The Recreational Therapy Bachelor's of Science degree is designed to prepare competent entry-level recreational therapists in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains. This preparation allows students to work with individuals with disabling conditions in a variety of settings and specialty areas. The BS degree also provides a relevant foundation for graduate school in Recreational Therapy and other health-care and human service related graduate programs.
The Recreational Therapy Bachelor's of Science degree is comprised of a core of Recreational Therapy content courses and courses related to population groups that are typically served in the profession. These courses include RT for individuals with physical disabilities; RT for individuals with mental health and psychosocial disorders; and RT for Elderly Populations. Advanced courses such as Client Assessment, RT Program Design and RT Interventions provide content related to the knowledge and application of RT service delivery. During enrollment in many of the RT required courses students will obtain practical experiences working with individuals with a variety of disabilities and/or conditions.
The senior Internship is a capstone course that requires students to work for 14 consecutive weeks in a practice setting under the supervision of a RT faculty member and a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS). Upon graduation, students are eligible to apply to sit for the national certification exam conducted by the National Council for Recreational Therapy Certification (NCTRC).
As part of the BS degree in Recreational Therapy students are encouraged to select from a variety of minors that will enhance their knowledge, skills, and abilities in the specialization of their choice. The recommended minors available at SRU include: Adapted Physical Activity, Psychology, Gerontology, and Exceptionalities (Special Ed). Students may also choose to minor or specialize in activity areas applicable to RT practice including but not limited to, adventure fitness, animal-assisted interventions, adapted physical activity, aquatics, and/or gerontology.
The BS degree in RT at SRU is highly regarded in the RT profession as preparing competent practitioners who consistently score above the national average of the NCTRC certification exam. The program promotes a hand-on approach to learning and is flexible enough to offer students the opportunity to pursue various specialty interests.
