About

Have you ever thought about making a living through which you can play to work? Do you want to make a difference in the lives of others using fun and recreation as a medium for personal growth?

ECU's BS in recreation and park management will provide you classroom, service-learning, and internship experiences where you will work with people in a wide range of settings. You'll learn how to plan and conduct programs, engage in marketing, supervise others, design recreation facilities, host special events, and engage in many other experiences putting recreation to work for others. Our field changes lives: We help make people happier, more fulfilled, and closer to friends and family. We also aim for a sustainable environment in all that we do.

The breadth of the field allows you to put your skills to work in a wide range of settings such as military recreation in the United States and abroad; tourism including cruise ships, major hotel lines, and tour companies; city parks and recreation departments running parks, sports, arts and crafts, theater, trips, and other programs; state parks; youth sports; festivals and special events; outdoor leadership; campus recreation; nonprofit agencies such as the YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, and 4-H; organized camping; church recreation programs; and employee recreation services.

ECU Advantage

The recreation and park management degree at ECU is an excellent choice for those interested in being active, people-oriented, and flexible in schedule. Our program is one of only 84 parks and recreation degree programs in the United States that is nationally accredited.

The recreation and park management faculty are a student-oriented, professionally involved, and award-winning group of professionals who share a common goal to provide students with the very best educational experience possible to ready them for the workforce of tomorrow. You will find these faculty members highly committed to your success, the craft of teaching, and remaining on the cutting edge of the profession. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has identified the professions in parks, recreation, and leisure services as one of the fasted growing fields in the U.S.

What You Will Study

Program Coordinator: Kindal Shores (2401 Carol Belk Building; 252-328-5649; shoresk@ecu.edu)

The Recreation and Park Management, BS is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism, and Related Professions (COAPRT). Students who want to declare a major in recreation and park management at the time of entrance into the degree need to have completed 30 s.h. of coursework at ECU or in transfer credits; possess a minimum overall GPA of 2.0; and have met with an advisor in the Health and Human Performance Advising Center. Following admission, the student is required to schedule a meeting with his or her recreation and park management faculty advisor.

Students majoring in recreation and park management must maintain a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA and a minimum cumulative 2.0 overall GPA in all core and restricted elective courses to remain in good standing. Majors must earn a minimum grade of C- in all required core RCSC prefix courses. If a course without the RCSC prefix is approved as a substitution for a required core RCSC prefix course, a minimum grade of C- must be earned. Students dropping below the required 2.0 GPA will not be allowed to enroll in any additional RCSC prefix courses until the GPA meets the 2.0 requirement. If a student receives a grade lower than a C- in a required core course, the student may retake that course without meeting the 2.0 GPA requirements.

Students graduating from the recreation and park management program are eligible to sit for the national examination to become a certified park and recreation professional (CPRP), and thereby acquire this valuable credential for professional advancement.

The degree requires a minimum of 120 s.h. as follows:

1. General education requirements - 40 s.h.

(For information about courses that carry general education credit view the General Education Program section.)

    2. Core - 42 s.h.
    • RCSC 2601 - Leisure in Society

    • RCSC 2710 - Introduction to Commercial Recreation and Community Development OR
    • RCSC 2711 - Foundations in Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Management

    • RCSC 2901 - Professional Seminar in Recreation, Park and Tourism Management I
    • RCSC 3003 - Recreation and Event Programming
    • RCSC 3131 - Recreation for Diverse Populations
    • RCSC 3900 - Advocacy and Practice in Recreation and Park Management
    • RCSC 3901 - Professional Seminar in Recreation, Park and Tourism Management II
    • RCSC 4000 - Research Methods and Techniques
    • RCSC 4002 - Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration
    • RCSC 4080 - Recreation Facilities Management

    • RCSC 4111 - Recreation and Park Planning OR
    • RCSC 4121 - Tourism Planning and Entrepreneurship

    • RCSC 4901 - Recreation and Park Management Internship Pre-Placement Seminar
    • RCSC 4990 - Recreation and Park Management Internship
    3. Restricted electives - 27 s.h.

    (Choose from the following courses in consultation with your advisor.)

    • RCSC 2400 - Adventure-Based Program Leadership
    • RCSC 2600 - Outdoor Recreation Activities
    • RCSC 2710 - Introduction to Commercial Recreation and Community Development
    • RCSC 2711 - Foundations in Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Management
    • RCSC 3104 - Public and Non-Profit Recreation
    • RCSC 3120 - Commercial Recreation and Tourism
    • RCSC 3300 - Outdoor Recreation Programming
    • RCSC 3301 - Interpretation of Cultural and Natural Resources in Recreation Settings
    • RCSC 3500 - Recreation Leadership and Group Process
    • RCSC 4090 - Aquatic Facilities Management
    • RCSC 4111 - Recreation and Park Planning
    • RCSC 4120 - Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Marketing
    • RCSC 4121 - Tourism Planning and Entrepreneurship
    • RCSC 4122 - Case Studies in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Management
    • RCSC 4123 - Study Abroad in International Sustainability
    • RCSC 4124 - Study Abroad in Sustainable Tourism
    • RCSC 4130 - Recreational Sport Programming
    • RCSC 4170 - Youth Development Organizations and Services
    • RCSC 4800 - Great Smoky Mountains Outdoor Field Experience
    • Courses from an approved minor
    • Other courses as approved by the RPM degree director
    • Courses from an approved minor
      • Note:
      • May not count  as a restricted elective if selected as a core course in Section 2: Core.
      • May not count  as a restricted elective if selected as a core course in Section 2: Core.
      • May not count  as a restricted elective if selected as a core course in Section 2: Core.
      • May not count  as a restricted elective is selected as a core course in Section 2: Core.
      4. Electives to complete requirements for graduation.
        For more information about this degree visit the university's academic catalogs.
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