Completing a therapeutic recreation administration master’s degree will prepare you for advanced roles assisting a wide range of individuals requiring health services, including geriatric, mental health, addictions, physical medicine and rehabilitation, military and Veteran populations, developmental disabilities, pediatric clients and more. Our master’s program in therapeutic recreation will help you take the next step in your career, giving you a solid foundation in leisure theory, research, data analysis and administration. You’ll learn the skills needed to serve in positions such as supervisor, manager, director, senior therapist or treatment coordinator. A specialization in community-based therapeutic recreation is also available through our partnership with Northeast Passage.
At UNH, you’ll find exceptional opportunities through our partnership with Northeast Passage, a nationally recognized therapeutic recreation and adaptive sports organization, affiliate of Disabled Sports U.S.A., and Gold Level Club member of U.S. Paralympics. This includes courses, fieldwork and research experiences in community-based health promotion programming, therapeutic recreation service delivery in the school system and adaptive sports. Students without an academic or clinical background in therapeutic recreation may use the M.S. program to satisfy the academic requirements for the national credentialing examination through the National Council on Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) and for New Hampshire state licensure.
Phone: (603) 862-2391
The Therapeutic Recreation Administration option prepares advanced personnel for administrative responsibilities in clinical-based practice & administrative leadership in community-based recreation services that meet the needs of individuals with disabilities. Graduate education serves Therapeutic Recreation Specialists who wish to move into administrative positions such as supervisor/manager/director, senior therapist, treatment coordinator, assisted-living manager, and senior center supervisor. A specialization in community-based TR is also available through our partnership with Northeast Passage (http://www.nepassage.org), including coursework and practice experiences related to in-home/community health promotion programming, TR service delivery in the school system, and adaptive sports.
Students without an academic or clinical background in therapeutic recreation may use the M.S. program to satisfy the academic requirements for the national credentialing examination used by the National Council on Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) and for New Hampshire state licensure. While the graduate program does not require prerequisite courses to qualify for admission, the credentialing examination (http://www.nctrc.org) does require coursework outside the M.S. curriculum requirements and the department may require leveling coursework upon acceptance to the M.S. program.
The 30-credit Therapeutic 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 with a TR undergraduate degree typically take two years to progress through the degree requirements; full-time students without a TR undergrad degree need more than two years. Part-time students typically complete the program in 3 years.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core Competencies | ||
| RMP 800 | Concepts of Recreation and Leisure | 3 |
| RMP 805 | Management and Policy in Therapeutic Recreation (If student has undergrad in TR already, they will take RMP 806: Rec Admin & Org Beh) | 3 |
| Required Research Competencies | ||
| RMP 998 | Special Topics (Research Methods) | 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 806 | Recreation Administration and Organizational Behavior | |
RMP 811 | Recreation Resource Management | |
RMP 820 | Adaptive Sports and Recreation Facilitation | |
RMP 830 | Camp Administration and Leadership | |
RMP 840 | Therapeutic Recreation Service Delivery in Community Settings | |
RMP 860 | Program Administration in Recreational Sport | |
RMP 850 | Aging, Advocacy, and Active Learning | |
RMP #868 | Theories of Youth Development | |
RMP 870 | Management and Design of Recreation and Park Facilities | |
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 an all-inclusive list): | ||
| KIN 881 | Inclusion in Physical Education | 4 |
| PHP 922 | Public Health Economics | 3 |
| RAM 867 | Social Impact Assessment | 4 |
| RAM 877 | Topics in Community Planning | 4 |
| HMP 900 | Introduction to the Health Services Industry | 3 |
| HDFS 846 | Human Sexuality | 4 |
| HDFS 857 | Race, Class, Gender, and Families | 4 |
| HDFS 860 | Family Programs and Policies | 4 |
| HDFS 876 | Children, Adolescents and the Law | 4 |
| HDFS 894 | Families and the Law | 4 |
| HDFS 993 | Theoretical Approaches to Human Development and Family Studies | 4 |
| HDFS 843 | Families, Schools, and Community | 4 |
| KIN 802 | Health Content and Youth Risk Behaviors | 4 |
| KIN 831 | Inclusive Teaching Through Sport | 4 |
| KIN 882 | Therapeutic Applications of Adventure Programming | 4 |
| KIN 883 | Psych Factors of Adventure Ed | 4 |
| NUTR 840 | Nutrition for Children with Special Needs | 4 |
| NUTR 865 | Geriatric Nutrition | 4 |
| NUTR 873 | Clinical Nutrition | 4 |
| NUTR 880 | Critical Issues in Nutrition | 4 |
| OT 822 | Introduction to Assistive Technology | 4 |
| OT 824 | Assistive Technology and Physical Disabilities | 4 |
| OT 826 | Assistive Technology and Sensory, Communicative, and Cognitive Disabilities | 4 |
| OT 830 | Assistive Technology for Enhancing Occupational Performance | 3 |
| OT 830L | Assistive Technology for Enhancing Occupational Performance Lab | 2 |
| OT 889 | Using iPads to Support Children with Disabilities | 3 |
| PHP 900 | Public Health Care Systems | 3 |
| PHP 904 | Social and Behavioral Health | 3 |
| PHP 905 | Public Health Administration | 3 |
| PHP 907 | Public Health Policy | 3 |
| PHP 908 | Public Health Ethics | 3 |
| PHP 912 | Public Health Law | 3 |
| PHP 914 | Public Health Policy Analysis | 3 |
| PHP 924 | Policy and Practice of Community Health Assessment | 3 |
| PHP 938 | Health Education and Promotion | 3 |
| SW 805 | Child and Adolescent Risks and Resiliency: Program, Policy and Practice | 3 |
| SW 814 | Introduction to Addiction: Assessment and Intervention | 3 |
| SW 820 | Social Welfare Policy I | 3 |
| SOC 880 | Social Conflict | 4 |
| SW 840 | Implications of Race, Culture, and Oppression for Social Work Practice | 3 |
| SW 850 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment I | 3 |
| SW 865 | Adventure Therapy: Facilitation and Processing of the Experience | 3 |
| SW 897 | Special Topics in Social Work and Social Welfare | 2 or 3 |
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
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:
Recommendation letters submitted by relatives or friends, as well as letters older than one year, will not be accepted.
Special Note: Currently enrolled UNH students applying to the accelerated masters non-thesis option are only required to submit two letters of recommendation; the third letter is waived. Prior to applying, please contact Patricia Craig (patricia.craig@unh.edu or 603-862-0140) to obtain the third letter waiver.
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.
The University of New Hampshire recommends that international applicants who are living outside of the United States, and are planning on pursuing a research based degree, submit a preapplication form before submitting a full application. Your preapplication request 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.
