Therapeutic Recreation Accreditation Information

Nationally Accredited Since 1985

The Recreation and Park Administration undergraduate professional core and the Therapeutic Recreation sequence have been accredited by the Council on Accreditation for Parks, Recreation, Tourism, and Related Professions since 1985. The Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism, and Related Professions (COAPRT) accredits programs in parks, recreation, tourism, sport management, event management, therapeutic recreation, and leisure studies offered at regionally accredited institutions within the United States and its territories, and at nationally accredited institutions in Canada, and Mexico.

COAPRT standard 2.05.05 requires reporting of aggregated results of learning outcomes assessment. Results for the most recent academic year (AY 2020) follow:

100% of graduating seniors met or exceeded agency expectations during their culminating internships.
97% of junior level students were able to successfully complete a program blueprint from start to finish demonstrating the ability to design recreation experiences.
100% of students completing their senior internships demonstrated the ability to apply professional entry level concepts, principles, and management procedures in the field of parks, recreation, tourism, and related fields.
Over the last three years, 91.7% of alumni who took the NCTRC exam (for the first time) passed and obtained the Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist designation which is nearly 7% higher than the national average of other accredited programs.
Additional evidence reflecting academic quality, student achievement, and 7.0 series aggregate data is available in the Recreation and Park Administration Assessment Report and the interactive assessment dashboard.

Important Information Regarding Degree Mills

Please watch this important video regarding degree and accreditation mills. According to the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), "Degree mills and accreditation mills mislead and harm. In the United States, degrees and certificates from mills may not be acknowledged by other institutions when students seek to transfer or go to graduate school. Employers may not acknowledge degrees and certificates when providing tuition assistance for continuing education. "Accreditation from an accreditation mill can mislead students and the public about the quality of an institution. In the presence of degree mills and accreditation mills, students may spend a good deal of money and receive neither an education nor a useable credential."