Bachelor of Arts: Recreation Administration

A degree in Recreation Administration requires the completion of 53 credit hours of designated coursework including a minimum 29 credit hour core and 24 credit hours within the student’s specialization. Students must also complete the Lindenwood Recreation Professionals Exam during the student’s final semester.

The Recreation Administration curriculum is built around the three foundational curriculum areas for parks, recreation, and leisure. These three areas include leisure foundations, provisions of services and experience opportunities, and management/administration.

Recreation Core Courses (29 hrs) 

REC 10200 Introduction to Recreation and Leisure (3)
REC 20600 Leisure in Contemporary Society (3)
REC 30500 Research and Evaluation in Recreation (3)
REC 31000 Foundations of Therapeutic Recreation (3)
REC 36200 Program Planning and Marketing(3)
REC 38100 Recreation Facility Design and Operations (3)
REC 39800 Practicum in Recreation (2-3)
REC 41000 Recreation Organization and Administration (3)
REC 46200 Recreation Senior Seminar (3)
REC 49800 Internship in Recreation (3-12) 

Emphasis Areas

In addition to the REC core courses, students seeking a degree in recreation administration must complete one of the following areas of emphasis or complete the non-emphasis track. 

Community Recreation Management

Community recreation includes both nonprofit and public community recreation agencies and focuses on the broad programming and management within those departments that serve the community as a whole or a specific population within the community.  Knowledge and skills of programming and management may include areas of sport leagues, youth camps, community centers, special events and fairs, parks and open spaces, after school programs, aquatics, trails, fundraising and sponsorships, and public policy. 

Outdoor Recreation and Resource Management

Outdoor Recreation and Resource Management focuses on the knowledge and skills needed for adventure and outdoor education programs that utilizes natural resources that are governed by private, nonprofit, or governmental agencies on the local, state, and federal level.  Knowledge and skills of programming and management may include teambuilding, parks and open spaces, wildlife management, challenge courses, expedition planning, trails, outdoor skills, conservation and preservation, and high adventure programs.

Sport and Fitness Management

Sport and Fitness Management focuses specifically on programming and management in the sport and fitness industry.  Areas of emphasis may include collegiate campus recreation, amateur sports, fitness facilities, race and event management, as well as sport and fitness programs within the community.

General Recreation

The General Recreation track in Recreation Administration is for students that want to pursue specific interests outside the emphasis areas offered.  Areas of interest may include therapeutic and inclusive recreation, arts and culture, law enforcement, social sciences, health and wellness, communications and marketing, social services, and other areas in human services offered in a variety of disciplines.

Lindenwood University Graduation Requirements 

Elective courses are selected by the student with help from their advisor and should focus on an area of specialization in leisure management or outdoor leadership.

Lindenwood University Graduation Requirements

Recreation Administration students are required to complete a total of 128 credit hours and maintain a 2.0 GPA for overall coursework and a 2.0 GPA in recreation administration course work. In addition 42 credits must be 300 level or above and students must also pass the writing proficiency assessment. Of the 128 credit hours required, 51 credit hours are general education courses and 53 credit hours are the recreation administration degree requirements. The remaining 25 credit hours can be used to complete pre-requisites, satisfy the 42 hour 300 level or above requirement, or pursue a minor.

If all pre-requisites and 300 level courses are completed, the remaining credit hours can be used to enrich the liberal arts experience at Lindenwood by enrolling in courses that may or may not be included in the student’s major but are of interest to the student. The Recreation Administration Department recommends using several of these credit hours to enroll in 1-2 credit hour basic skill courses offered through the Recreation Administration and Health and Fitness Science departments to help maintain a healthy lifestyle and to correlate with the philosophy “if you are going to talk the talk, you have to walk the walk.”