Not Everyone is geared to sit behind a desk. For students who like active and exciting
jobs in a variety of settings, the Michigan Recreation Program, a Council on Accreditation
for Parks, Recreation and Tourism (COAPRT) accredited degree program at Ferris State
should be at the top of your want list!
The Michigan Recreation Program at Ferris State University is accredited by the National
Recreation and Parks Association/American Alliance of Leisure and Recreation (NRPA/AALR)
Accreditation Council, and features a four-year professional curriculum leading to
a bs degree in recreation management. The Michigan Recreation Programs offer professional
preparation and service learning helping develop leadership competencies for facilitating
physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual growth of the leisure participant through
recreational activities.
The Michigan Recreation Program includes Leisure Services and Wellness studies in
addition to recreation management training that enables graduates of the Michigan
Recreation Program to more effectively perform leisure services marketing, finance
and recreation management-level functions.
The Michigan Recreation Programs feature professional competencies developed within
four programming concentrations that Recreation Leadership and Management degree students
may select from:
- Corporate Fitness/Wellness Programming
- Leisure Service Programming
- Outdoor Adventure Education Programming
- Sports Management
- Points of Pride
- Nationally Accredited Michigan Recreation Program
- Service Learning Approach to Classroom Projects
- Michigan Recreation Programs Focus on Hands-On-Classroom Applications
- Michigan Recreation Program Delivers Individual Attention and Semester-by-Semester
Advising
- Michigan Recreation Programs Offer Small Class Sizes
- Technology Application Across Curriculum
- Michigan Recreation Programs Feature Professional Recreation Conferences and Field
Trips
- Integrated College Recreation Program Teaching Methods
As a Michigan Recreation Program Graduate You will have gained practical experience
through service learning, field experiences, and internships and have the skills to
manage administrative projects and supervise professional staff. Graduates of the
Michigan Recreation Programs may work in tourism, sports, health promotion, or outdoor
adventure education, and you may work at fitness centers, sports complexes, youth
camps, community centers, water parks, ski resorts, or Michigan outdoor sports centers
and environmental education centers.
The four specialized concentrations in the Michigan Recreation Leisure Services and
Wellness provide students the opportunity to develop skills and expertise in their
area of interest. All of the concentrations in the Michigan recreation program require
additional college courses in facilities management, marketing, communication and
recreation management. In addition, students in the Michigan Recreation Programs have
the opportunity to pursue 9-12 elective credit hours to strengthen personal goals.
- Michigan Recreation Programs includes Corporate Fitness and Wellness portions with
courses in personal training prescription, nutrition, exercise physiology, health
promotion and fitness testing leading to work in the commercial health club, private
corporation fitness/health promotion programs, or fitness programs provided by commercial-corporation
wellness, public-MWR or non-profit YMCA.
- Michigan Recreation Programs includes Leisure Services concentration with courses
in programming, park and facility management, commercial recreation, tourism planning,
community education and non-profit youth service strategies to help gain employment
at Michigan parks and recreation departments, youth and service agencies, commercial
recreation/tourism/resort businesses.
- Michigan Recreation Programs includes Outdoor/Adventure Education concentration with
adventure-based skill classes (canoeing, rock climbing, ropes-course facilitation),
expedition leadership basic outdoor skills and methodology of outdoor education leading
to working in resident outdoor/environmental education centers, youth campus, youth
at risk alternative education settings, or private guiding and team building businesses.
- Michigan Recreation Programs includes Sports Management concentration with studies
in recreational sport marketing, legal and risk management issues, sport administration
and contemporary issues of sport leading to employment in campus recreation and intramurals,
management of sport facilities/complexes, recreation for prison system, or commercial
sports entertainment.
College students who enter the Michigan Recreation Program as a freshman must meet
the minimum standard requirements set by Ferris State University admissions for high
school GPA and score on the ACT or SAT. College students transferring into the Michigan
Recreation Programs may be admitted with a college associate degree and GPA of 3.00
or GPA of 2.00 with at least 47 credits.
Students in the Michigan Recreation Programs will complete two academic supervised
work experiences, field experience (150 hours) and an internship (600 hours) as part
of their 36 hour professional core curriculum. To qualify for the final recreation
management internship, Michigan Recreation Program students must have a 2.0 GPA overall
and complete all required professional core and emphasis concentration coursework,
except for the internship RMLS 491, with a 2.5 GPA.
In addition, all seniors will be required to prepare a Recreation Leadership and Management
student portfolio representative of their coursework and professionally related volunteer,
service learning and work experiences. This will be presented to the faculty and select
practitioners for review prior to internship.
Michigan Recreation Program feature a final graduation clearance that reviews the
Recreation, Leisure Services and wellness student's individual record for a 2.0 overall
GPA and 2.5 in the professional core and emphasis concentration following completion
of the internship and the required 128 hours of college academic course work.
Michigan Recreation Program Coordinator: Dr. Susan Hastings-Bishop
Department of Recreation, Leisure Services and Wellness
Recreation Leadership and Management
Ferris State University
South St., SRC 102
Big Rapids, Michigan MI (USA) 49307-2744
Phone: 231-591-2457
[+] Learn More About Ferris State
More About Michigan Recreation Programs and Ferris State University: College classes including our Michigan Recreation Leisure Services and Wellness Program,
are taught at all levels by professional teachers, not graduate assistants. Students
that major in the Michigan Recreation Program at Ferris State University, study in
more than 170 different college educational programs - including doctorate degrees,
masters degrees, bachelors degree Recreation Leadership Management and associate degree
Recreation Leadership Management programs.
Seven of the Ferris State Michigan colleges are based in Big Rapids, Michigan - Allied
Health Sciences, Arts and Sciences, College of Business, Education and Human Services,
Optometry, Pharmacy and Technology. The Ferris State College of Professional and Technological
studies, and Kendall College of Art and Design are based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
College courses in the Michigan Recreation Program are sometimes offered at several
Michigan College campus sites through the Ferris State University College of Professional
and Technological Studies.
Ferris State University offers a wide variety of scholarships and financial aid. A
majority of our Michigan Recreation Program students receive financial aid assistance.
We encourage you to explore this website for more information on available scholarships
and financial aid opportunities at Ferris State University. Ferris State provides
all enrolled students within the Michigan Recreation Program access to a variety of
academic skill-building opportunities that will assist them in their pursuit of academic
excellence in a format that accommodates various learning preferences and schedules.
At FSU Michigan Recreation Program students experience small classes with individual
attention in 170 career-oriented majors leading to job placement for our graduates.
FSU Michigan Recreation Program students also enjoy 220 student organizations for
fun in a relaxed, hometown setting in the heart of Michigan's recreation areas.
The group presentation, by one of our admissions recruiters, includes information
on academic offerings, scholarships, housing, student life, and costs. A question
and answer period follows the presentation and includes a few surprises! Lunch is
provided at one of our well known dining facilities on campus. After lunch, guests
may take part in a walking tour of the Ferris State campus led by one of our exceptional
student guides. The walking tour takes approximately 1 hour.
If you would like more information on the Michigan Recreation Programs or would like
to talk with or visit our campus in Big Rapids, Michigan contact us.
To Learn More About Ferris State University click here for the Mission Statement.
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