Major: Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies
For most of us, leisure and recreation make life worth living. Activities such as swimming, boating, hiking, golfing, or even simple card games help us relieve stress, socialize with others, and learn valuable skills.
Students of parks, recreation, and leisure study the hows and whys of recreation. Their studies are broad enough to cover everything from helping recovering addicts through leisure activities to finding funds for a new boathouse.
Students of parks, recreation, and leisure explore theories of recreation and leisure. They also learn how to provide recreational services to the public.
“Do you want to help people enjoy healthier lives? Do you want to work in settings that allow people to achieve excellence? Then a major in recreation, parks, and leisure studies is worth considering.”
Lowell Caneday, Professor of Leisure Studies, Oklahoma State University
Are You Ready To...?
- Build leadership skills in class exercises
- Discuss how to make physical activities accessible to disabled adults
- Study trends such as indoor climbing walls
- Learn how to write grants applications for nonprofit organizations
- Plan a Ping-Pong tournament for nursing home residents as part of an internship
It Helps to Be...
Interested in working with many kinds of people. In parks, recreation, and leisure services, you may work with children, disabled adults, or the elderly.
College Checklist
- Is the program accredited by the National Recreation and Park Association Council on Accreditation?
- If you are interested in a concentration, such as leisure services management or therapeutic recreation, is that area also accredited?
- What university division offers the program? Education, human services, forestry, business? How does this affect the program’s focus?
- What sorts of internships are possible?
- Will the program help you find work after graduation?
Did You Know?
- James Naismith, of the YMCA, invented basketball in 1891.
Course Spotlight
Most programs require that students in this major complete a practicum in leisure studies. That means you’ll get the chance to volunteer or work a certain number of hours at a preapproved site, such as a local camp or park. Your professor may give you specific assignments and guidance. For example, you might be asked to plan and lead a fly-fishing trip or a musical performance.
