A new way of working toward your MA Recreation and Leisure Studies
The Master of Arts program in Recreation and Leisure Studies offers the opportunity to study leisure and leisure behaviour from a variety of social science perspectives.
The coursework option allows students to address a wide range of practical issues related to leisure, recreation, well-being and quality of life in a flexible, interdisciplinary, course-based curriculum.
Program overview
The MA Recreation and Leisure Studies coursework degree program examines:
- theories and concepts of leisure
- contributions by the social sciences and humanities to the field
- application of theories, methods and models associated with leisure in contemporary society
The MA program is intended for students who have demonstrated strong academic abilities at the undergraduate level.
Layout
- Coursework-based | On campus*
- 3 terms | 1 year (full-time)
- 8 terms | 2 and two-thirds years (part-time)
- No thesis required
Students complete eight courses over their program.
*Beginning fall 2025, this program will be offered online only.
Areas of study
By combining theory and practice, we are deepening our understanding of the positive and negative aspects of leisure and developing new ways to enhance quality of life for individuals, families and communities.
Our faculty members are active scholars recognized for the high quality and quantity of their published work, in a variety of areas in the field including:
Graduate student resources
Application deadline: February 1
Late applications will be reviewed and considered until August 1
Student stories
Growing up on a Caribbean Island, it was always interesting to Karin Browne that - for a place surrounded by water - it was apparent to her that few people were competent swimmers. Inspired by this and her love for swimming, Karin's MA Recreation and Leisure Studies work and research involves increasing access to aquatic programs for BIPOC populations.