Program Detail

Texas State University

Department of Health and Human Performance

Dr. Jo An Zimmermann , Associate Professor
Email
601 University Dr
Jowers Center
San Marcos, TX  78666-4684
(512) 245-1973

Accredited Programs




As a student in Recreation Studies, you will learn to provide programs and services which improve overall quality of life. Through coursework, you will learn to design, implement, and evaluate recreation programs, and develop those skills through course related hands-on recreation experiences. Within the broad area of recreation services, you will have the opportunity to gain specialized knowledge and skills in: Community Recreation specialization leads to career opportunities in governmental, commercial, and non-profit agencies providing a variety of recreational programs.

COAPRT Standard 7.01. - Students graduating from the program shall demonstrate the following entry-level knowledge: a) the nature and scope of the relevant park, recreation, tourism or related professions and their associated industries; b) techniques and processes used by professionals and workers in these industries; and c) the foundation of the profession in history, science and philosophy.
  • Outcome:
    REC 1310 Introduction to Recreation and Leisure Services Students will demonstrate entry-level knowledge of the nature and scope of recreation programming practice. Students in REC 1310 Introduction to Recreation and Leisure Services will score 70% or better on an instructor designed examination. Multiple choice exam questions will include such things as: significant historical events including key legislative, social or economic actions that influenced the growth of the leisure services industry or defining three or more primary theories or philosophical positions related to the explanation of leisure behavior.
  • Measure Type:
    Direct
  • Assessment Method:
    Exam.
  • Result:
    In Calendar Year 2023, 79 undergraduate students enrolled in REC 1310 Introduction to Recreation (a face-to-face course at the San Marcos campus) were assessed using an instructor-designed examination. The course instructor found that on average, 58 of the 79 students scored 70% or better on these exams. Thus, 73.4% of undergraduate students enrolled in REC 1310 Introduction to Recreation met or exceeded expectations on the exam by demonstrating their knowledge of theories related to leisure behavior.
COAPRT Standard 7.02. - Students graduating from the program shall be able to demonstrate the ability to design, implement, and evaluate services that facilitate targeted human experiences and that embrace personal and cultural dimensions of diversity.
  • Outcome:
    REC 2336 Directed Field Experience in Programming Recreation Students graduating from the program shall be able to successfully modify an existing recreation program. Students in REC 2336 Field Experience in Recreation will complete a written assignment which requires them to modify an existing program to accommodate the needs of three different populations. The assignment will be evaluated using an instructor designed rubric to measure the student’s ability to articulate how diverse needs of each population in the modified program. Students will score 75% or better on this assignment.
  • Measure Type:
    Direct
  • Assessment Method:
    Written Assessment
  • Result:
    In Calendar Year 2023, 27 undergraduate students enrolled in REC 2336 Directed Field Experience in Programming Recreation (an online course which requires students to complete a minimum of 200 hours for an affiliated recreation agency) were assessed using an applied assignment in order to measure students’ ability to modify an existing recreation program to accommodate the needs of diverse populations. The course instructor found that 18 of 27 students were able to modify an existing program to meet the needs of three different population groups. Thus 66.6% of undergraduate students enrolled in REC 2336 Directed Field Experience in Programming Recreation met or exceeded the standard of 75% using an instructor designed rubric which evaluated their ability to modify recreation programs for different populations based on appropriateness of the activity, adapted instructions, instructor/participant ratios, and modified equipment or location.
COAPRT Standard 7.03. - Students graduating from the program shall be able to demonstrate entry-level knowledge about operations and strategic management/administration in parks, recreation, tourism and/or related professions..
  • Outcome:
    REC 3325 Recreation Administration Students graduating from the program will demonstrate entry-level knowledge about decision-making. Students enrolled in REC 3325 Recreation Administration will complete a written case study assignment which requires students to apply professional decision- making skills. The assignment will be evaluated using an instructor-designed rubric, which looks at a combination of criteria such as completeness; application of decision-making processes; quality writing; appropriate quality of output or product. Students will score 75% or above on this assignment.
  • Measure Type:
    Direct
  • Assessment Method:
    Written Assessment - Case Study
  • Result:
    In Calendar Year2023, 28 undergraduate students enrolled in REC 3325 Recreation Administration (a face-to-face course at the San Marcos Campus) were assessed using a written assignment to measure students' ability to apply professional decision-making skills to a specific situation. The course instructors found that 21 of 28 met or exceeded the expectation of scoring 75% or above on this assignment. Thus, 75% of undergraduate students enrolled in REC 3325 Recreation Administration met or exceeded expectations when graded using an instructor-designed rubric that evaluated the paper based upon completeness, application of decision-making processes, and the ability to justify their decision, all of which demonstrate their professional decision-making skills.

As a student in Recreation Studies, you will learn to provide programs and services which improve overall quality of life. Through coursework, you will learn to design, implement, and evaluate recreation programs, and develop those skills through course related hands-on recreation experiences. Within the broad area of recreation services, you will have the opportunity to gain specialized knowledge and skills in: Therapeutic Recreation prepares students to become Recreational therapists who use activity interventions to support the education or rehabilitation of persons facing a variety of health related conditions.

COAPRT Standard 7.01. - Students graduating from the program shall demonstrate the following entry-level knowledge: a) the nature and scope of the relevant park, recreation, tourism or related professions and their associated industries; b) techniques and processes used by professionals and workers in these industries; and c) the foundation of the profession in history, science and philosophy.
  • Outcome:
    REC 1370 Introduction to Therapeutic Recreation: students will study history, philosophy, terminology, and professional opportunities in therapeutic recreation. In addition, the role of leisure and therapeutic recreation in enhancing quality of life is explored.
  • Measure Type:
    Direct
  • Assessment Method:
    The ‘Foundational Knowledge’ section of the NCTRC Examination.
  • Result:
    87.5% (28/32) of recent therapeutic recreation graduates from Texas State University who took the NCTRC test for the first time in 2022 scored 70% or higher on the 'Foundational Knowledge' section of the exam.
COAPRT Standard 7.02. - Students graduating from the program shall be able to demonstrate the ability to design, implement, and evaluate services that facilitate targeted human experiences and that embrace personal and cultural dimensions of diversity.
  • Outcome:
    REC 3371 Facilitation and Processing in Therapeutic Recreation: Students will have the opportunity to apply advanced practices and intervention strategies in the treatment of persons with disabilities. Students will gain an understanding of theoretical models and learn how to apply these models when analyzing activity selection and documenting client outcomes.
  • Measure Type:
    Direct
  • Assessment Method:
    The ‘Implementation’ section of the NCTRC examination.
  • Result:
    100% (32/32) of recent therapeutic recreation graduates from Texas State University who took the NCTRC test for the first time in 2022 scored 70% or higher on the 'Implementation' section of the exam.
COAPRT Standard 7.03. - Students graduating from the program shall be able to demonstrate entry-level knowledge about operations and strategic management/administration in parks, recreation, tourism and/or related professions..
  • Outcome:
    REC 4370 Principles of Therapeutic Recreation: Students will have the opportunity to study standards of practice, code of ethics, plan of operation, procedures for program evaluation and accountability, and quality improvement.
  • Measure Type:
    Direct
  • Assessment Method:
    The 'Administration of TR/RT Service section' NCTRC Examination.
  • Result:
    90.6% (29/32) of recent therapeutic recreation graduates from Texas State University who took the NCTRC test for the first time in 2022 scored 70% or higher on the 'Administration of TR/RT Service' section of the NCTRC examination.