Recreation Management Major, Bachelor of Science (BS)
The nationally accredited Bachelor of Science in Recreation Management trains recreation professionals for positions with community and college recreation, corporate training and management, resort and tourism companies, youth and adventure programs, outfitting companies, sport management companies, event and convention centers, health/wellness and rehabilitative medicine, federal and state land management agencies, corrections, military recreation, and much more. Students who complete this degree are eligible to sit for the Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP) and Certified Park and Recreation Executive (CPRE) exams.
The curriculum is designed to aid students in developing a philosophical and practical knowledge of the recreation experience industry. Students are exposed to skill sets and competencies that are relevant to a management career in recreation through the means of a variety of experiential learning opportunities. Students may choose from minors in Experiential Training and Development, Sport Management, or Therapeutic Recreation.
Students must also complete the following requirements:
- Must earn a grade >C in all coursework
- Membership in a professional organization
- 500 hours of relevant practical experience
| Required Courses | ||
| RCLS 201 | FOUNDATIONS OF RECREATION MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| RCLS 206 | OUTDOOR ADVENTURE RECREATION | 4 |
| RCLS 220 | LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN RECREATION MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| RCLS 240 | INTRODUCTION TO THERAPEUTIC RECREATION | 4 |
| RCLS 313 | PARKS & PUBLIC LAND MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| RCLS 333 | FACILITATION AND GROUP DYNAMICS IN RECREATION MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| RCLS 335 | PRACTITIONER TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT IN RECREATION EXPERIENCE MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| RCLS 349 | SPORTS MANAGEMENT | 2 |
| RCLS 360 | FACILITY PLANNING FOR RECREATION & SPORT | 4 |
| RCLS 385 | EVENT PLANNING | 4 |
| RCLS 400 | LIABILITY AND RISK MANAGEMENT IN RECREATION MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| RCLS 410 | OUTDOOR LEADERSHIP | 4 |
| RCLS 425 | EVALUATION IN RECREATION MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| RCLS 435 | PROFESSIONAL PREPARATION IN RECREATION MANAGEMENT | 2 |
| RCLS 455 | RESORT & COMMERCIAL RECREATION MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| RCLS 470 | ORGANIZATIONAL MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION IN RECREATION MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| RCLS 480 | FINANCIAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN RECREATION | 4 |
| MKTG 310 | PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING | 4 |
| PHED 193 | STANDARD FIRST AID AND SAFETY | 2 |
| or RCLS 290 | WILDERNESS AND REMOTE FIRST AID | |
| RCLS 495 | RECREATION MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL INTERNSHIP | 12 |
| Required Senior Capstone | ||
| RCLS 490 | SENIOR CAPSTONE IN RECREATION MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| Total Credits | 86 | |
Plan of Study
The following plan of study is for a student with zero credits. Individual students may have different factors such as: credit through transfer work, Advanced Placement, Running Start, or any other type of college-level coursework that requires an individual plan.
Courses could be offered in different terms, checking the academic schedule is paramount in keeping an individual plan current. Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.
All Undergraduate students are required to meet the Undergraduate Degree Requirements.
| First Year | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall Quarter | Credits | Winter Quarter | Credits | Spring Quarter | Credits | ||
| ENGL 101 | 5 | ENGL 201 | 5 | Global Studies - graduation requirement1 | 5 | ||
| MATH 107 | 5 | Natural Science BACR 11 | 5 | Humanities & Arts BACR 11 | 5 | ||
| Social Science BACR 11 | 5 | Social Science BACR 21 | 5 | Natural Science BACR 21 | 5 | ||
| 15 | 15 | 15 | |||||
| Second Year | |||||||
| Fall Quarter | Credits | Winter Quarter | Credits | Spring Quarter | Credits | ||
| RCLS 201 | 4 | RCLS 333 | 4 | RCLS 206 | 4 | ||
| RCLS 220 | 4 | Diversity - graduation requirement 1 | 5 | RCLS 335 | 4 | ||
| Humanities & Arts BACR 21 | 5 | Elective - minor, or general elective | 5 | Elective - minor, or general elective | 5 | ||
| 13 | 14 | 13 | |||||
| Third Year | |||||||
| Fall Quarter | Credits | Winter Quarter | Credits | Spring Quarter | Credits | ||
| RCLS 349 | 2 | RCLS 360 | 4 | RCLS 240 | 4 | ||
| PHED 193 | 2 | MKTG 310 | 4 | RCLS 313 | 4 | ||
| Elective - minor, or general elective | 5 | Elective - minor, or general elective | 5 | Elective - minor, or general elective | 5 | ||
| Elective - minor, or general elective | 5 | Elective - minor, or general elective | 2 | Elective - minor, or general elective | 2 | ||
| 14 | 15 | 15 | |||||
| Fourth Year | |||||||
| Fall Quarter | Credits | Winter Quarter | Credits | Spring Quarter | Credits | Summer Quarter | Credits |
| RCLS 385 | 4 | RCLS 400 | 4 | RCLS 410 | 4 | RCLS 495 | 12 |
| RCLS 425 | 4 | RCLS 470 | 4 | RCLS 455 | 4 | ||
| RCLS 435 | 2 | RCLS 480 | 4 | RCLS 490 (Senior Capstone - graduation requirement) | 4 | ||
| Elective - minor, or general elective | 5 | ||||||
| 15 | 12 | 12 | 12 | ||||
| Total Credits 180 | |||||||
- 1
University Graduation Requirements (UGR) and Breadth Area Course Requirements (BACR) courses may be less than 5 credits and additional credits may be required to reach the required 180 total credits needed to graduate. Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.
University Competencies and Proficiencies
English
Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning
Placement and Clearance
Prior Learning/Sources of Credit AP, CLEP, IB
General Education Requirements (GER)
- Minimum Credits—180 cumulative credit hours
- 60 upper-division credits (300 level or above)
- 45 credits in residence (attendance) at Eastern, with at least 15 upper-division credits in major in residence at Eastern
- Minimum Cumulative GPA ≥2.0
Breadth Area Core Requirements (BACR)
Humanities and Arts
Natural Sciences
Social Sciences
University Graduation Requirements (UGR)
Diversity Course List
World Language (for Bachelor of Arts)
Global Studies Course List
Minor or Certificate
Senior Capstone Course List
Application for Graduation (use EagleNET) must be made at least two terms in advance of the term expected to graduate (undergraduate and post-baccalaureate).
Use the Catalog Archives to determine two important catalog years.
- The catalog in effect at the student's first term of current matriculation is used to determine BACR (Breadth Area Core Requirements) and UGR (Undergraduate Graduation Requirements).
- The catalog in effect at the time the student declares a major or minor is used to determine the program requirements.
Students who earn a BS in Recreation Management from EWU should be able to:
- demonstrate an understanding and ability to perform essential functions within business management of the recreation industry, which include event planning; liability and risk management; financial resource management; facility design and management; administration; evaluation and assessment; promotions and marketing; recreation leadership and facilitation; employee recruitment, training, and supervision; customer service; and small business enterprise;
- demonstrate an understanding of the principles of organizational leadership, group development, and employee/client motivation;
- demonstrate an understanding of the principles of commercial, non-profit, and government enterprise as they apply to the recreation industry;
- demonstrate an understanding and apply skills of entrepreneurship as they apply to the recreation industry;
- demonstrate the ability to use land management philosophy to guide professional practice.