The department offers an accredited Bachelor of Science in Recreation, Parks & Tourism Administration. This 51-unit experiential curriculum leads to a 400-hour, 12-unit, full-time internship at one of 400+ approved RPT organizations, with the majority of students being offered job positions as a result of this culminating experience.
Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration majors who successfully complete RPT 600GW [formerly RPT 660 GW] in fall 2010, or thereafter, will have satisfied the University Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR).
Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration Major (B.S.) — 51 units
Foundation (36 units)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| RPT 200 | Foundations of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism | 3 |
| RPT 300 | Leadership in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism | 3 |
| RPT 325 | Information Technology in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism | 3 |
| RPT 340 | Conference, Event Planning, and Management | 3 |
| RPT 350 | Facilitating Wellness Through Leisure | 3 |
| RPT 390 | Leisure Travel and Tourism | 3 |
| RPT 400 | Programming Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Experiences | 3 |
| RPT 410 | Therapeutic and Inclusive Recreation | 3 |
| RPT 440 | Urban Recreation and Parks | 3 |
| RPT 500 | Organization and Administration of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism | 3 |
| RPT 520 | Parks and Outdoor Recreation Resources | 3 |
| RPT 600GW | Professionalism in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism - GWAR | 3 |
Emphasis Area (3 units)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Select a minimum of one of the following based on interest and advisor approval. Suggested Emphasis Areas and related courses: | ||
| Commercial Recreation/Tourism and Events | ||
| RPT 460 | Recreation Destination Resorts | 3 |
| RPT 540 | 3 | |
| RPT 670 | Advanced Conference, Event Planning, and Management | 3 |
| Community Recreation/Wellness | ||
| RPT 210 | Growth Through Art and Leisure | 3 |
| RPT 445 | Recreation Therapy and the Expressive Arts | 3 |
| Outdoor Recreation/Natural Resources | ||
| RPT 430 | Ecology of Outdoor Recreation | 3 |
| RPT/ENVS 640 | Recreational Use of National Parks and Protected Areas | 3 |
| Nonprofit Recreation/Human Services | ||
| RPT 210 | Growth Through Art and Leisure | 3 |
| RPT 470 | Travel with Purpose | 3 |
| RPT 570 | Developing and Managing Resources in Nonprofit Agencies | 3 |
Internship (12 units)
In the final spring semester, students complete a 12-unit internship (RPT 690) within an appropriate recreation, parks, or tourism setting. A minimum of 800 hours of paid or volunteer work experience (600 hours in recreation settings), completion of all major courses, and fulfillment of all General Education/University requirements are required prior to enrolling in the internship and seminar courses.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| RPT 690 | Internship in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism | 12 |
Additional coursework is required for students seeking internships in settings that require special skills; such course work is prescribed in consultation with an advisor.
General Education Requirements
| Requirement | Course Level | Units | Area Designation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral Communication | LD | 3 | A1 |
| Written English Communication I | LD | 3 | A2 |
| Critical Thinking | LD | 3 | A3 |
| Physical Science | LD | 3 | B1 |
| Life Science | LD | 3 | B2 |
| Lab Science | LD | 1 | B3 |
| Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning | LD | 3 | B4 |
| Arts | LD | 3 | C1 |
| Humanities | LD | 3 | C2 |
| Arts or Humanities | LD | 3 | C1 or C2 |
| Social Sciences | LD | 3 | D1 |
| Social Sciences: US History | LD | 3 | D2 |
| Social Sciences: US & CA Government | LD | 3 | D3 |
| Lifelong Learning and Self-Development (LLD) | LD | 3 | E |
| Physical and/or Life Science | UD | 3 | UD-B |
| Arts and/or Humanities | UD | 3 | UD-C |
| Social Sciences | UD | 3 | UD-D |
| SF State Studies | |||
| Courses certified as meeting the SF State Studies requirements may be upper or lower division in General Education (GE), a major or minor, or an elective. | |||
| American Ethnic and Racial Minorities | LD or UD | 3 | AERM |
| Environmental Sustainability | LD or UD | 3 | ES |
| Global Perspectives | LD or UD | 3 | GP |
| Social Justice | LD or UD | 3 | SJ |
Note: LD = Lower-Division; UD = Upper-Division.
General (e.g., petitions, graduation, General Education [GE], admissions, academic probation)
College of Health and Social Sciences (CHSS) Student Resource Center
University Advising Center (UAC)
Recreation, Parks & Tourism (RPT)
Major/Minor Erik Rosegard
Graduate Jackson Wilson
First-Time Student Roadmap (4 Year)
Find the correct roadmap (A, B, C, or D):
- Select the row that matches your English Course choice for A2.*
- Select the column that matches your QR Category (found at your student center under Math Alert).
- Click the Roadmap that lines up with your row and column.
For example, if you are taking ENG 104 as your first English course and your student center math alert says you are QR Category III, you should choose Roadmap D.
| Pathway | QR Cat I/II | QR Cat III/IV |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 114 | Roadmap A | Roadmap C |
| ENG 104/ENG 105 | Roadmap B | Roadmap D |
*Composition for Multilingual Students: If taking ENG 209 as your first English course, choose the ENG 114 row. If taking ENG 204 for your first English course, choose the ENG 104/ENG 105 row.
General Advising Information for Transfer Students
- Before transfer, complete as many lower-division requirements or electives for this major as possible.
- The following courses are not required for admission but are required for graduation. Students are strongly encouraged to complete these units before transfer; doing so will provide more flexibility in course selection after transfer.
- a course in U.S. History
- a course in U.S. & California Government
For information about satisfying the requirements described in (1) and (2) above at a California Community College (CCC), please visit http://www.assist.org. Check any geographically accessible CCCs; sometimes options include more than one college. Use ASSIST to determine:
- Which courses at a CCC satisfy any lower-division major requirements for this major;
- Which courses at a CCC satisfy CSU GE, US History, and US & CA Government requirements.
Remedial courses are not transferable and do not apply to the minimum 60 semester units/90 quarter units required for admission.
Additional units for courses that are repeated do not apply to the minimum 60 units required for upper-division transfer (for example, if a course was not passed on the first attempt or was taken to earn a better grade).
Before leaving the last California Community College of attendance, obtain a summary of completion of lower-division General Education units (IGETC or CSU GE Breadth). This is often referred to as a GE certification worksheet. SF State does not require delivery of this certification to Admissions, but students should retain this document for verifying degree progress after transfer.
Credit for Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or College-Level Examination Program courses: AP/IB/CLEP credit is not automatically transferred from the previous institution. Units are transferred only when an official score report is delivered to SF State. Credit is based on the academic year during which exams were taken. Refer to the University Bulletin in effect during the year of AP/IB/CLEP examination(s) for details regarding the award of credit for AP/IB/CLEP.
Students pursuing majors in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines often defer 6-9 units of lower-division General Education in Areas C and D until after transfer to focus on preparation courses for the major. This advice does not apply to students pursuing associate degree completion before transfer.
Transferring From Institutions Other Than CCCs or CSUs
Review SF State's lower-division General Education requirements. Note that, as described below, the four basic skills courses required for admission meet A1, A2, A3, and B4 in the SF State GE pattern. Courses that fulfill the remaining areas of SF State’s lower-division GE pattern are available at most two-year and four-year colleges and universities.
Of the four required basic skills courses, a course in critical thinking (A3) may not be widely offered outside the CCC and CSU systems. Students should attempt to identify and take an appropriate course no later than the term of application to the CSU. To review more information about the A3 requirement, please visit bulletin.sfsu.edu/undergraduate-education/general-education/lower-division/#AAEL.
Waiting until after transfer to take a single course at SF State that meets both US and CA/local government requirements may be an appropriate option, particularly if transferring from outside of California.
All Students Must Meet the Transfer Eligibility Requirements Outlined Below for Admission.
For more information, visit the Undergraduate Admissions section.
- Complete 60 or more transferable semester units or 90 or more quarter units.
- Earn a college grade point average of 2.0 or better in all transferable courses. Non-local area residents may be held to a higher GPA standard.
- Be in good standing at the last college or university attended.
- Complete 30-semester units (45-quarter units) of General Education, including four basic skills courses:
- One course in oral communication (same as CSU GE Area A1)
- One course in written composition (same as CSU GE Area A2)
- One course in critical thinking (same as CSU GE Area A3)
- One course in mathematics or quantitative reasoning (same as CSU GE Area B4)
- The four basic skills courses and a minimum of 60 transferable semester units (90-quarter units) must be completed by the spring semester prior to fall admission, or by the fall semester prior to spring admission. Earn a C- or better grade in each basic skills course.