Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy

Types of Degrees Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	673
Associate Degree	68
Master’s Degree	43
Basic Certificate	20
Graduate Certificate	10
Undergraduate Certificate	8

What Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Skills for Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy Majors

A major in therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Abilities for Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy Majors

As you progress with your therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Art Therapists	6.8%	$47,860
Health Specialties Professors	25.9%	$97,370
Music Therapists	6.8%	$47,860
Recreational Therapists	6.8%	$47,860

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy?

The major attracts more women than men. About 88% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	12
Black or African American	87
Hispanic or Latino	77
White	458
International Students	8
Other Races/Ethnicities	31

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy, too. About 1.2% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy

Some degrees associated with therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	0.5%
Some College Courses	0.8%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	0.8%
Bachelor’s Degree	54.2%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	4.9%
Master’s Degree	26.2%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	4.9%
Doctoral Degree	4.1%
Post-Doctoral Training	3.1%

Online Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	3	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	12	1
Bachelor’s Degree	3	1
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	9	2
Post-Master’s	4	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy.

Major	Number of Grads
Physical Therapy/Therapist	13,762
Occupational Therapy	10,262
Rehabilitation Science	1,239
Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling	947
Music Therapy	710
Art Therapy	698
Other Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions	670
Orthotist/Prosthetist	325
Assistive/Augmentative Technology and Rehabilitation Engineering	156
Animal-Assisted Therapy	109
Kinesiotherapy/Kinesiotherapist	106
Play Therapy	52
Dance Therapy	35
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions, General	33
Horticulture Therapy	8
Drama Therapy	0

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Barbara E. Carver under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.