About

Have you ever thought about making a living through which you can play to work? Do you want to make a difference in the lives of others using fun and recreation as a medium for personal growth?

ECU's BS in recreation and park management will provide you classroom, service-learning, and internship experiences where you will work with people in a wide range of settings. You'll learn how to plan and conduct programs, engage in marketing, supervise others, design recreation facilities, host special events, and engage in many other experiences putting recreation to work for others. Our field changes lives: We help make people happier, more fulfilled, and closer to friends and family. We also aim for a sustainable environment in all that we do.

The breadth of the field allows you to put your skills to work in a wide range of settings such as military recreation in the United States and abroad; tourism including cruise ships, major hotel lines, and tour companies; city parks and recreation departments running parks, sports, arts and crafts, theater, trips, and other programs; state parks; youth sports; festivals and special events; outdoor leadership; campus recreation; nonprofit agencies such as the YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, and 4-H; organized camping; church recreation programs; and employee recreation services.

ECU Advantage

The recreation and park management degree at ECU is an excellent choice for those interested in being active, people-oriented, and flexible in schedule. Our program is one of only 84 parks and recreation degree programs in the United States that is nationally accredited.

The recreation and park management faculty are a student-oriented, professionally involved, and award-winning group of professionals who share a common goal to provide students with the very best educational experience possible to ready them for the workforce of tomorrow. You will find these faculty members highly committed to your success, the craft of teaching, and remaining on the cutting edge of the profession. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has identified the professions in parks, recreation, and leisure services as one of the fasted growing fields in the U.S.

As an ECU student, you can research your future career in Steppingblocks. Explore real-world stats about your major, your interests, and your dream job title with data-powered career exploration tools designed for doers like you.

What You Will Study

Program Coordinator: Edwin Gómez (1409 Carol G. Belk Building; 252-328-4638; gomeze17@ecu.edu)

The Recreation and Park Management, BS offers concentrations in recreation and park management and sport management.

The concentration in recreation and park management is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism, and Related Professions (COAPRT). Students graduating from the recreation and park management program are eligible to sit for the national examination to become a certified park and recreation professional (CPRP), and thereby acquire this valuable credential for professional advancement.

The concentration in sport management provides the competencies and knowledge for students to pursue a variety of sport-related careers. 

Students who want to declare a major in recreation and park management or sport management at the time of entrance into the degree need to have completed 30 s.h. of coursework at ECU or in transfer credits; possess a minimum overall GPA of 2.0; and have met with an advisor in Academic Advising Services in the College of Health and Human Performance.   

Students majoring in recreation and park management or sport management must maintain a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA and a minimum cumulative 2.0 overall GPA in all core and restricted elective courses to remain in good standing. Majors must earn a minimum grade of C- in all required core and concentration prefix courses. If a course without the RCSC or SMGT prefix is approved as a substitution for a required core course, a minimum grade of C- must be earned. Students dropping below the required 2.0 GPA will not be allowed to enroll in any additional RCSC or SMGT prefix courses until the GPA meets the 2.0 requirement. If a student receives a grade lower than a C- in a required core course, the student may retake that course without meeting the 2.0 GPA requirements.

The degree requires a minimum of 120 s.h. as follows:

1. General education requirements including the following - 40 s.h.

(For information about courses that carry general education credit view the General Education Program section.)

  • Both concentrations:
  • RCSC 2601 - Leisure in Society
  • Line space
  • Sport management concentration only:
  • PSYC 1000 - Introductory Psychology
2. Common core - 23 s.h.
  • RCSC 2902 - Professional Seminar in Recreation, Park, and Sport Management
  • RCSC 3003 - Recreation and Sport Event Programming
  • RCSC 4000 - Research Methods and Techniques
  • RCSC 4002 - Recreation, Park, and Sport Administration
  • RCSC 4080 - Recreation and Sport Facilities Management
  • RCSC 4120 - Recreation, Park, and Sport Marketing
  • RCSC 4122 - Case Studies in Recreation, Park, and Sport Management
  • SMGT 3150 - Sport and Recreation for Social Change
3. Concentrations - 46 s.h. or 49 s.h.

Choose one concentration from below: 

    a. Recreation and park management (46 s.h.)
      Concentration core courses - 22 s.h.
      • RCSC 2710 - Introduction to Commercial Recreation and Community Development OR
      • RCSC 2711 - Foundations in Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Management OR
      • RCSC 3104 - Public and Non-Profit Recreation

      • RCSC 3131 - Recreation for Diverse Populations

      • RCSC 4111 - Recreation and Park Planning OR
      • RCSC 4121 - Tourism Planning and Entrepreneurship

      • RCSC 4901 - Recreation and Park Management Internship Pre-Placement Seminar
      • RCSC 4990 - Recreation and Park Management Internship
      Electives and/or approved minor - 24 s.h.

      Choose from the following courses in consultation with your advisor:

      • KINE 3109 - Sport Analytics
      • KINE 3300 - Applied Sports Psychology
      • KINE 3600 - Coaching Theories
      • RCSC 2400 - Adventure-Based Program Leadership
      • RCSC 2710 - Introduction to Commercial Recreation and Community Development
      • RCSC 2711 - Foundations in Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Management
      • RCSC 3104 - Public and Non-Profit Recreation
      • RCSC 3120 - Commercial Recreation and Tourism
      • RCSC 3300 - Outdoor Recreation Programming
      • RCSC 3301 - Interpretation of Cultural and Natural Resources in Recreation Settings
      • RCSC 3500 - Recreation Leadership and Group Process
      • RCSC 2600 - Outdoor Recreation Activities
      • RCSC 3900 - Advocacy and Practice in Recreation and Park Management
      • RCSC 4090 - Aquatic Facilities Management
      • RCSC 4111 - Recreation and Park Planning
      • RCSC 4121 - Tourism Planning and Entrepreneurship
      • RCSC 4123 - Study Abroad in International Sustainability
      • RCSC 4124 - Study Abroad in Sustainable Tourism
      • RCSC 4130 - Recreational Sport Programming
      • RCSC 4170 - Youth Development Organizations and Services
      • RCSC 4335 - Geography of Tourism
      • RCSC 4800 - Great Smoky Mountains Outdoor Field Experience
      • RCSC 4903 - Special Topics in Recreation and Park Management
      • RCTX 2200 - Principles and Practices in Stress Management
      • RCTX 4004 - Disability and Adaptive Sport
      • SMGT 2003 - Introduction to Sport Management
      • SMGT 4250 - Revenue and Promotion Generation for the Sport Enterprise
      • SMGT 4350 - Risk Management and Legal Aspects of Sport
      • SMGT 4903 - Special Topics in Sport Management
      • Courses from an approved minor
      • Courses from an approved minor
        • Note:

        May not count RCSC 2710, 2711, 3104, 4111, 4121 as electives if selected as core courses in the concentration.

      b. Sport management (49 s.h.)
        Concentration core courses - 28 s.h.
        • KINE 3109 - Sport Analytics
        • KINE 3300 - Applied Sports Psychology
        • SMGT 2003 - Introduction to Sport Management
        • SMGT 4250 - Revenue and Promotion Generation for the Sport Enterprise
        • SMGT 4350 - Risk Management and Legal Aspects of Sport
        • SMGT 4901 - Sport Management Pre-Internship Seminar

        • SMGT 4990 - Internship in Sport Management
          • OR
        • SMGT 4991 - Field Experience in Sport Management I AND
        • SMGT 4992 - Field Experience in Sport Management II
        Electives and/or approved minor - 21 s.h.

        Choose from the following courses in consultation with your advisor:

        • KINE 3600 - Coaching Theories
        • RCSC 2400 - Adventure-Based Program Leadership
        • RCSC 3104 - Public and Non-Profit Recreation
        • RCSC 3131 - Recreation for Diverse Populations
        • RCSC 3500 - Recreation Leadership and Group Process
        • RCSC 4080 - Recreation and Sport Facilities Management
        • RCSC 4090 - Aquatic Facilities Management
        • RCSC 4130 - Recreational Sport Programming
        • RCSC 4170 - Youth Development Organizations and Services
        • RCTX 2200 - Principles and Practices in Stress Management
        • RCTX 4004 - Disability and Adaptive Sport
        • SMGT 4700 - Independent Study in Sport Management
        • SMGT 4701 - Independent Study in Sport Management
        • SMGT 4702 - Independent Study in Sport Management
        • SMGT 4903 - Special Topics in Sport Management
        • See advisor for additional approved electives and approved minors
        • See advisor for additional approved electives and approved minors. 
          • Note:

          May not count SMGT 2003 as an elective if selected as a core course in the concentration.

      4. Electives to complete requirements for graduation.
        For more information about this degree visit the university's academic catalogs.
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