What Can Students Do with a Major? Undergraduate Application for Admission More about the M.A. in Therapeutic Recreation Therapeutic Recreation Intern Website
|
What Can Students Do with A Major in Leisure Studies?A bachelor's degree in Leisure Studies with specialization in therapeutic recreation qualifies the student to sit for the National Therapeutic Recreation Certification examination. Recreational therapists work in both clinical and community-based settings with a wide variety of populations. The most frequent groups that therapeutic recreation professionals work with are: persons with mental illness, spinal cord and brain injuries, frail older adults, substance abuse and youth at risk, and persons with developmental disabilities. Clinical settings tend to focus on rehabilitation, where the therapist works with a team of allied health professionals, or long-term care, where the therapist provides services that enhance quality of life of residents in nursing homes, assisted living centers, or respite care agencies. Community-based therapeutic recreation is the fastest growing area of practice and the most varied. Community-based recreational therapists may be affiliated with community recreation departments, school systems, semi-independent living situations, special park districts, and community mental health agencies. The goals of therapeutic recreation in community-based settings tend toward enhancing quality of life, health promotion, and integration and inclusion of persons with disabilities in regular recreation programs.
Back row: Bob Riley, Executive Director of NCTRC; Annie Obrecht, Goff Scholarship award winner; Rachel DeKeyser, Goff Scholarship award winner; Rich MacNeil, Leisure Sudies faculty member; Lisa Ostiguy, Guest Lecturer and Professor at Concordia University in Montreal Front row: Ken Mobily, Academic Coordinator of Leisure Studies Program; Emily Featheringill, Goff Scholarship award winner |
© 2008 The University of Iowa 
