Program Overview

Therapeutic Recreation Program

The Therapeutic Recreation program is designed for individuals who are passionate about working with people and helping them overcome barriers to achieve their full potential. This program focuses on planning recreation activities for special populations, including persons with physical or developmental disabilities, older adults, youth-at-risk, and those living with mental health challenges.

Program Description

The Therapeutic Recreation program provides students with hands-on experience through practicum and internship placements, where they learn to assess the needs of clients and deliver customized programming in both clinical and community settings. Upon completion of the program, students are eligible for registration with Therapeutic Recreation Ontario (TRO) and certification with the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC).

Sample Courses

• REC 151 - Foundations of Therapeutic Recreation Practice
• REC 251 - Therapeutic Recreation: Developmental and Emotional Disabilities
• REC 252 - Therapeutic Recreation: Physical Disabilities
• REC 351 - Therapeutic Recreation Facilitation Techniques
• REC 405 - Leisure and Well-being

Program Requirements

To choose this major, students must successfully complete their first year in Recreation and Leisure Studies Honours and be in good standing (minimum cumulative averages of 65% overall and 70% major). Students must also submit a Plan Modification form to BHM 2201.

Customizing Your Degree

Students may also wish to complete a double degree, minor, or joint honours with their degree in Therapeutic Recreation. Suggested elective courses for Therapeutic Recreation students include:

• BIOL 273, Principles of Human Physiology 1
• BIOL 301, Human Anatomy
• GERON 255/SCI 255, The Biology of Aging
• GERON 320/HLTH 320, Psychosocial Perspectives on Lifespan Development and Health
• HLTH 101, Introduction to Health 1
• HLTH 102, Introduction to Health 2
• KIN 100, Human Anatomy: Limbs and Trunk
• KIN 242, Introduction to Movement Disorders
• MUSIC 353 (WLU), Inclusive Arts for Children (1.0 unit)
• PHIL 226, Biomedical Ethics
• PSYCH 211, Developmental Psychology
• PSYCH 213R, Exceptional Children
• PSYCH 257/PSYCH 257R, Psychopathology
• PSYCH 317, Child Psychopathology
• PSYCH 334, Theories of Individual Counselling Psychology
• REC 356, Leisure and Community
• REC 361, Aging and Leisure
• REC 362/GERON 352/HLTH 352/KIN 352/SOC 352, Sociology of Aging
• REC 405, Leisure and Well-being
• SDS 150R, Lifespan Processes: The Normal Events
• SPCOM 225, Interviewing
• SPCOM 324, Small Group Communication
• SOC 222/LS 222, Juvenile Delinquency
• SOC 223/LS 223/SOC 223R, Deviance: Perspectives and Processes
• SOC 248, Health, Illness and Society
• SOC 249/LS 226, Sociology of Mental Disorder

Certification

Students planning a career in therapeutic recreation should consider obtaining certification from the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC). The certification requirements can be fulfilled through courses within Waterloo's Therapeutic Recreation program. The Therapeutic Recreation curriculum at Waterloo satisfies the educational requirements for registration with Therapeutic Recreation Ontario.

Careers

Possible Career Paths

• Recreation Therapist
• Manager of Recreation and Wellness
• Occupational Therapist
• Lead Recreation Programmer

Recreation and Leisure Alumni Positions

• Recreation Therapist - Sunnybrook Health Sciences
• Occupational Therapist - Entwistle Power Occupational Therapy
• Community Responsive Behaviour Clinician - St. Joseph's Health Centre
• Elder Life Specialist - Cambridge Memorial Hospital

The Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies is a unit of the Faculty of Health. The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of its work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. The main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. The University's active work toward reconciliation takes place across its campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, coordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.