College Life

Private Schools That Are Well Known for This Major

• Temple University
• Brigham Young University
• Northwest Nazarene University
• Catawba College
• Hampton University

State Schools That Are Well Known for This Major

• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Indiana University—Bloomington
• California State University—Chico
• University of Utah, Northern Arizona University
• California State University—Northridge
• San Diego State University

Classes in the Major

Leisure and Life. This is basically your intro to parks, recreation, and leisure class—think of it as Leisure 101. Sounds relaxing, right? But just like any other intro class, you'll probably end up covering a lot of stuff in a short amount of time. This is your chance to sort out whether this is actually the major for you. You'll cover everything from food in recreational settings to problem-solving. In other words, you'll learn how to perfectly make s'mores and how to fix a public water fountain. Go you.

Computers in Recreation/Foundations of Programming. Okay, before you have a meltdown about how little you actually know about computers, take a deep breath. The names of these courses are too big for their britches. The only programming you'll actually do will involve Microsoft Word, and we're confident you can handle whatever Word throws your way. The goal is to make sure you have a basic understanding of computers. So if you can already bust out a PowerPoint presentation in your sleep, it'll be smooth sailing for you, buddy. Just don't nap in class. Teachers hate it.

Recreation Law and Legal Principles. If you're a tree hugger who plans to major in parks, recreation, and leisure and then continue on to law school, a class like this is for you. It'll help prepare you for fighting the good fight and give you a foundation to build on in grad school. It's not like the trees can speak for themselves, after all. And if you're really good, maybe the Lorax will personally thank you.

Internship. Ready to roll up your sleeves and get out there? Good, because most schools require you to do an internship and work directly in the field you're interested in, be it state parks or your local YMCA. Not sure what exactly you want to do after graduation? This is a chance to try something you're curious about to see whether it's a good match for you. As an added perk, internships are excellent chances to network a bit, which can only help once you graduate and desperately need a job. And hey, if nothing else, being out and about sure beats sitting at a desk all day, right?

Leisure Science. No, you won't just be lying on the beach all day and then writing papers about how relaxed and happy you are. Sorry to bring the bad news. Instead, leisure science classes are all about identifying community needs and learning how to build programming to satisfy them. Depending on where you're studying, you might also learn about the impacts leisure and activity can have on people, which will help you tailor programming toward specific outcomes.