Recreational Therapy, BS
Through immersive fieldwork in hospitals, rehabilitation centers and community organizations, you'll gain hands-on experience assessing needs, planning services and measuring outcomes while preparing to pursue national certification as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist.
Quick facts
Locations
Courses
Additional facts
STEM-OPT extension eligible: No
International students (F1), this program is not eligible for the STEM-OPT extension.
Accreditation and professional licensure
Students are academically prepared to pursue national certification as...
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Degree description
Recreational Therapy degree description
In the Bachelor of Science program in recreational therapy, you learn how to use recreation and leisure activities to improve physical, cognitive, emotional and social well-being. You become skilled in assessing needs, planning services, leading activity-based programs and measuring outcomes for individuals with health conditions or disabilities.
Coursework covers program design and evaluation, group facilitation and advocacy for inclusive recreation. Fieldwork experiences enable you to apply classroom learning and develop professional skills in health care, rehabilitation and community settings.
Why study recreational therapy at ASU?
You'll benefit from ASU's location in the Phoenix metropolitan area, which gives you access to a wide range of health care and community organizations for practicums and internships. This therapeutic recreation degree connects you with diverse clinical environments where you can apply your skills and build professional relationships.
You can take advantage of interprofessional education opportunities on the Downtown Phoenix Biomedical Campus, collaborating with peers across health, human service and education disciplines. These experiences prepare you to work effectively on care teams in your future career. You'll learn to design and lead activity-based programs that improve physical, cognitive, emotional and social well-being for people with health conditions or disabilities.
Additional details
You can join the School of Community Resources and Development student clubs to engage with peers and professionals in your field. These connections support your growth as a recreation therapy student and help you stay informed about trends in the profession.
If you're interested in a faster path to leadership, you might consider the Accelerated Bachelor of Science and Master of Science program, which allows you to complete both degrees in as little as five years. You'll work with your academic advisor to determine eligibility and apply during your junior year.
Students pursuing concurrent degrees earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. Working with their academic advisors, students can create their own concurrent degree combination, though some combinations are not possible due to significant overlap in the curriculum.
Courses
Explore a sample list of courses you may take in this program.
| Sample courses |
|---|
| PRM 120 Leisure and the Quality of Life |
| PRM 203 Designing Experiences: Events and Programs |
| PRM 304 Recreation and Sport Planning and Facilities |
| RTH 284 Recreational Therapy Lab |
| RTH 250 Therapeutic Recreation and Community Health |
| RTH 400 Intervention Techniques in Recreational Therapy |
Course checksheet and curriculum archive
The curriculum checksheet displays this program's required courses and other requirements you must complete for graduation.
Current ASU students, see how your courses can apply to another major and find out how to change your major (opens in new window).
Already completed some college courses? Build on your success.
If you earned college credit outside ASU, our transfer tools map out your progress towards a degree and help you plan next steps.
See how your credits may apply (opens in new window)What you'll learn
The following learning outcomes highlight some of the knowledge and skills you'll develop to support your future success.
- Distinguish how elements of a qualified provider of recreational therapy services are formed and applied in practice.
- Illustrate solutions to complex community health issues (e.g., access to healthcare and recreation, health disparity, mental health, obesity, physical activity, substance abuse), using the APIE process (assess, plan, implement, evaluate).
- Employ effective communication skills including adapting use of messaging when communicating with diverse audiences
Distinguish how elements of a qualified provider of recreational therapy services are formed and applied in practice. Admission requirements
Here are the admission and application details
All students are required to meet general university admission requirements.
First year (opens in new window) | Transfer (opens in new window) | International (opens in new window) | Readmission (opens in new window)
A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 is required to change majors to this program.
Students should visit the Change of Major form (opens in new window) for information about how to change a major to this program.
Explore expanded study opportunities
This program allows you to obtain both a bachelor's and a master's degree in as little as five years. As a high-achieving student, accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree programs are designed for you to share undergraduate coursework with graduate coursework to accelerate completion of your master's degree. These programs feature the same high-quality curriculum taught by ASU's world-renowned faculty.
This program is offered as an accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree with:
Approval to pursue the accelerated master's is typically granted during the junior year of your bachelor's degree program. If you are interested, you can learn more about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
When you pursue concurrent degrees (also known as a “double major”), you earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. Working with your academic advisor, you can create your own concurrent degree combination. Some combinations are not possible due to high levels of overlap in curriculum.
With more than 300 Global Education program opportunities available to them, recreational 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.
Paying for college
Use our calculator to estimate your full-time or part-time tuition fees for this program prior to any financial aid. Keep in mind that most of our students receive financial aid, which can reduce out-of-pocket costs.
Get an estimate
Build the career and future you want
Our graduates are prepared for a variety of career paths, including:
| Career | Growth | Median Salary | More Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adapted Physical Education Teacher | 1.9% | $76,580 | Learn more |
| Addictions Counselor | 18.4% | $59,350 | Learn more |
| Advocate | 7.4% | $45,930 | Learn more |
| Art Therapist | 12.6% | $77,930 | Learn more |
| Certified Recreational Therapist | 4.8% | $61,960 | Learn more |
| Community Health Worker | 12.7% | $51,850 | Learn more |
| Corporate Trainer | 10.8% | $69,280 | Learn more |
| Medical and Health Services Manager | 24.2% | $123,860 | Learn more |
| Rehabilitation Counselor | 2.2% | $46,850 | Learn more |
| Social Services Director | 7.2% | $80,390 | Learn more |
Example job titles and salaries listed 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.
Data obtained from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) under sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA).
More about careers
Careers this recreational therapy degree prepares you for
Graduates are prepared for rewarding careers helping people live fuller, healthier lives. They may work in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, schools, veteran services, behavioral and mental health programs, senior centers or community and adaptive sports organizations.
Graduates apply their skills to promote inclusion, support rehabilitation and enhance quality of life for individuals and communities through recreation.
Contact information
Use the contact information below to get in touch if you're a current student or have general questions.
Prospective students should fill out the Request for Information form.
School of Community Resources and Development
|
UCENT 164
scrdadvising@asu.edu
602-496-1658
Frequently asked questions about degree programs
Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.
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. 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.
Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.
Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.
ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the "New Programs" option.
ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.
