Recreation & Parks Management

Address: 420 HHP Building
Phone: 336.334.3261
Web site: www.uncg.edu/ctr

Majors & Concentrations

• Community Recreation and Special Event Planning (BS) U442
• Therapeutic Recreation (BS) U413

What's unique about Recreation and Parks Management at UNCG?

RPM students study the design, management, implementation, supervision, and expansion of recreation and park services for individuals and groups of all ages and backgrounds.
The program prepares students with a broad range of skills related to working within community recreation, therapeutic recreation, commercial recreation, the arts, sporting events, and outdoor recreation venues, to name a few.

Specialties offered in this growing field include: public recreation, commercial/entrepreneurial recreation, therapeutic recreation, event management, gerontology, youth services, and recreation and park administration.

Message from the Department Head

The NRPA/AALR accredited Department of Recreation, Tourism, and Hospitality Management has a well-deserved reputation for excellence in both teaching and scholarship. Whichever concentration you select, you may expect the very finest in instruction and mentoring from faculty who have won university teaching excellence awards, and gained national and international reputations for their scholarly research publications and active involvement in state and national professional organizations. The RPM Program is a caring “family” of professionals, always ready and willing to go the extra mile to assist students with their studies and career pursuits. The education you receive with us will prepare you for an exciting and rewarding career in recreation and parks management. –Dr. Stuart J. Schleien, Department Head

Special help for students

Faculty and staff are available to help students with their studies and career pursuits. We pride ourselves in the ongoing mentoring and support we provide our undergraduate and graduate students alike.

Careers

Career options in this field include: Aquatics Therapist, Armed Forces Recreation Director, Athletic Director, Camp Director, Campus Recreation Director, Church Recreation Director, Club Manager (Health/Fitness), Community Center Director, Concert Promoter, Convention Planner/Coordinator, Correctional Therapist, Employee Recreation Specialist, Environmental/Cultural Interpreter, Golf/Tennis Pro, Inclusion/Integration Facilitator, Meeting Planner, Municipal Recreation Director, Outdoor Recreator/Educator, Park Ranger, Recreation Facility Manager, Recreation Programmer, Resort Activities Director, Scouting, Therapeutic Recreation Specialist, YMCA/YWCA Instructor.

Here are some examples of jobs held by UNCG graduates:

• Life Enhancement Coordinator at Pennyburn at Maryfield, High Point, NC
• Event Coordinator, The Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC
• Administrative Assistant for Men's Basketball Officiating and Public Relations for the Atlantic Coast Conference, Greensboro, NC
• Program Director, Danville Park and Recreation, Danville, VA
• Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist, UNC Hospitals, Chapel Hill
• Recreation Specialist, County of Sacramento, CA
• Lecturer in the Parks and Recreation Management Program at UNC Wilmington
• Select Population Coordinator for the Homeless, Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation, Charlotte, NC
• Owner, ePlanet Travel, Greensboro, NC
• Executive Director, High Point YWCA

Student success story

"The personal investment that the faculty and staff make in their students creates a caring and supportive environment that is like having a second family/home. Instead of forcing me to structure myself around my education, my education was structured around me, which allowed my passion for my line of study to grow. They not only prepared me for my professional career, but also gave me the skills, knowledge, support, and motivation to make my dreams come true."—Kimberly Miller, B.S. (1998), M.S. (2001)

Accreditation/Recognition

• Accredited by the National Recreation and Park Association/American Association for Leisure and Recreation - Council on Accreditation since 1981.
• Faculty nationally recognized as exemplary teachers and scholars.
• Faculty awards include Teaching Excellence Awards and National Research Awards.

Faculty research expertise

Here is a sampling of faculty research expertise: Area and facility development, family caregivers, financial management, commercial recreation, community inclusion, cultural competence, cultural diversity training, developmental disabilities/mental retardation, financing recreation services and facilities, leisure services management, maintenance and operations, meeting and event planning, perceived stigma, recreational behavior, sustainable tourism development, therapeutic recreation, volunteerism, women with disabilities.

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