Advance your career and improve quality of life for people of varying ages and abilities by learning how to plan, administer and evaluate recreation and outdoor education programs and services. The recreation administration master’s degree program will provide you with a solid foundation in leisure theory, research and data analysis, and administration. You’ll be able to explore areas that interest you, such as camp administration, outdoor recreation, natural resources management, parks and protected areas, outdoor education, adventure programming, nonprofit administration, commercial recreation, youth or senior services, sports and fitness management, community recreation and more. Our M.S. degree will prepare you for leadership and administration positions in this growing field.
At UNH, you’ll find an atmosphere of collegiality and collaboration. You’ll also find exceptional opportunities for coursework, fieldwork and research through our Applied Recreation Research Collaborative (ARRC), which provides public, private and nonprofit recreation resource managers and practitioners with data-driven solutions to inform decision making and policy. You will also benefit from our partnerships with UNH Campus Recreation, the Browne Center and Northeast Passage.
Phone: (603) 862-2391
The Recreation Administration option prepares professionals with advanced knowledge and skills to plan, administer, and evaluate recreation and outdoor education programs and services across a variety of sectors, including: sports and fitness, community recreation, campus recreation, nonprofit administration, commercial recreation and events, tourism, camps, outdoor education, adventure programming, outdoor recreation, parks and protected areas, conservation, natural resources, and senior or youth-serving agencies. Postgraduate employment opportunities include working as guides, leaders, directors, planners, and managers of agencies and programs that provide healthy recreation and outdoor activities for people across the lifespan.
Specializations are available in campus recreation, outdoor education, and leadership through our partnerships with UNH Campus Recreation (http://campusrec.unh.edu/) and The Browne Center (https://brownecenter.com/). A specialization is available in adaptive sports through our partnership with Northeast Passage (www.nepassage.org).
Applied research opportunities are available through our Applied Recreation Research Collaborative (ARRC Lab), which provides public, private, and non-profit recreation resource managers and practitioners with data-driven solutions to inform decision-making and policy.
The 30 credit Recreation Administration option consists of required and elective coursework. In consultation with a faculty adviser, students will select either a thesis or non-thesis track. Full-time students typically take two years to progress through the RA option degree requirements. If a student takes leveling courses, they may need to complete more than two years. Part-time students typically complete the program in three years.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core Competencies | ||
| RMP 800 | Concepts of Recreation and Leisure | 3 |
| RMP 806 | Recreation Administration and Organizational Behavior | 3 |
| Required Research Competencies | ||
| RMP 992 | Research Methods in Recreation Management and Policy | 3 |
| SW 962 | Data Analysis and Statistics | 3 |
| or EDUC 881 | Introduction to Statistics: Inquiry, Analysis, and Decision Making | |
| Capstone Course (choose 1 track) | 6 | |
| Thesis Track: | ||
RMP 899 | Master's Thesis (Sections I & II - 6 cr total) | |
| Non-Thesis Track: | ||
RMP 980 | Independent Study (counts as elective course for non-thesis track; can take twice) | |
RMP 995 | Colloquium Seminar | |
| Elective Courses in RMP Dept (Thesis track takes 4 electives; Non-thesis track takes 5 electives. Both tracks may also take electives outside Dept) | 12 | |
RMP 811 | Recreation Resource Management | |
RMP 820 | Adaptive Sports and Recreation Facilitation | |
RMP 872 | Law and Public Policy in Leisure Services | |
RMP 875 | Entrepreneurial and Commercial Recreation | |
RMP 912 | Non-Profit Administration and Leadership | |
RMP 924 | Fund Development and Grantwriting | |
RMP 964 | Graduate Internship | |
RMP 970 | Teaching Practicum | |
RMP 980 | Independent Study | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Elective Options Outside of RMP Department (not all-inclusive list): | ||
ADMN #832 | Exploration in Entrepreneurial Management | |
ADMN 852 | Marketing Research | |
ADMN 952 | Organizations, Leadership, and Environments | |
ADMN 953 | The Social Power of Leadership in the 21 Century | |
ADMN #956 | Managerial Decision Making | |
ADMN 960 | Marketing/Building Customer Value | |
ADMN 970 | Economics of Competition | |
ADMN 982 | Creating Winning Strategies | |
HMP 812 | Health Analytics | |
KIN 802 | Health Content and Youth Risk Behaviors | |
KIN 840 | Athletic Administration | |
KIN 841 | Social Issues in Contemporary Sports | |
KIN 865 | Advanced Topics in Coaching | |
KIN 880 | Psychological Factors in Sport | |
KIN 881 | Inclusion in Physical Education | |
KIN 882 | Therapeutic Applications of Adventure Programming | |
KIN 883 | Psych Factors of Adventure Ed | |
KIN 884 | Historical Foundations of Outdoor Experiential Education | |
KIN 885 | Program Models and Evaluation in Outdoor Education | |
PHP 902 | Environmental Health | |
PHP 904 | Social and Behavioral Health | |
PHP 922 | Public Health Economics | |
PHP 924 | Policy and Practice of Community Health Assessment | |
PHP #940 | Health and the Built Environment | |
RAM 867 | Social Impact Assessment | |
SOC #880 | Social Conflict | |
SW 814 | Introduction to Addiction: Assessment and Intervention | |
SW 840 | Implications of Race, Culture, and Oppression for Social Work Practice | |
Applications must be completed by the following deadlines in order to be reviewed for admission:
Application fee: $65
Campus: Durham
New England Regional: ME MA RI
Accelerated Masters: Yes (for more details see the accelerated masters information page)
Students claiming in-state residency must also submit a Proof of Residence Form. This form is not required to complete your application, but you will need to submit it after you are offered admission or you will not be able to register for classes.
If you attended UNH after September 1, 1991, and have indicated so on your online application, we will retrieve your transcript internally; this includes UNH-Durham, UNH-Manchester and UNH Non-Degree work.
If you did not attend UNH, or attended prior to September 1, 1991, then you must request one official transcript be sent directly to our office from the Registrar's Office of each college/university attended. International transcripts must be translated into English. We accept transcripts both electronically and in hard copy:
Transcripts are required for any school you earned a degree from, attended for at least one year, or attended for 2 or more semesters. Exceptions to this rule may be approved at the discretion of the program you are applying to and the UNH Graduate School Admission’s office.
Recommendation letters submitted by relatives or friends, as well as letters older than one year, will not be accepted.
Prepare a careful statement regarding:
Statements must be included with your submitted application.
A current resume is required with your submitted application.
All applicants are encouraged to contact programs directly to discuss program specific application questions.
Some academic departments recommend that international applicants, living outside of the United States, and planning on pursuing a research based degree, submit a preapplication form before submitting a full application. If your desired program is not on the form, departments prefer a full application be submitted. Preapplication requests will be carefully reviewed and a decision usually provided within 3 weeks. If your preapplication is approved then it is recommended you then submit a full application. If you are currently living in the United States (on a H1B visa, etc.), or you plan on pursuing a professional master’s degree, then you do not need to submit a preapplication.
Prospective international students are required to submit TOEFL, IELTS, or equivalent examination scores. English Language Exams may be waived if English is your first language. If you wish to request a waiver, then please visit our Test Scores webpage for more information.
