Graduate Assistantships with the
Department of Recreation Management and Policy
University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH
The University of New Hampshire (UNH) is recruiting applicants for Graduate Assistantships in the Master’s of Science program in Recreation Management and Policy (RMP) with options in Recreation Administration or Therapeutic Recreation Administration to begin in Fall 2016. Please visit the Department website for additional information on the program: http://chhs.unh.edu/rmp/graduate-programs.
The primary purpose of the RMP graduate program is to prepare professionally educated Recreation and Therapeutic Recreation Administrators to serve their communities and provide leadership that addresses the quality of life issues of an increasingly diverse and complex society. The MS program in RMP provides a foundation in leisure theory, research, and data analysis to conduct applied research within the field, and administration skills for management level positions in practice.
- The Recreation Administration option prepares professionals with advanced knowledge and skills to plan and administer recreation services. Postgraduate employment opportunities include directors of town and municipal recreation programs, YMCAs, resort programs, camps, campus/intramural sports, fitness centers, youth services agencies, and sports and recreation facilities as well as outdoor recreation planners for the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and state park systems. New specializations are available in adapted sports through our partnership with Northeast Passage (www.nepassage.org), or in campus recreation through our partnership with UNH Campus Recreation (http://campusrec.unh.edu/).
- The Therapeutic Recreation Administration option prepares advanced personnel for administrative responsibilities in clinical-based practice & administrative leadership in community-based recreation services that meet the needs of individuals with disabilities. Graduate education serves Therapeutic Recreation Specialists who wish to move into administrative positions such as supervisor/manager/director, senior therapist, treatment coordinator, assisted-living manager, and senior center supervisor. A new specialization in community-based TR is also available through our partnership with Northeast Passage (www.nepassage.org), including coursework and practice experiences related to in-home/community health promotion programming, TR service delivery in the school system, and adapted sports.
Individuals seeking a career change to Recreation or Therapeutic Recreation Administration with an undergraduate degree in a related field (e.g., education, psychology, business, special education) may pursue the MS in RMP. Prerequisite courses will be determined based on professional experience and educational background. Graduate students who do not have an undergraduate degree in TR will be eligible to sit for the national credentialing exam through the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (http://www.nctrc.org) upon successful completion of the Therapeutic Recreation Administration option.
Graduate Program Application Procedures and Deadline
Graduate program applicants should complete an online application with the UNH Graduate School by March 1, 2016. Apply here: https://www.gradschool.unh.edu/apply.php. Online application materials should include:
- A current resume or curriculum vita
- A personal statement articulating reasons you wish to do graduate work in this field, including your immediate & long-range objectives, and your specific research or professional interest/experiences in field
- GRE test scores (no more than 5 years old)
- 3 letters of recommendation from academic or professional references (submitted online)
- Transcripts from all colleges/universities attended
Graduate Assistantship Description
The Department offers two types of Graduate Assistantships (GA):
- Teaching Assistantship: Teaching Assistants are hired to assist faculty in teaching undergraduate courses. Responsibilities may include presentation of selected lectures, group discussion leadership, class organization and management tasks, and identification/organization of class resources. Teaching Assistants are mentored by the faculty and receive constructive evaluative feedback concerning their pedagogy skills. Courses in which Teaching Assistants most frequently assist are: Recreation and Leisure in Society (RMP 490), Issues of Wilderness and Nature in American Society (RMP 511), Recreation Services Program Design (RMP 557), Recreational Sport Management (RMP 560), Camp Administration and Leadership (RMP 730), Interventions and Documentation in TR (RMP 613), and Clinical Lab in TR (RMP 615).
- Research Assistantship: Research Assistants are hired to assist faculty in research projects related to the faculty member’s area of expertise and research agenda. Research Assistants have an opportunity to develop research skills in literature review, data collection, and data analysis.
A limited number of Graduate Assistant (GA) positions are available for qualified students. A full-time GA position requires 20 hours of work per week throughout the academic year. A half-time GA position requires 10 hours of work per week throughout the academic year. Both types of GA positions include tuition/fee waiver and a graduate stipend. Visit the Graduate School website for tuition/fee details: http://www.unh.edu/grad-catalog/gi.cfm?thisid=164&masterid=127&headingid=127#164.
A limited number of graduate stipend-only positions are also available; speak with the Department Graduate Coordinator for details. Graduate student travel support to present research at professional conferences is available through the Department and Graduate School (a travel proposal is required).
Graduate Assistantship Application Procedures and Deadline
Applicants seeking Graduate Assistant funding must submit their materials via email to Dr. Boyd Hegarty (boyd.hegarty@unh.edu) by March 1, 2016 to receive priority for funding considerations beginning in the Fall (August) of 2016. In addition to the online application materials identified above, applicants seeking GA funding are also required to answer these questions:
- What previous work experience and/or academic preparation do you bring to your master’s studies that will enhance your contribution as a Graduate Assistant?
- What experience/skills do you bring to a Graduate Assistantship in the areas of research and/or teaching?
About the University
The University of New Hampshire (UNH) is a major research institution, providing comprehensive, high-quality undergraduate programs and graduate programs of distinction. UNH is located in Durham on a 188-acre campus, 60 miles north of Boston and eight miles from the Atlantic coast, and is convenient to New Hampshire's lakes and mountains. There is a student enrollment of 14,500 students, with a full-time faculty of over 600, offering 90 undergraduate programs and more than 70 graduate programs.
Additional questions and inquires can be directed to the Department’s Graduate Coordinator:
C. Boyd Hegarty, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Graduate Program Coordinator
Department of Recreation Management and Policy, Room 193 Hewitt Hall
University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824
Office: (603) 862-1773
Email: boyd.hegarty@unh.edu
