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Recreation

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Accredited by the National Recreation and Parks Association.

(Note: Students graduating from this program are immediately eligible to sit for the examination to become a Certified Leisure Professional and thereby acquire this valuable credential for professional advancement.)

Faculty

Emeritus: Geba, Hanson, Hutchinson, Peterson, Rankin

Chair: Dixon

Professors: Dixon, Duncan, Gattas, Lamke

Associate Professor: Beck, L.

Lecturer: Beck, A.

Offered by the Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism

Major in recreation administration with the B.S. degree in applied arts and sciences.

Emphasis in outdoor recreation.

Emphasis in recreation systems management.

Emphasis in recreation therapy.

Minor in recreation.

The Major

A commitment to working with people to enhance the quality of their lives is important to a study of recreation.

Increasingly diverse opportunities are available in the park, recreation and tourism profession. The major offers a sufficiently wide range of courses for students who may wish to enter diverse recreation, park, or human services fields.

Students in this major elect one of three areas of emphasis. The outdoor recreation emphasis stresses conservation, natural science, ecology, and recreation/park administration. Society's efforts to sustain a balance between the environment and recreational use are studied.

Recreation systems management stresses the effective organization, administration and supervision of recreation, park, and tourism agencies, both public and private.

Recreation therapy prepares students to work in clinical and community settings with the disabled. It stresses elements of both psychology and social science, as well as recreation leadership skills. Students learn about assessment, intervention, and evaluation for planning recreation programs.

Outdoor recreation graduates serve as naturalists, outdoor education specialists, outdoor recreation planners, park interpreters, and park rangers.

Recreation systems management graduates find employment as administrators and supervisors with public, private or commercial park and recreation agencies. They assume professional positions with youth and family serving agencies, private clubs and condominium associations, a variety of leisure related businesses including tourism agencies, and municipal, county, and state organizations.

Recreation therapy graduates may become therapeutic recreation specialists, registered and certified by state and national certification plans. They are employed typically by hospitals, convalescent and rehabilitation centers, and retirement communities.

Recreation Administration Major

With the B.S. Degree in Applied Arts and Sciences
(Major Code: 21031)

All candidates for a degree in applied arts and sciences must complete the graduation requirements listed in the section of this catalog on "Graduation Requirements."

The major in recreation administration may be planned with an emphasis in one of the following three areas: (1) Outdoor Recreation, (2) Recreation Systems Management, or (3) Recreation Therapy.

A minor is not required with this major.

Preparation for the Major. Recreation 101, 107, 284; Biology 100, 100L; Geography 101; Geological Sciences 100, 101; Psychology 101; Sociology 101. (27 units)

Upper Division Writing Requirement. Passing the University Writing Examination or Recreation 396W with a grade of C (2.0) or better.

Major. A minimum of 54 upper division units to include Recreation 304, 305, 351, 464, 485, 487, 498 (12 units), 560, 565, 575; Geography 370, 575; and nine units selected from Biology 327, 359; Geography 572; Geological Sciences 301; History 441; Political Science 334; Psychology 340; Recreation 450, 496.

Preparation for the Major. Recreation 101, 107, 284; Information and Decision Systems 180; Psychology 101; Sociology 101; and six units selected from Accountancy 201; Economics 101; Finance 140; Information and Decision Systems 290. (25 units)

Upper Division Writing Requirement. Passing the University Writing Examination or Recreation 396W with a grade of C (2.0) or better.

Major. A minimum of 51 upper division units to include Recreation 304, 305, 351, 464, 498 (12 units), 560, 565, 575; nine units selected from Recreation 340, 450, 460, 470, 475, 485, 580; and nine units selected from Counseling and School Psychology 400; Marketing 370, 371, 373; Psychology 321, 340, 347; Public Administration 301, 340, 350, 460; Sociology 355, 444, 557.

Preparation for the Major. Recreation 101, 107, 284; Biology 212; Information and Decision Systems 290; Psychology 101; Social Work 110; Sociology 101. (26 units)

Upper Division Writing Requirement. Passing the University Writing Examination or Recreation 396W with a grade of C (2.0) or better.

Major. A minimum of 54 upper division units to include Recreation 304, 305, 351, 361, 371, 464, 498 (12 unit section), 560, 565, 575; Biology 336; Psychology 350; and nine units selected from Child and Family Development 381; Counseling and School Psychology 400; Psychology 333, 351, 452; Sociology 436, 441, 443, 444, 528, 543. Note: To satisfy professional certification programs, completion of nine units should include one upper division course specifically oriented to "human growth and development" and one upper division course in a "helping area" outside of psychology, e.g. counseling, sociology, special education, or human services.

Recreation Minor

The minor in recreation consists of a minimum of 22 units to include Recreation 101, 107, 304, 305, and nine additional upper division units selected from Recreation 340, 351, 361, 371, 464, 475, 485, 496, 575, 580. Prerequisite to the minor includes Biology 100.

Courses in the minor may not be counted toward the major, but may be used to satisfy preparation for the major and general education requirements, if applicable. A minimum of six upper division units must be completed in residence at San Diego State University.

Courses

Theories, principles and techniques of group leadership, group dynamics, communication, problem solving, creativity, program planning, and publicity as they relate to selected recreation systems.

Observation and participation in community recreation leadership. Practical experience in a variety of recreational settings. Eight hours per week at an agency.

Study of leisure and its impact on contemporary life; issues affecting recreation in today's urbanized society. (Formerly numbered Recreation 204.)

Use and abuse of natural resources for recreational purposes. Effects of increased leisure on wilderness areas. Field experiences required. (Formerly numbered Recreation 205.)

Organization of competition, community sports programs, administration of intramural athletics, and techniques of officiating.

Theoretical principles of therapy and prevention. Survey of medical and psychiatric pathology and terminology.

Analysis of present-day policies, programs, implementation and future aspects of professional principles of recreation therapy.

Theory and practice of writing in the field of recreation and parks with application to various settings.

Management of resident, day and travel camps and swimming pools, beaches, lakes and marinas; legal requirements, health and safety standards, finances, programming, maintenance, and planning.

Industrial, corporate, and military recreation services with emphasis on organizational patterns including underlying and theoretical concepts, finances, types of programs, specialized administrative skills, and current trends and issues.

Interagency relations, personnel policies and procedures, volunteer coordination, supervisory techniques, community organization, public relations in public, private and commercial settings.

Tourism management, economics, marketing and development. Recognizing indicators of tourism's recreational, social and cultural impact. Organization of tourism industry and its components.

Prerequisite: Recreation 284.

Supervised leadership experience in public and private recreation agencies. Maximum credit six units.

Philosophy, theory, methods, and scope of outdoor education and environmental interpretation.

496. Experimental Topics (1-4)
Selected topics. May be repeated with new content. See Class Schedule for specific content. Limit of nine units of any combination of 296, 496, 596 courses applicable to a bachelor's degree.

498. Internship in Recreation Systems (6 or 12) Cr/NC I, II, S
Twenty off-campus hours required per week for 6-unit program, or 40 off-campus hours required per week for 12-unit programs.

Prerequisites: Consent of instructor or department chair, completion of all required lower division recreation courses, and completion of both Standard or Multimedia First Aid certificate and CPR certificate by end of semester.

Students will be assigned to various governmental, commercial, private or medical agencies conducting recreation programs. Variety of experiences in supervision and administration. Maximum credit 12 units.

499. Speical Studies (1-3) I, II
Prerequisite: Consent of special study advisor.

Individual study. Maximum credit six units.

560. Legal and Fiscal Aspects of Park and Recreation Management (3)
Prerequisite: Recreation 464

Legal obligations and basic principles of fiscal management pertinent to delivery of leisure services. Budgeting, record keeping, liability, open space acquisition and preservation, constitutional guarantees, administrative regulations, contracts, criminal law, and legal research.

565. Recreation Systems Administration and Research (3)
Prerequsite: Recreation 464.

Organizational behavior, planning, policy development, and future trends of recreation systems. Methods of investigation, data analysis, and reporting in relation to research needs in recreation, parks, and tourism. Not open to students with credit in Recreation 570.

575. Designing Recreation and Park Areas and Facilities (3) I, II
Prerequisite: Recreation 101.

Design principles and concepts applied to planning and development of park and recreation areas and facilities.

580. Leisure and the Aging Process (3) II
Concepts of the relationship between leisure and gerontology are examined. Influence of leisure and recreation on work and life satisfaction of older adults.

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