student relates in a professional role.

Transfer Guides

• College of DuPage
• Gateway Technical College
• Madison Area Technical College
• Moraine Valley Community College

Academic information on departmental websites reflects the university's most current curriculum. The print version of the catalog, which is also posted online, may differ from this information.