Program Description
The Therapeutic Recreation (TR) program provides curricular and co-curricular experiences for students to become leaders in therapeutic recreation and related professions. Graduates meet requirements to apply for certification by the National Council for Therapeutic Certification and licensure by the state of North Carolina. The program is shaped by these value statements: Healthy recreation and leisure involvement is fundamental for life satisfaction; therapeutic recreation uses recreation and leisure experiences to help people with disabilities and other limiting conditions to recover, develop, maintain, and improve their quality of life; effective therapeutic recreation practitioners are grounded in theoretical concepts and employ evidence-based intervention in all practice settings; the use of high impact practices increase the effectiveness of learning experiences; diversity and inclusion are critical components for the effect delivery of services; and community engagement contributes to healthy lifestyles for all.
Certification
Students who graduate with a major in therapeutic recreation meet requirements to apply for certification through the National Council for Therapeutic Certification. Information about the requirements can be found by visiting the website, by phone at 845-639-1439 or email nctrc@NCTRC.org
TR Program Student Learning Outcomes
Graduates of this program will be able to:
1. summarize relevant concepts and theories. [history, philosophy, play, recreation, leisure]
2. relate behavioral knowledge to human function. [culture, diagnoses, etc.]
3. illustrate best practices for human service providers. [professionalism, models of service delivery, role and function of human service provider, legal/regulations, SOP, professional involvement]
4. authentically assess individuals and communities.
5. design various plans for effective service provision.
6. implement person-centered programs and services.
7. explain concepts and procedures related to management.
8. demonstrate the ability to think critically and to solve problem. [evaluation, research]
9. demonstrate the ability to communication effectively. [oral, written]
10. apply knowledge, skills, and abilities in structured authentic situations.
Major Requirements
Students generally complete TRC 2305, TRC 2307, PSY 3306, PSY 3336 (pre-requisite PSY 2301 for both), and BIO 2311/2111 (pre-requisite BIO 2301) as part of their general education requirements. Students then complete Recreation and Therapeutic Recreation core courses in a sequenced manner following a TR faculty advisor’s recommendations. All courses required for the TR Degree must be completed with a grade of C- or higher. Students complete a full time, semester long internship after successfully finishing all course and non-course requirements for the degree.
OT Option Requirements
The OT (Occupational Therapy) Option is a specialized advising paradigm to prepare therapeutic recreation students for application to graduate programs in OT. Students must have a GPA of 2.8 to qualify for the OT Option. In addition to other required TR degree courses, students complete TRC 3320 along with other specific courses. Students in the OT Option are advised by TR advisors.
Therapeutic Recreation Major Degree Plan
|
General Education Courses required for TR Major
|
cred hrs
|
|
TRC 2305 Living Well! Benefits of Leisure for People with Disabilities
|
3
|
|
TRC 2307 “Play it Like You Mean It!”: Analysis and Application of Recreational Activities
|
3
|
|
BIO 2311 Anatomy & Physiology
|
3
|
|
BIO 2111 A & P Lab
|
1
|
|
Approved elective*
|
3
|
|
Approved elective*
|
3
|
|
Approved elective*
|
3
|
*must be from approved list and specified on degree plan; may fulfill gen ed requirement
|
Major Core Requirements
|
cred hrs
|
|
PSY 3306 Abnormal Psychology
|
3
|
|
PSY 3336 Developmental Psychology
|
3
|
|
Recreation
|
|
|
TRC 2301 Outdoor Recreation
|
3
|
|
TRC 2311 Intro to Community Recreation
|
3
|
|
TRC 3318 Leadership and Supervision in Rec
|
3
|
|
TRC 3323 Program Planning in Recreation
|
3
|
|
TRC 4300 Research Methods and Evaluation
|
3
|
|
TRC 4306 Organization and Management
|
3
|
|
TRC 4310 Leisure Education
|
3
|
|
Therapeutic Recreation
|
|
|
TRC 2312 Foundations of TR
|
3
|
|
TRC 3340 Assessment and Documentation in TR
|
3
|
|
TRC 3342 Procedures in TR
|
3
|
|
TRC 3352 Principles in TR
|
3
|
|
TRC 4301 Professional Preparation II
|
3
|
|
TRC 4303 Advanced TR
|
3
|
|
TRC 0122 Internship in TR
|
12
|
Non-Course Requirements:
Swimming competency
CPR, First Aid, and Bloodborne Pathogens certifications current through end of Internship
Minor in Recreation
A minor in recreation is a useful tool for students with a major in any human service field, leisure services business area, or an interest in learning about the role of recreation and leisure in society and lifestyle. A minimum of 18 hours is required for the minor in recreation. To satisfy requirements for the minor students must complete the courses listed below. TR Program faculty advise students for the minor in recreation.
Required Courses (to be taken prior to the electives):
TRC 2311 Introduction to Community Recreation
TRC 2307 “Play It Like You Mean It!”: Analysis and Application of Recreation Activities
TRC 3318 Leadership & Supervision in Recreation
A minimum of nine (9) hours of electives must be completed from the following list:
TRC 2301 Outdoor Recreation: Foundation & Experiences
TRC 2305 Living Well! Benefits of Leisure for People with Disabilities
TRC 2312 Foundations of Therapeutic Recreation
TRC 3301 Leisure & Aging
TRC 3323 Program Planning in Recreation (pre-requisite is TRC 2311)
TRC 3350 Youth and Adolescent Adventure Program Development
TRC 2313 Environmental Issues, Education, and Ethics
PED (various physical education activity courses to learn new activity skills)
Return to: