Parks Make Life Better!
Welcome to the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies. Alumni from our program work in diverse careers that benefit individuals and communities. These include careers in public recreation and parks, recreation therapy, outdoor and environmental education, community services, community events and festivals, youth and adult services, campus recreation services, camp administration, travel and tourism, and commercial recreation.
We offer the following programs of study:
Bachelor of Arts in Recreation with concentrations in:
Community Recreation
Parks and Outdoor Recreation Resource Management
Campus Recreation and Student Services
Tourism Management
Bachelor of Arts in Recreation with an option in Recreation Therapy
Minor in Recreation
Minor in Event Planning
Master of Arts in Recreation Administration
National accreditation of the program has been awarded continuously since 1982. The Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Related Professions (COAPRT) accredits recreation, park resources and leisure services curricula. Our department offers the only academic program accredited by COAPRT in Southern California (Tell me more about academic accreditation).
Admission to the Program
Undergraduate admission to the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies require no special admission procedures. In addition to meeting university admission requirements, graduate students applying to the Master of Arts in Recreation Administration must complete the Graduate Recreation Exam (GRE) and earn a score of at least 4.0 on the analytic writing section of the exam.
Freshman/Transfer Information
All freshman students entering CSULB should begin preparing for their first semester of study by taking the Mathematics and English Placement Tests (ELM and EPT) offered by the University.
Transfer students must have a 2.25 GPS and complete a minimum of 9 semester units in courses fulfilling General Education requirements in Social Science and Citizenship. Classes fulfilling this requirements include approved course in Recreation (equivalent to REC 141, Introduction to Leisure Services) , U.S. History (equivalent to HIST 172, Early US History or HIST 173, Recent US History), U.S. Constitution (equivalent to POSC 100, Introduction to American Government), and social sciences classes such as psychology (equivalent to PSY 100, General Psychology)and sociology (equivalent to SOC 100, Principles of Sociology).
Thank you for considering our program for your academic needs. We look forward to welcoming you into our department.
Engagement, Participation and Leadership
