Recreational Therapy and Rehabilitation
Major
Program Overview
You won't do much sitting in a classroom for this program. You will learn first-hand how to use recreation as a form of therapy in working with clients that have disabilities. To do this you will engage in classroom activities such as wheelchair basketball, riding our adaptive bikes, taking part in stress management techniques, using virtual reality, and learning about journaling as a therapeutic technique and much more! Our program is designed to provide you with the knowledge, skills, and practical experience necessary to become a nationally certified therapeutic recreation specialist (CTRS).
Program Snapshot
Why This Program & What You'll Learn
You'll learn how to provide functional treatment interventions and adapted recreational activities for clients with intellectual disabilities, psychiatric conditions, physical disabilities, and chemical dependency issues. Your clients will range from pediatric patients to older adults with disabilities.
A culminating clinical internship will complete your training and prepare you to work as a professional recreational therapist. Upon graduation, you can expect to work as a recreational therapist in hospital settings, physical rehabilitation units, mental health facilities, pediatric medical camps, long-term care facilities, medical camps, and community inclusion programs. Many students also go on to further their education in occupational therapy graduate school.
Program Highlights
- Receive your degree from one of the most successful programs in the U.S., with our program ranking as the top five programs in the nation for the number of certified therapeutic recreation specialists.
- Become a recreational therapist then directly upon graduation pursue a graduate degree in occupational therapy or other allied health graduate programs
- Graduates of this program pass the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) exam at a 94.9% rate - above the national passing rate.
- Take part in a unique faculty-led study abroad program to Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia.
- Finish up your academic career with a 15 or 30-week clinical internship
Careers & Outcomes
Our therapeutic recreation graduates work for many types of organizations across the country including hospitals, rehabilitation centers, psychiatric agencies or long-term care facilities, and many more. The recreational therapy field is expected to grow much faster than the average (8% growth) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Career | Projected Salary |
|---|---|
| Healthcare Therapist | $44,226 |
| Recreational Therapist | $56,310 |
| Occupational Therapist | $85,570 |
| Social and Human Services Manager | $74,000 |
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