Recreation Therapy ,BS
ASU Health - Clinical, Adaptive Recreation, Community Services, Disability, Health, Healthcare, Therapeutic Recreation, Therapist, Wellness, aging, youth
Become a recreational therapist and make a difference in the lives of individuals who live with illness and disabling conditions. Use activity-based therapeutic interventions, empower people to live a healthy leisure lifestyle and enjoy a rewarding career through your work with recreational therapy programs in the community.
The Bachelor of Science program in recreational therapy prepares students to apply for the national professional certification through the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification: https://nctrc.org/about-certification/ctrs-the-qualified-provider.
The program prepares competent, entry-level recreational therapists with the requisite knowledge, skills and abilities needed to improve functional outcomes and increase participation in life activities for individuals experiencing health conditions. It is designed for students who want to learn to conduct assessments, develop service plans, implement therapeutic interventions, and evaluate and document outcomes of care. They gain skills to effectively provide comprehensive therapeutic recreation services that include program design and evaluation, individual and group service provision, and advocacy. The required fieldwork component of the program facilitates the development of competencies to provide quality recreational therapy services.
Students who choose this degree program are committed to improving people's lives and contributing to their communities. This degree program is one of two such programs in Arizona, both offered by the School of Community Resources and Development. This program has a heavier emphasis on health care settings such as hospitals and human service agencies, while the BS in parks and recreation with a concentration in therapeutic recreation prepares students to provide recreational therapy services in community settings such as youth programs, adaptive sports, or parks and recreation.
- College/school:
Watts College of Public Service & Community Solut
- Location:
Downtown Phoenix
- Second language requirement: No
- STEM-OPT extension eligible: No
- First required math course: MAT 142 - College Mathematics
- Math
intensity: General
Acceptance to the graduate program requires a separate application. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master’s during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
General university admission requirements:
All students are required to meet general
university admission requirements.
First-year
| Transfer
| International
| Readmission
A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 is required to change into this program.
Students should visit the Change of Major form for information about how to change a major to this program.
ASU is committed to helping students thrive by offering tools that allow personalization of the transfer path to ASU. Students may use MyPath2ASU® to outline a list of recommended courses to take prior to transfer.
ASU has transfer partnerships in Arizona and across the country to create a simplified transfer experience for students. These pathway programs include exclusive benefits, tools and resources, and they help students save time and money in their college journey.
Program learning outcomes identify what a student will learn or be able to do upon completion of their program. This program has the following program outcomes:
- Illustrate collaborative solutions to complex community health issues (e.g., access to healthcare and recreation, health disparity, mental health, obesity, physical activity, substance abuse).
- Employ effective communication skills including adapting use of nonverbal messaging when communicating with diverse audiences
- Demonstrate elements of a qualified provider facilitating recreational therapy services.
With more than 300 Global Education program opportunities available, recreation therapy students are able to tailor their experience to their individual interests and skill sets. Whether in a foreign country, in the U.S. or online, students build communication skills, learn to adapt and persevere, and are exposed to research and internships around the world, increasing their professional network.
Recreational therapy is a rapidly growing field, given the rising number of returning veterans and an aging population. Graduates are prepared for work in a wide variety of clinical settings, including hospitals, rehabilitation centers and extended care facilities. Graduates also are qualified to work in community settings such as parks and recreation departments.
Example job titles and salaries listed below are not necessarily entry level, and students should take into consideration how years of experience and geographical location may affect pay scales. Some jobs also may require advanced degrees, certifications or state-specific licensure.
| Career | *Growth | *Median salary |
|---|---|---|
|
2.9%
|
$63,950
|
|
|
12.2%
|
$60,800
|
|
|
3.6%
|
$51,330
|
|
|
9.2%
|
$44,890
|
|
|
14.1%
|
$46,190
|
|
|
28.4%
|
$104,830
|
|
|
1.9%
|
$39,990
|
|
|
9.1%
|
$74,240
|
ASU programs that may lead to professional licensure or certification are intended to prepare students for potential licensure or certification in Arizona. Completion of an ASU program may not meet educational requirements for licensure or certification in another state. For more information, students should visit the ASU professional licensure webpage.
School of Community Resources and Development
|
UCENT 550
scrdadvising@asu.edu
602-496-0550
3 year programs
These programs allow students to fast-track their studies after admission and earn a bachelor's degree in three years or fewer while participating in the same high-quality educational experience of a 4-year option. Students should talk to their academic advisor to get started.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Acceptance to the graduate program requires a separate application. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master’s during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
