The Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies (www.sjsu.edu/recreation) offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation and a Master of Science degree in Recreation. Four emphases are open to undergraduates in Recreation: Leadership and Administration, Commercial Recreation/Tourism, Therapeutic Recreation and Park Resource Management.
The emphasis in Leadership and Administration is the art and science of leading organizations in the recreation and leisure services field. Students learn fundamentals inherent in helping others achieve their potential. Students with this emphasis usually secure careers in municipal Parks and Recreation Departments.
The Commercial Recreation/Tourism emphasis provides a broad-based understanding of the diverse career opportunities available in the travel and tourism industries. Tourism now constitutes the world’s largest and most rapidly expanding economic sector. This emphasis area prepares students for careers in tourism planning, development, and management delivery of tourism services in the public and private sectors. SJSU has the only International Tourism graduate level emphasis on the West Coast.
The Therapeutic Recreation emphasis prepares students to work with individuals with disabilities and assists at-risk individuals in preventing disease. The primary purpose of therapeutic recreation is to increase the ability of individuals to experience freedom, have control and develop skills through leisure opportunities. National certification is available. Students graduating in this area may work in clinical settings such as hospitals, or they may find positions in the gerontology field.
The Park Resource Management emphasis prepares students for outdoor recreation positions at levels of local, county, state and national government, as well as commercial and private recreation settings. This emphasis provides instruction in the areas of Natural sciences, government, and park (urban and rural) management. There are urgent career opportunities coming up in this field within the next 18 months to 5 years. The State of California and the National Park Service will be losing 40% of there management staff due to retirements. Subsequent promotions will occur and numerous entry level positions will be opened.
During the final semester, as the culminating experience in Recreation, students are required to participate in a 13-week, 40-hour-per-week internship. The internship provides practical venues in which to apply classroom theory. Students learn firsthand about leadership, networking, managing multiple tasks, coordinating events and are able to see recreation philosophy in action. Contacts made during internships frequently lead to career opportunities. Students intern at such agencies as Paramount's Great America, Knight-Ridder, Stanford Hospital, the City of San José, the Ronald McDonald House and the National Park Service.
print
mail