Undergraduate Degree
Learn to design, manage, and market ventures in the recreation, sport, and tourism industry.
Gain a foundation that integrates theory and practice, then choose one or more specializations to prepare yourself to become a leader in the field. Learn from internationally renowned faculty and participate in a variety of career-focused seminars, trips, and clubs that enrich your experience. Then utilize a one-semester internship to gain valuable real-world experience that will propel you into your chosen industry.
The Bachelor of Science curriculum in Recreation, Sport and Tourism (RST) prepares students to design, manage, and market recreation, sport and tourism enterprises. It provides a firm foundation for careers in the industry or for subsequent graduate study. A broad general education is complemented by a core of professional courses. The program includes a foundation that describes and integrates state-of-the-art theory and practice. Beyond that foundation, students choose to specialize in recreation, sport or tourism. The program also allows multiple specializations so that students can prepare for leadership by including combinations of recreation, sport and tourism courses in their curriculum. The major requires 128 credit hours for graduation. It consists of five components: general education requirements [36 hours], core requirements [39 hours], concentration requirements [9 hours], electives [32 hours], and an internship [12 hours].
- The General Education requirements (GenEd) describe the mandatory courses all students campus-wide must take in order to graduate. They are an important component of students’ education at the University of Illinois.
- The Core Courses provide the necessary classes to enable students to understand the magnitude, characteristics, and impacts of the recreation, sport and tourism industry. The core courses also include training in management, marketing, finance, and strategy so that knowledge about the industry can be applied in the professional world.
- Concentration Requirements enable students to develop advanced specialized knowledge about the substance and management in their preferred realm of the recreation, sport and tourism industry. Students pick at least one aspect – recreation or sport or tourism – in which to specialize. Students also have the freedom to specialize in any two or all three.
- Electives give students the capacity to tailor their education by exploring topics of interest, and by broadening and deepening their skills and understandings. Students can blend non-required courses offered in Recreation, Sport and Tourism with courses offered anywhere in the university. In consultation with their advisor, students can develop a curriculum that precisely matches their needs and interests.
- The Internship is a capstone experience through which students spend a semester applying all that they have learned. They work with a recreation, sport or tourism organization of their choosing in order to gain added familiarity with the industry, and to hone their skills.
Areas of Concentration
- Recreation Management
- Sport Management
- Tourism Management
Internship
The culminating academic experience for students in Recreation, Sport and Tourism is a semester-long internship (12 credits) that provides students the opportunity to apply knowledge and skills gained from classes to a professional environment. In consultation with the internship coordinator, an internship agency is selected which represents a match between the student’s academic preparation and their career goals. This formal, guided learning experience is supervised simultaneously by the agency supervisor and university internship coordinator. Students may take an additional 6 credits (for a total of 18 credits) during the semester of their internship. See this page for details.
Curriculum
General Education
For more information about degree requirements contact your academic advisor or refer to the university catalog.
| Course |
|---|
| Communication Arts Hours: 9-10 |
| Quantitative Reasoning I & II Hours: 6 |
| Humanities & The Arts Hours: 6 |
| Social & Behavioral Sciences Hours: 6 |
| Natural Sciences & Technology Hours: 6 |
| Foreign Language (completion of same language to third level in college or high school) Hours: 4 |
| Cultural Studies Hours: 9 |
Total Hours: 39
Core Courses
For more information about degree requirements contact your academic advisor or refer to the university catalog.
| Course |
|---|
| RST 100 – Recreation, Sport and Tourism in Modern Society Hours: 3 |
| RST 101 – Orientation to Recreation, Sport and Tourism Hours: 1 |
| RST 200 – Leadership in Recreation, Sport, and Tourism Hours: 2 |
| RST 210 – Management in Recreation, Sport and Tourism Hours: 3 |
| RST 240 – Financial Resource Management in Recreation, Sport and Tourism Hours: 3 |
| RST 255 – Ethical Issues in Recreation, Sport and Tourism Hours: 2 |
| RST 325 – Marketing in Recreation, Sport and Tourism Hours: 3 |
| RST 340 – Facility Management in Recreation, Sport and Tourism Hours: 3 |
| RST 360 – Communication in Recreation, Sport and Tourism Hours: 3 |
| RST 370 – Research Methods & Analysis Hours: 3 |
| RST 410 – Strategic Thinking in Recreation, Sport and Tourism Hours: 3 |
| RST 429 – Contemporary Issues in Recreation, Sport and Tourism Hours: 4 |
| RST 460 – Event Management in Recreation, Sport and Tourism Hours: 3 |
| RST 465 – Parks, Recreation and the Environment Hours: 3 |
Total Hours: 39
Concentration Requirements
The undergraduate degree requires the following courses for each concentration.
For more information about degree requirements contact your academic advisor or refer to the university catalog.
Recreation Management
| Course |
|---|
| RST 120 – Foundations of Recreation Hours: 3 |
| RST 317 – Public Recreation Hours: 3 |
| RST 441 – Community Recreation & Planning Hours: 3 |
Total Hours: 9
Sport Management
| Course |
|---|
| RST 130 – Foundations of Sport Management Hours: 3 |
| RST 354 – Legal Aspects of Sport Hours: 3 |
| RST 430 – Sport & Development Hours: 3 |
Total Hours: 9
Tourism Management
| Course |
|---|
| RST 150 – Foundations of Tourism Hours: 3 |
| RST 351 – Culture & Tourism Hours: 3 |
| RST 450 – Tourism Development Hours: 3 |
Total Hours: 9
Degree Requirements Summary
| Course |
|---|
| General Education Hours: 39 |
| Core Courses Hours: 39 |
| Concentration Requirements Hours: 9 |
| Restricted Electives Hours: 12 |
| Free Electives Hours: 20 |
| Internship Hours: 12 |
Total Hours: 131
Apply Now
To apply as an undergraduate in the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism, please visit our Apply Now page.