Program Description

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.

Requirements for the Program

Degree Requirements

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.

Course List
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

Course List
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

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will know the roles and interrelationships of diverse leisure service delivery systems, as well as professionalism in the discipline.
Students will know and apply the psychological, sociological, and social psychological theories and philosophies associated with leisure and recreation behavior.
Students will develop the ability to translate and apply relevant theory to park and recreation programs and services.
Students will know the historical and cultural perspectives associated with the park and recreation field, and will apply issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion to park and recreation management.
Students will apply financial, budgetary, planning, marketing, program evaluation, and human resource knowledge and skills to meet present and future organizational needs and challenges.
Students will implement leadership skills that advance the park and recreation profession and broader society.
Students will design and conduct research, analyze and interpret data, and apply research findings to the park and recreation profession.
Students will explore the interrelationships of allied professions with the park and recreation profession.
Students will know how to promote the benefits of recreation and leisure to enhance individual, social, economic, and environmental well-being and quality of life.
Students will demonstrate effective conceptual and technical communication skills, both in oral and written form.

Application Requirements & Deadlines

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Deadlines

Applications must be completed by the following deadlines in order to be reviewed for admission:

Fall: Feb. 1 (for funding and GA application); March 15 (final)
Spring: Nov. 1
Summer: N/A
Special: N/A

Application fee: $65

Campus: Durham

New England Regional: ME MA RI

Accelerated Masters: Yes (for more details see the accelerated masters information page)

New Hampshire Residents

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.

Transcripts

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:

Electronic Transcripts: Please have your institution send the transcript directly to grad.school@unh.edu. Please note that we can only accept copies sent directly from the institution.
Paper Transcripts: Please send hard copies of transcripts to: UNH Graduate School, Thompson Hall- 105 Main Street, Durham, NH 03824. You may request transcripts be sent to us directly from the institution or you may send them yourself as long as they remain sealed in the original university envelope.

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.

Letters of recommendation: 3 required

Recommendation letters submitted by relatives or friends, as well as letters older than one year, will not be accepted.

Personal Statement/Essay Questions

Prepare a careful statement regarding:

Why are you choosing to pursue graduate work in the RMP Department at UNH?
Why are you interested in this specific option of study (choose one: recreation administration, therapeutic recreation administration, or adaptive sports administration)?
How does your professional and/or educational background make you suitable for a career in this specific option of study?
What are your academic and research interests?
What professional and/or academic accomplishments have you achieved to date that will contribute to your success?
What are your future career goals – what do you plan to do after completing the RMP graduate program?

Statements must be included with your submitted application.

Resume

A current resume is required with your submitted application.

Important Notes

All applicants are encouraged to contact programs directly to discuss program specific application questions.

International Applicants

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.