Recreation and Leisure Studies

Recreation professionals deliver health, social, economic and environmental benefits through leisure services.

Our program is designed to qualify graduates for a wide range of positions in the rapidly evolving field of Recreation and Leisure Services. Internships and field placements in your final years offer significant ties to professional associations and career building opportunities. Each concentration teaches theoretical concepts and provides practical experiences through small group activities, experiential learning and/or placement/internship opportunities.

You may choose one of the following areas of concentration:

Community Recreation strives to ensure citizens have access to quality recreation programs and services. You will develop transferable skills needed to work in public, private and non-profit settings including marketing, management, finance, and strategic planning.

Outdoor Recreation focuses on leadership in the natural environment. You will learn risk and resource management, leadership practices, outdoor education, and skills to ensure inclusion in the outdoors.

Therapeutic Recreation is dedicated to ensuring all individuals, regardless of ability, have access to meaningful leisure in their lives. You will gain hands-on experience in providing services to marginalized individuals and using leisure to improve functional abilities and quality of life. Graduates are prepared to write the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) exam.

The Degree Pathway for Professionals initiative is intended for experienced professionals in recreation services who wish to complete their undergraduate studies in order to further their careers.

  • Bachelor of Recreation and Leisure Studies (BRLS)
  • Minors in Outdoor Recreation, Gerontology and Recreation and Leisure Studies
  • Micro-credentials in Outdoor Recreation Leadership, Recreation Programming Foundations, and Therapeutic Recreation Foundations

Expected cut-off: mid 70s
OUAC Code: BW

Not an Ontario Secondary School applicant? Find your admissions criteria here.


Career outcomes

  • Wilderness guide/camp management
  • Recreation therapist/professional practice lead in recreation therapy
  • Inclusion/outdoor coordinator/educator
  • Parks and recreation facilities/operations manager
  • Research analyst
  • Recreation planner

Prerequisite requirements

  • English (ENG4U)