Recreation Administration

About the Department

Michael Mahoney, Department Chair
Professional and Human Services Building, Room 121
559.278.2838
chhs.fresnostate.edu/recreation/

The department offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation Administration for individuals who are committed to the recreation and leisure services profession. The major in Recreation Administration prepares students with the knowledge, understanding, ability, and skill necessary to successfully function in professional positions related to the major.

Curriculum

Accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism, and Related Professions, the department offers a B.S. and a Minor in Recreation Administration.

Students in the recreation administration major complete a core of courses. These courses are designed to assist students in acquiring competencies related to the principles of recreation, leadership, group dynamics, and leisure behavior. Courses also cover legal and financial aspects of recreation service, advanced program planning, organization and administration of leisure services, evaluation, and professionalism.

Students develop specific skills in the areas of communication, human behavior, youth services, entrepreneurism, and adventure-based recreation and tourism, finance, management, marketing, funding, resources, program planning and supervision, and facility management.

Under the guidance of a practitioner, students in recreation administration are encouraged to acquire 1,000 hours of paid or voluntary hands-on experience in a variety of recreation, clinical, or leisure services agencies. In addition, they complete full-time internships with commercial recreation and tourism enterprises, public recreation agencies, nonprofit organizations, park-oriented agencies, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and other service organizations.

Students may apply for an out-of-state internship if they achieve a major GPA of 3.3 and a cumulative GPA of 3.0. Additional requirements must also be met.

Interesting Classes You Might Take

• Leadership in Recreation, Parks and Tourism
• Lifelong Learning in the Natural Environment
• Leisure and Human Behavior
• Challenge Course Facilitation
• Serving At-Risk Youth
• Special Event Planning
• Diversity and Inclusive Practices in Recreation
• Crowd Safety in Sports and Entertainment
• Sports and Entertainment Facility Booking, Promotion, and Box Office Operations

What You Can Learn

• Fundamental skills and knowledge for traveling outdoors by map and compass, and by knowledge of natural features
• Leisure as related to the individual and society
• A knowledge of the conference, convention, and meeting industry, inclusive of the design, budgeting, and programming principles used within the industry
• The development of budgets and data analysis methods for park, recreation, and tourism agencies through the use of a variety of computer programs

Career Opportunities

Recreation Administration is the academic program for students who want to prepare for a career in the “Recreation and Leisure Industry.” Overall, the Recreation Industry, including tourism, is a huge and diverse industry with over $1 trillion of spending within the U.S. each year.

We manage facilities, programs, and services that help people have a higher quality of life through positive, enjoyable, and enriching recreation and leisure experiences. That’s what recreation and leisure professionals do, and our curriculum helps students learn the necessary skills to facilitate such experiences.

What You Can Earn

• Campus Recreation Director, $63,993 (in our region)*
• Recreation Coordinator, $44,078 (Intramurals - in our region)*
• Golf/Country Club, $73,900
• U.S. Gov. Military Recreation, $69,800
• Resort/Resort Hotel, $66,400
• School District Recreation Program, $66,000
• City Parks & Recreation Department, $63,300
• Private Recreation/Sports Center, $60,000
• Community Recreation/Sports Center, $58,200
• YMCA/YWCA/JCC, $57,300
• College/University Recreation/Intramurals, $57,200
• Sports/Health/Fitness Club, $53,900
• Youth/Private Camp, $53,000
• Campground/RV Park, $52,200

Source: Based on a 2009 national survey of full-time professionals by Recreation Management Magazine; *salary.com as of December 2012

Programs

• Adventure-Based Programming, Certificate of Special Study
• Correctional Recreation, Certificate of Special Study
• Serving At-Risk Youth, Certificate of Special Study
• Special Event Planning, Certificate of Special Study
• Sports and Entertainment Facility Management, Certificate of Special Study

• Recreation Administration - Community Recreation, Youth Development, and Senior Services Emphasis, B.S.
• Recreation Administration - Outdoor Recreation and Natural Resource Management Emphasis, B.S.
• Recreation Administration - Recreation Therapy Emphasis, B.S.
• Recreation Administration - Special Events & Tourism Emphasis, B.S.
• Recreation Administration - Sports & Entertainment Facility Management Emphasis, B.S.

• Hospitality, Minor
• Recreation Administration, Minor
• Special Event Planning, Minor
• Sports and Entertainment Facility Management, Minor
• Tourism, Minor
• Youth Development Programming, Minor