EKU: Department of Recreation and Park Administration; About the Department

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About the Department

  The Department's faculty members are dedicated to the professional preparation of students for careers in the delivery of leisure services. The Department of Recreation and Park Administration began at EKU in 1967. The B.S. and M.S. degree programs are both titled Recreation and Park Administration. The thrust of the Department's degree programs center around the professional preparation of students for full-time positions with organizations that deliver leisure services.

  The Department provides professional courses and fieldwork opportunities for all student majors. A senior practicum culminates the baccalaureate degree program and serves as a “springboard” into the professional job market in recreation, parks, and leisure services. Students and faculty perform as a “team” in sponsoring service learning projects such as the Haunted Fort and the Annual Student Conference. Faculty and students work together in writing grants designed to provide leisure experiences for community residents, and to study the provision of recreation and park services. Students and faculty conduct research that is later shared with practitioners and other students. The research results are presented at professional conferences and often submitted for publication in recreation and parks periodicals.

Accreditation:

  The B.S. degree program in Recreation and Park Administration is accredited by the National Council on Accreditation of the National Recreation and Park Association and the American Association for Leisure and Recreation. The Department received initial accreditation in 1980 and is reviewed every five years for continuing accreditation. The Department last received continuing accreditation in 2001.