Recreation, BA

Department of Health and Human Development, College of Humanities and Social Sciences

67 credits

Introduction

The purpose of recreation and leisure is to contribute to the health and well-being of individuals and to enhance the quality of community life. As such, the study of Recreation is multidisciplinary, requiring understanding of the social, behavioral, physical, and environmental sciences as they pertain to helping people grow and develop in their leisure while conserving our vital natural resources. Knowledge of the arts and humanities is important as well, because leisure is one of the most fertile opportunities for self-expression and the development of community.

In support of healthy individuals, families, and communities, career opportunities in recreation and leisure services are numerous and diverse. The Recreation curriculum prepares students to design, implement, manage, lead, and evaluate recreation programs and services. The program is designed as four sequential 15-16 credit hour blocks of classes (phases) with students moving through the program as a cohort group. Students enter Phase I of the program during spring quarter, typically during their sophomore or junior year. The following schedule shows the sequential order of the four program phases:

-	Fall	Winter	Spring	Summer
Freshman	-	-	-	-
Sophomore	-	-	I	-
Junior	-	II	III	or III
Senior	IV	-	-	-

The phase system allows maximum flexibility for scheduling students’ educational experience to include workshops, field experiences, conferences and seminars both on and off campus. By making use of other departments at Western, statewide recreation resources, and recreation professionals, students are provided with exposure to a wide variety of experiential and service-learning opportunities.

Why Consider a Recreation Major?

Recreation and leisure contribute to the health and well-being of individuals and their communities. Graduates of the Recreation Program are employed throughout the region, nation and world in a variety of settings, including public recreation departments, outdoor recreation programs, hospitals, and tourism agencies. Specific jobs performed by graduates include working as recreation therapists, organizing and leading outdoor adventure trips, supervising public sports programs, coordinating community cultural arts, operating eco-tourism trips, and serving as park rangers with state and federal agencies, and managing youth services such as Boys and Girls Clubs. Some graduates have found their degrees useful for work in fields such as social work, the ministry and law enforcement.

The Recreation Program emphasizes preparation in the broad areas of outdoor recreation, community recreation, therapeutic recreation, and ecotourism. Community and outdoor recreation graduates find employment in federal and state recreation and park agencies, county and community recreation departments, non-profit agencies, and commercial recreation settings. Therapeutic recreation graduates find employment in hospitals; senior centers; nursing homes; mental health agencies; community recreation departments; and federal, state, and private agencies serving persons with disabilities or other adapted recreation needs. Graduates prepared in ecotourism plan and lead trips worldwide or work in destination planning.

The Recreation Program is nationally accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Related Professions (COAPRT). Students should inquire directly to the Recreation Program office in Carver 209 for current information on admission procedures.

Contact Information

Recreation Program Coordinator Community Recreation/ Outdoor Recreation Melissa D’Eloia Associate Professor Carver 209 306-650-3962 Melissa.Deloia@wwu.edu	Therapeutic Recreation Melissa D’Eloia Associate Professor Carver 209 360-650-3962 Melissa.Deloia@wwu.edu	Ecotourism Jasmine Goodnow Associate Professor Carver 209 360-650-2393 Jasmine.Goodnow@wwu.edu
Outdoor Recreation Keith Russell, Professor Carver 102 360-650-3529 Keith.Russell@wwu.edu	Recreation Program Secretary Katey Roemmele Carver 209 360-650-3782 Katey.Roemmele@wwu.edu	General Information and Advising Taylor Leenstra Carver 271B 360-650-4377 Taylor.Leenstra@wwu.edu

Sample Careers

Recreation Therapist | Outdoor Adventure Leader | Youth Programs Coordinator | Eco-tourism Operator | Park Ranger

Major/Career Resources

www.wwu.edu/careers/students_choosingamajor.shtml

How to Declare (Admission and Declaration Process):

First priority is given to students who have submitted applications by the first Thursday in November during fall quarter. After this date, consideration is given to applicants on a case-by-case basis. However, the program is popular and the number of majors admitted is limited, so students are encouraged to apply by the deadline. Students interested in the program should contact the Recreation Program in Carver 209 if they have any questions about available space and the application process. Students must have completed 45 quarter unit credits, including approved transfer credits, before starting Phase I. The deadline also applies to transfer students. Transfer students are urged to contact the Recreation Program for guidance and further information. A minor in Recreation is not offered presently.

Grade Requirements

A grade of C- or better is required for a student’s major or minor courses, and supporting courses for majors and minors.