Master's Degree in Recreation Administration

Graduate study in Recreation Administration prepares students for advanced careers in the field of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism. Through a combination of online and traditional classroom instruction, students explore the theoretical foundations of the field while developing the administrative and management skills needed to become managers of private, commercial, and public recreation agencies. Students may also focus on research design and methodology in preparation for a research-based position and/or doctoral studies.

Application Deadline: June 1

Students seeking admission to the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies can apply via Cal State Apply (https://www2.calstate.edu/Apply). For any questions regarding the application process and requirements, please contact the RLS graduate coordinator.  

1. Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university with a grade point average equivalent to 3.0 average.

2. Applicants who have an overall GPA less than a 3.0, but with professional experiences and credentials, are given consideration by the Department’s Graduate Committee. 

3. Other evidence of the applicant’s potential to undertake and successfully complete the graduate course of study: faculty may consider other evidence submitted by the applicant; for example, scores on optional standardized examinations such as the GRE, GMAT, LSAT, or other recognized standardized examinations.  

4. Official transcripts for all graduate and undergraduate work must be submitted to the Graduate College in sealed envelopes, stamped and verified by the issuing institutions. Send transcripts to: Enrollment Services/Admissions, CSU Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90840-0106. Only one set of official transcripts is required and they must be sent directly to Enrollment Services (do not send them to the Recreation Department).  

5. A personal statement of professional and academic goals, approximately 3 pages, single spaced (submitted online with application). Please explain (a) academic and professional goals; (b) a description of academic and professional experience; and (c) purpose for pursuing graduate study.

6. A current resume that describes the applicant’s academic achievements (including honors and awards), extracurricular activities, as well as relevant work, internship and volunteer experiences.

7. Three letters of recommendation from persons able to testify to the student’s academic ability, at least one letter from a former professor.

8. International students whose native language is not English must submit TOEFL or IELTS scores - TOEFL institution code: 4389. The minimum TOEFL requirement is 550 (PBT) or 80 (iBT).  The minimum IELTS requirement is 6.0 each sub-section.  The TOEFL or IELTS must have been taken with the last two years. Applicants who have earned bachelor’s degrees or higher from an accredited university in the United States do not need to submit evidence of English proficiency. See additional details for international students

Completion of the Master of Science in Recreation Administration requires 30 units of post-baccalaureate course work to include the following.

Take 15 units of the following core courses (15):

Complete 12 units of graduate advisor approved electives (12)

Complete the graduate experience in one of three ways (3):

or

or

Graduate students in recreation and leisure studies are expected to:

  1. Maintain a 3.0 or higher GPA in all graduate work competed at CSULB and all graduate work transferred to meet graduate requirements.
  2. Maintain satisfactory progress toward the degree objective.

To be advanced to candidacy, recreation and leisure studies graduate students must successfully achieve the following:

  1. Minimum of 3.0 overall GPA and a 3.0 GPA in all units undertaken for the approved program of study.
  2. Satisfactory completion of the following courses: REC 571 Theory, Philosophy, and Trends of Leisure, Recreation, Parks, and Tourism and REC 696 Research Methodology.
  3. Approval of the Graduate Coordinator and the Associate Dean of the College of Health and Human Services.
  4. Enrolled in the semester in which the advancement to candidacy takes place.