2019-2020 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
    Mar 29, 2024  
2019-2020 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Therapeutic Recreation, BS


Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: College of Education and Human Services

The Bachelor of Science in Therapeutic Recreation degree is an accredited program of the National Recreation and Park Association Council on Accreditation (COAPRT) and reflects the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) competencies. The program exists within the framework of an allied health profession, and is a professional preparation program offering both didactic and experiential learning designed to prepare the student for basic-entry level practice in health and human service settings.

The application of therapeutic recreation principles and practices utilize a wide variety of interventions including leisure experiences to facilitate, promote and/or maintain client functioning, promote healthy behaviors, assisting with habilitation/rehabilitation needs while enhancing quality of life; including the development of a personally meaningful leisure life-style. The context of therapeutic recreation service delivery is contained in: physical medicine and rehabilitation facilities, psychiatric and mental health facilities; substance treatment programs; corrections and juvenile justice centers; wilderness therapy programs and camps; continuing care retirement communities (long-term care); community service boards, school settings, and community parks and recreation departments.

Longwood’s nationally recognized Therapeutic Recreation program provides students with a comprehensive foundation of: liberal arts, biological and health sciences, social sciences, disability studies and leisure theory. The technical aspects of the Therapeutic Recreation profession are taught within specialty courses emphasizing professional and therapeutic communication, program planning, intervention techniques, clinical assessment and documentation, clinical reasoning, management and research.

Sequence and Progression

The requirements of this professional preparation program are designed to academically prepare the student in a sequenced offering of coursework. The sequence and progression of the student in the curriculum will be determined and monitored by the therapeutic recreation faculty.

  1. Critical to student learning is that all therapeutic recreation majors, or intending majors, must complete BIOL 206 /BIOL 207  (Anatomy and Physiology); HLTH 275 - Medical Terminology  or equivalencies by the second year of study.

    A transfer student must show evidence of prior learning, or equivalencies in these courses to enable them to progress in the sequence as determined.
  2. All upper level Therapeutic Recreation content courses are available only to Therapeutic Recreation majors, or permission by the Program Coordinator.

Fieldwork and Internship Requirements

Successful completion of this degree program requires practical experience, beyond the classroom. The following progression and requirements are identified below:

  1. Preliminary Fieldwork
    All students must complete 120 hours of volunteer work in a therapeutic recreation setting which includes working with persons with disabilities. The recording of these hours will be the responsibility of the student. All 120 hours must be completed before students can begin the process of securing an internship.
     
  2. Junior Internship
    Eligibility for junior internship requires the successful completion of all courses at the 100, 200, and 300 levels. The student must maintain a 2.50 GPA in all Therapeutic Recreation content coursework, and a 2.25 GPA overall. The junior internship reflects a minimum 400-hour, 10-12 consecutive week placement the summer after the junior year.
     
  3. Senior Internship
    Eligibility for senior internship requires the successful completion of all coursework in the curriculum. The student must maintain a 2.50 GPA in Therapeutic Recreation coursework, and a 2.25 GPA overall. The senior internship reflects a 560 hour, minimum of 14 consecutive weeks placement to be taken during the last semester of the senior year. Placement must be in an affiliated agency, and supervision carried out by a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS®). University and NCTRC standards will be adhered to throughout this experience.

Upon graduation, students become eligible to sit for the national certification examination through the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC®). The processes for application are the responsibility of the graduate, and the university cannot enter into the process. Application is available at www.nctrc.org.

Students must have a “C-” or better in all major required courses which also includes HLTH 275 BIOL 206 , BIOL 207 , PSYC 330  and PSYC 356 .

Civitae Core Requirements (39-40 credits)


Civitae Core   

Therapeutic Recreation majors may count Civitae Core courses satisfying major requirements as also satisfying their respective Civitae Core requirements, up to two Pillar courses and one Perspectives course.  The following are the courses in this major that may be used in this way:

  • PSYC 101  can satisfy the Scientific Reasoning Pillar requirement

Courses satisfying major requirements that are designated as Core courses subsequent to the print deadline of this Catalog will not appear in the above listings but will be eligible to also satisfy Core requirements, subject to the same rules as the others.  (If doing so would otherwise decrease the total credits required for the degree below 120, General Elective credit must be substituted to restore the total.)

Transfer students go to Transfer Student General Education   for requirements.

Additional Degree Requirements (4 credits)


General Electives (0-1 credits)


Total Credits Required


  • BS Degree in Therapeutic Recreation 124

Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: College of Education and Human Services