The Recreation and Leisure Studies program:

• is the only program on campus specifically providing the curricular preparation necessary for graduates to secure national certification as recreational therapists (Therapeutic Degree Option)
• is the only program on campus specifically preparing graduates for administration and management of recreation programs/services in human services settings such as municipal recreation and youth serving agencies. (Community Degree Option)
• is the only program on campus and the first recreation program in Missouri to offer a track which prepares graduates for careers in wellness and health promotion settings. (Wellness/Health Promotion Degree Option)
• offers a degree option focusing on tourism/private/commercial recreation, and sport management (Private/Commercial Degree Option) and
• offers a degree option in outdoor recreation for majors interested in camps, outdoor education, adventure recreation, and other outdoor resource related careers (Outdoor Degree Option).

Field Experience

Field experience is an important aspect of your professional preparation.  You will complete a 90-hour practicum and a 10-15 week (400-600 hours) full-time internship experience supervised by both an agency and University supervisors.  Each requires weekly documentation of experiences and intern research into the agency's operation.  Practical experiences are also required in other professional core courses and additional volunteer and paid career related experiences are encouraged.

Student Organizations

Active and experiential involvement with leisure service professionals in seminars, conferences and workshops is encouraged as a means of extending your curricular preparation and of providing lifelong learning and networking opportunities.