The Master of Arts program in Recreation and Leisure Studies is offered as a thesis-based program.
Degree requirements
The thesis option requires five (5) one-term courses plus a master's thesis. Required courses include:
- REC 600, Integrative Seminar in Recreation and Leisure Studies (fall term)
- REC 662, Quantitative Inquiry (fall term)
- REC 663, Qualitative Inquiry (fall term)
- one of:
- REC 672, Quantitative Research Data Analysis and Interpretation (winter term)
- REC 673, Designing Advanced Qualitative Inquiry (winter term)
- one elective which students can select from courses offered by the Department (winter term)
- REC 611, Leading Organizations
- REC 621, Cultivating Justice in Practice
- REC 641, Community Relations and Stakeholder Engagement
- REC 651, Critical Disability and Inclusive Recreation
Also, the graduate academic integrity module must be completed through Learn.
Note that not all elective courses may be offered each winter. Students may also elect to enrol in a Selected Topics (REC 695), or Internship (REC 609) course, or a graduate elective from another department at the University of Waterloo, or from another Ontario university as a visiting graduate student.
The master's thesis is the culmination of the master’s program, and normally takes 2 to 3 terms to complete. For many students the thesis is the first time that they have been involved in independent research and it is typically both a demanding and a rewarding process. Each student should work closely with their supervisor in selecting a research topic, writing a research proposal, conducting the research itself, and writing the final thesis.
The Master of Arts degree can be completed either on a full-time or part-time basis, but must be completed within the following time periods unless an extension has been granted. See Graduate Studies Calendar, Academic Regulations, Time Limits:
- Full-time - 6 terms
- Part-time - 12 terms
A program checklist is available on Waterloo Learn or on the Health policies and procedures website (with embedded links).
Student evaluation
A review of each student's progress takes place during the month of June each year. Students are evaluated on several criteria, i.e., completion of courses and resulting grades, and, where appropriate, reports submitted by the students regarding their research and teaching assistantship activity. A cumulative grade average of at least 72% must be maintained.
Changing programs
The Department also offers an online, coursework-based Master of Arts in Sport and Recreation Leadership. Students interested in changing programs should complete the Graduate program/plan change form and submit it to the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies for approval consideration.