Recreation, Park, and Nonprofit Administration, Bachelor of Science (5010)
Department website: http://www.wku.edu/krs
Program Coordinator
Raymond A. Poff, raymond.poff@wku.edu, (270) 745-2498
The major in Recreation, Park, and Nonprofit Administration prepares students for numerous exciting careers in the government, private, and nonprofit sectors. These careers are designed to help individuals, families, and communities improve their quality of life. The major requires 30-48 semester hours and leads to a Bachelor of Science degree.
Students will complete at least one of the following options:
- (30-36 hrs) Foundations of Recreation, Parks, Events, and Tourism (Internship not required)
- (48 hrs) Comprehensive Study of Recreation, Parks, Events, and Tourism (Includes internship)
- (48 hrs) Nonprofit Administration (Includes internship)
The program (core courses + internship) is nationally accredited by The Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism, and Related Professions. https://accreditationcouncil.org/.
Key career areas in Recreation and Park Administration include community recreation, outdoor recreation, recreational sport, event management, tourism, nonprofit organizations, campus recreation, recreation business, and Armed Forces recreation.
Key career areas in Nonprofit Administration include, arts, culture, humanities, community development, disability services, disaster relief, education, environment, food, fundraising, healthcare, museums, nature, professional organizations, recreation, science, seniors, sports, wildlife, youth services, and NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations).
For more information on career opportunities related to this major, please visit, https://www.wku.edu/recreation/career-opps.php.
Concentrations
- Foundations of Recreation, Parks, Events, and Tourism (RECF)
- Comprehensive Study of Recreation, Parks, Events, and Tourism (RECS)
- Nonprofit Administration (RENA)
Program Requirements (30-48 hours)
A baccalaureate degree requires a minimum of 120 unduplicated semester hours. More information can be found at www.wku.edu/registrar/degree_certification.php.
Students who began WKU in the Fall 2014 and thereafter should review the Colonnade requirements located at: https://www.wku.edu/colonnade/colonnaderequirements.php.
The major requires a minimum of 30-48 semester hours and leads to a Bachelor of Science degree.
Students will complete at least one of the following options:
- (30-36 hours) Major core courses [21 hours] + Foundations of Recreation, Parks, Events, and Tourism concentration [9-15 hours]. Internship not required. See important footnote below*
- (48 hours) Major core courses [21 hours] + Comprehensive Study of Recreation, Parks, Events, and Tourism concentration [27 hours]. Includes internship.
- (48 hours) Major core courses [21 hours] + Nonprofit Administration concentration [27 hours]. Includes internship.
- *
- Students with a major below 48 hours must select a second major or minor. This major and minor combination must have 54 hours total between the major and minor and 48 hours unduplicated.
- Beginning fall 2021, certificate programs can be counted in place of a minor if (a) the major and certificate combination consists of at least 50% upper level hours, and (b) the two programs consist of at least 48 unduplicated hours.
- For a list of popular programs to pair with this concentration, please visit www.wku.edu/recreation.
Core Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students will complete the following major core courses (21 credit hours): | ||
| REC 200 | Recreation in Society | 3 |
| REC 302 | Recreation Leadership | 3 |
| REC 306 | Experience Planning and Evaluation | 3 |
| REC 328 | Inclusive Recreation | 3 |
| REC 338 | Parks, Recreation, and Quality of Life | 3 |
| REC 402 | Fiscal Practices in Recreation | 3 |
| REC 406 | Recreation Administration | 3 |
| Total Hours | 21 | |
Students will complete at least one of the following concentrations:
- (30-36 hours) Foundations of Recreation, Parks, Events, and Tourism (Internship not required)
- (48 hours) Comprehensive Study of Recreation, Parks, Events, and Tourism (Includes internship)
- (48 hours) Nonprofit Administration (Includes internship)
Foundations of Recreation, Parks, Events, and Tourism Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students will complete the major core courses (21 credit hours) as detailed above, plus the following requirement: | ||
| Complete 9-15 hours (unduplicated) from the following: | 9-15 | |
| Understanding the Nonprofit Sector | ||
| Outdoor Recreation Activities | ||
| Foundations of Outdoor Recreation | ||
| Recreation and Tourism | ||
| Campus Recreation | ||
| Recreation Resource Management | ||
| Interpreting America's National Parks | ||
| Grant Writing for Nonprofit Organizations | ||
| Travel-Based Learning in Recreation and Tourism | ||
| Internship in Recreation | ||
| Introduction to Sport Management | ||
| Governance and Public Policy in Sport | ||
| Sport Event Management | ||
| Sponsorship and Revenue Generation in Sport (Sponsorship and Revenue Generation in Sport) | ||
| Sport Ethics and Moral Issues | ||
| Sport Communication | ||
| Sport Facility Management | ||
| Esports Management | ||
| Global Perspectives in Sport | ||
| Legal Issues in Sport | ||
| Net / Wall and Target Sports | ||
| Striking / Fielding and Invasion Sports | ||
| Lifespan Leisure & Recreation Activities | ||
| Adapted Physical Education | ||
| Football Coaching | ||
| Basketball Coaching | ||
| Track and Field Coaching | ||
| Baseball Coaching | ||
| Foundations of Kinesiology | ||
| Introduction to Exercise Science | ||
| Tourism Planning and Development | ||
| Hospitality and Tourism Marketing | ||
| Meeting and Convention Management | ||
| Advanced Event Planning in Hospitality | ||
| Basic Marketing Concepts | ||
| Social Media Marketing | ||
| Organization and Management | ||
| Management of Nonprofit Organizations | ||
| Principles of Financial Accounting | ||
| Entrepreneurship | ||
| Principles of Public Administration | ||
| Environment and Ecological Policy | ||
| Introduction to Research Techniques | ||
| Selected Topics in Environment, Geography, and Sustainability | ||
| Geographic Information Systems I | ||
Or, other courses approved by the Recreation, Park, and Nonprofit Administration advisor. | ||
| Total Hours | 9-15 | |
Comprehensive Study of Recreation, Parks, Events, and Tourism Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students will complete the major core courses (21 credit hours) as detailed above, plus the following requirements: | ||
| REC 490 | Internship in Recreation | 12 |
| Complete 9 hours (unduplicated) from REC 2**, REC 3**, or REC 4** | 9 | |
| Complete 6 hours (unduplicated) from the following: | 6 | |
| Understanding the Nonprofit Sector | ||
| Outdoor Recreation Activities | ||
| Foundations of Outdoor Recreation | ||
| Recreation and Tourism | ||
| Campus Recreation | ||
| Recreation Resource Management | ||
| Interpreting America's National Parks | ||
| Grant Writing for Nonprofit Organizations | ||
| Travel-Based Learning in Recreation and Tourism | ||
| Introduction to Sport Management | ||
| Governance and Public Policy in Sport | ||
| Sport Event Management | ||
| Sponsorship and Revenue Generation in Sport (Sponsorship and Revenue Generation in Sport) | ||
| Sport Ethics and Moral Issues | ||
| Sport Communication | ||
| Esports Management | ||
| Global Perspectives in Sport | ||
| Sport Facility Management | ||
| Legal Issues in Sport | ||
| Net / Wall and Target Sports | ||
| Striking / Fielding and Invasion Sports | ||
| Lifespan Leisure & Recreation Activities | ||
| Adapted Physical Education | ||
| Football Coaching | ||
| Basketball Coaching | ||
| Track and Field Coaching | ||
| Baseball Coaching | ||
| Foundations of Kinesiology | ||
| Introduction to Exercise Science | ||
| Tourism Planning and Development | ||
| Hospitality and Tourism Marketing | ||
| Meeting and Convention Management | ||
| Advanced Event Planning in Hospitality | ||
| Basic Marketing Concepts | ||
| Social Media Marketing | ||
| Organization and Management | ||
| Management of Nonprofit Organizations | ||
| Principles of Financial Accounting | ||
| Entrepreneurship | ||
| Principles of Public Administration | ||
| Environment and Ecological Policy | ||
| Introduction to Research Techniques | ||
| Selected Topics in Environment, Geography, and Sustainability | ||
| Geographic Information Systems I | ||
Or, other courses approved by the Recreation, Park, and Nonprofit Administration advisor. | ||
| Total Hours | 27 | |
Nonprofit Administration Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students will complete the major core courses (21 credit hours) as detailed above, plus the following requirements: | ||
| REC 490 | Internship in Recreation | 12 |
| REC 220 | Understanding the Nonprofit Sector | 3 |
| REC 460 | Grant Writing for Nonprofit Organizations | 3 |
| MGT 333 | Management of Nonprofit Organizations | 3 |
| or PS 340 | Principles of Public Administration | |
| MKT 220 | Basic Marketing Concepts | 3 |
| Complete 3 hours (unduplicated) from REC 2**, REC 3**, or REC 4**. | 3 | |
| Or, other courses approved by the Recreation, Park, and Nonprofit Administration advisor. | ||
| Total Hours | 27 | |
Finish in Four Plans
On This Page
Four Year Plans
Foundations of Recreation, Parks, Events, and Tourism Concentration
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| REC 200 | 3 | REC 302 | 3 | ||
| COMM 145 | 3 | ENG 100 | 3 | ||
| Colonnade - Natural & Physical Sciences | 3 | Colonnade: Natural & Physical Sciences with Lab | 3 | ||
| HIST 101 or HIST 102 | 3 | MATH 109, MATH 116, or MATH 183 | 3 | ||
| Colonnade: Arts & Humanities | 3 | Major/Minor/Cert/Elective or World Language (if needed) | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
| REC 306 | 3 | REC 328 | 3 | Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 |
| ENG 200 | 3 | ENG 300 or COMM 200 | 3 | ||
| Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | ||
| Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | ||
| Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | 3 | |||
| Third Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| REC 338 (Or, Connections - Systems) | 3 | REC 402 | 3 | ||
| Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | Connections - Social & Cultural | 3 | ||
| Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | ||
| Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | ||
| Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||||
| Fourth Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| REC 406 | 3 | Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | ||
| REC 338 (Or, Connections - Systems) | 3 | Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | ||
| Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | ||
| Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | ||
| Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | ||||
| 15 | 12 | ||||
| Total Hours 120 | |||||
Comprehensive Study of Recreation, Parks, Events, and Tourism Concentration
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| REC 200 (Colonnade - Social & Behavioral) | 3 | REC 302 | 3 | ||
| COMM 145 | 3 | ENG 100 | 3 | ||
| Colonnade - Natural & Physical Sciences | 3 | Colonnade: Natural & Physical Sciences with Lab | 3 | ||
| HIST 101 or HIST 102 | 3 | MATH 109, MATH 116, or MATH 183 | 3 | ||
| Colonnade: Arts & Humanities | 3 | Major/Minor/Cert/Elective or World Language (if needed) | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
| REC 306 | 3 | REC 328 | 3 | Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 |
| ENG 200 | 3 | ENG 300 or COMM 200 | 3 | ||
| Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | ||
| Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | ||
| Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | 3 | |||
| Third Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| REC 338 (Or, Connections - Systems) | 3 | REC 402 | 3 | ||
| Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | Connections - Social & Cultural | 3 | ||
| Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | ||
| Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | ||
| Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||||
| Fourth Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| REC 406 | 3 | REC 490 | 12 | ||
| REC 338 (Or, Connections - Systems) | 3 | ||||
| Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | ||||
| Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | ||||
| Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | ||||
| 15 | 12 | ||||
| Total Hours 120 | |||||
Nonprofit Administration Concentration
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| REC 200 | 3 | REC 302 | 3 | ||
| COMM 145 | 3 | ENG 100 | 3 | ||
| Colonnade: Natural & Physical Sciences | 3 | Colonnade: Natural & Physical Sciences with lab | 3 | ||
| HIST 101 or HIST 102 | 3 | MATH 109, MATH 116, or MATH 183 | 3 | ||
| Colonnade: Arts & Humanities | 3 | Major/Minor/Cert/Elective or World Language (if needed) | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
| REC 306 | 3 | REC 328 | 3 | Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 |
| REC 220 | 3 | MKT 220 | 3 | ||
| ENG 200 | 3 | ENG 300 or COMM 200 | 3 | ||
| Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | ||
| Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | 3 | |||
| Third Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| REC 338 (Or, Connections - Systems) | 3 | REC 402 | 3 | ||
| MGT 333 or PS 340 | 3 | REC 460 | 3 | ||
| Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | Connections - Social & Cultural | 3 | ||
| Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | ||
| Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||||
| Fourth Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| REC 406 | 3 | REC 490 | 12 | ||
| REC 338 (Or, Connections - Systems) | 3 | ||||
| Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | ||||
| Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | ||||
| Major/Minor/Cert/Elective | 3 | ||||
| 15 | 12 | ||||
| Total Hours 120 | |||||