Recreation and Parks Management, B.S. Recreational Therapy Concentration

The UNC Greensboro Therapeutic Recreation (TR) (also known as Recreational Therapy) degree program provides students with requirements necessary to become nationally certified and licensed in North Carolina. Students in this program learn how to assess client needs, develop and implement individualized treatment plans, and document and evaluate client progress and program effectiveness.

Classroom lessons often incorporate service-learning which gives students hands-on experience in the field while serving the local community. Graduates can enter the workforce as licensed recreational therapists in a variety of settings including rehabilitation hospitals, drug and alcohol treatment centers, mental health facilities, assisted living and memory care units, and community inclusion. Students may also use this degree as a pathway to apply for graduate study in Occupational Therapy.

Program Distinctions

• Faculty hold a variety of certifications, such as Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists, and have regularly been recognized for teaching excellence.
• All TR faculty members are licensed recreational therapists by the state of North Carolina.
• One UNCG/TR faculty member serves on the NC state RT licensure board.
• One UNCG/TR faculty member serves as the Executive Director for the national professional association.
• UNCG/TR students have a 87% pass rate on the CTRS exam (higher than the national average).
• Accreditations and Affiliations include:
  • Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism, and Related Professions
  • American Therapeutic Recreation Association
  • National Recreation and Park Association
  • North Carolina Recreational Therapy Association
  • North Carolina Recreation and Park Association
  • Academy of Leisure Sciences

The Student Experience

• TR students take courses such as assessment, clinical procedures, facilitation techniques, abnormal psychology, human development, anatomy/physiology, helping skills, and medical terminology. TR students also can minor in areas such as human development, gerontology, psychology, or sign language.
• In the Accelerated Master’s Program (AMP), students have the opportunity to graduate with a Bachelor of Science AND Master of Science degree, within a five-year time period.
• Students wishing to pursue a master’s in OT who are majoring in the TR concentration are advised to take the prerequisite courses required for application to OT programs in North Carolina.
• Students are required to complete a semester-long fieldwork practicum and a semester-long internship, totaling over 600 hours of extensive experience in the field prior to graduation.
• Undergraduate Research Assistantships are available to support students as they gain valuable research experience by working with faculty members.
• Curriculum provides classes in Facilitation Techniques, Clinical Procedures, Assessments, Program Planning, Serving Underrepresented Populations, Management in Parks & Recreation, and Financing and Budgeting.
• Students consistently earn scholarships and awards from state and national professional associations.
• Service-learning and volunteer opportunities offer hands-on practical experience in a myriad of professional and community settings.
• UNCG/TR’s “Celebrate the Trail to Recovery” program, facilitated by members of the department, offers opportunities for cancer patients to get out on the hiking trail systems of the greater Greensboro area to embrace the restorative properties of nature and build new relationships on the trail to recovery.
• CTR students and the community have access to a 1,000 square feet TR Lab for training and research.

After Graduation

CTR graduates in Therapeutic Recreation have secured jobs as Recreation Therapists in Memory Care, Pediatric Care, Rehabilitation, Community Inclusion, Adapted Sports, Long Term Care, Veterans Administration, Behavioral Health, and Forensic Mental Health Services.

AFFILIATED MINORS

The College of Arts and Sciences offers a minor in Videogaming and Esports that pairs well with this degree. Students complete one required course and 12 hours of electives in courses like Intro to 3D Animation and Fandom and Religion: Rituals, Texts, Communities. Learn More.

Additional affiliated minors include:

• Community and Therapeutic Recreation Undergraduate Minor
• Community Recreation Undergraduate Minor
• Event Planning Undergraduate Minor
• Recreational Therapy Undergraduate Minor