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Ministry-approved title: Recreation And Leisure Services
Recreation and leisure professionals provide healthy, well-rounded lifestyle opportunities for community members to connect, play, and grow. Helping people of all ages to engage in recreation and leisure programs and events is at the heart of a career in the recreation and leisure field.
The Recreation and Leisure Services program at Durham College will provide you with the skills and experience needed to start your career in government, non-profit or commercial recreation organizations.
In the program, you will experience an interesting blend of hands-on management training, program and event planning, implementation and evaluation, while learning how to use software standard in the recreation and leisure industry.
With the increased focus on wellness and self-care today, individuals with training in recreation and leisure are in high demand. Join us and take your first steps into a bright future in an exciting field!
To enter the Recreation and Leisure Services program, you will need the following:
Durham College (DC) offers pre-admission assessment testing to mature domestic applicants to meet admission requirements in English and/or math. Domestic applicants that are 19 years of age or older as of the start date of their program, and who do not have the required program credit(s) i.e., Grade 12 English and/or Grade 12 math are eligible to take an admissions assessment test.
Learn more about how to book Pre-Admission Assessment Testing here.
DC also offers Academic upgrading courses are FREE and designed to help you meet the admissions requirements for this program. Available to individuals 18+, these courses are offered on-campus at DC. Boost your qualifications with:
Learn more about Academic Upgrading and connect with our team to get started.
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The first semester of the recreation and leisure studies program consists of introductory courses that will serve as the foundation for your subsequent coursework and experiential learning. In the first semester of your recreation and leisure certificate program, you will take:
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Completing the Recreation and Leisure Services program at Durham College will prepare you for a wide variety of roles.
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Fill out the form to get more information on your program of interest, upcoming events, and how to become a Durham College student. By submitting your information below, you consent to Durham College contacting you via email and/or SMS with a minimum of 4 messages per month. You may withdraw consent at any time.
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This popular program equips students with the leadership skills and training required to excel in the field of recreation and leisure services. You will learn to:
As a graduate, you can pursue an exciting and rewarding career offering recreation programs to diverse community members. In our recreation and leisure services program, you will study:
You will have the opportunity to obtain sought-after certifications related to community recreation and leisure, including:
You will also get hands-on experience with the recreation management software packages used most commonly in the Canadian recreation and leisure industry.
Students in the Recreation and Leisure Services program also receive Parks and Recreation Ontario and Therapeutic Recreation Ontario memberships.
Upon completing the Recreation and Leisure Services program, you can expect to understand and be able to do the following:
The Recreation and Leisure Services program is part of the Faculty of Business, giving students access to special opportunities.
Students entering their first year of studies in a Faculty of Business program will receive a membership to all of Durham Region’s Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade for the duration of their studies, plus an additional year following graduation. As one of the only colleges in Ontario with this offering, DC is proud to provide students with access to local businesses at a regional level.
The Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade include:
These memberships can enhance your education and career prospects in the recreation and leisure field. Advantages of belonging to a chamber of commerce or board of trade include:
Enrolling in recreation and leisure studies can include several additional certifications. You will be able to add these to your resume, highlighting the range of your education and experience!
The courses listed below are for incoming students. If you are a current student, please refer to your program of study for the year you began your program. Your program of study can be found on MyDC. Students are responsible to ensure they are not duplicating their GNED or FNMI selections as per their diploma requirements. For a successful program completion, students must have successfully completed three unique elective courses as per their program of study.
Courses, course descriptions and delivery formats are subject to change.
In person
Students will come to campus to complete in-person learning requirements. Detailed schedules, with course-specific delivery information, will be available after registration. Courses, course descriptions and delivery formats are subject to change.
Completing the Recreation and Leisure Services program will prepare you to take on one of a number of roles in a variety of settings. With an aging population and an increasing focus on wellness, fitness, and self-care, look for opportunities in this field to grow.
Your learning experience will be supplemented by two field placements of 120 hours each in the final year of your recreation and leisure studies.
This invaluable practical experience will allow you to apply the knowledge and skills you have obtained, and will further prepare you for working in the recreation and leisure industry.
To be eligible for the field placement component of this program you must (at your expense) provide:
In order to maintain confidentiality and security, the program utilizes an independent provider, Verified by Synergy Gateway for field placement documentation collection and validation. This process is the Requirements Verification (ERV). There is a cost associated with this external agency of $52.00. Please refer to the Recreation and Leisure Services Program ERV Information Package for details.
Durham College also offers degree completion opportunities with a number of Canadian and international institutions. Sample diploma-to-degree opportunities include:
Please visit out pathways page to learn more about how you can transfer your credits towards a degree.
Looking for more pathway opportunities or to transfer to Durham College? Click here for more information.
To help students have the best learning experience possible, Durham College’s IT Services department has identified technology recommendations for courses in the Recreation and Leisure Services program. While not required, students may want to consider these suggestions if they are purchasing a computer or laptop for the upcoming academic year.
Processor: i3 RAM: 4GB Storage: 256GB SSD Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Professional or Education x64 SP1 Internet Browser: Internet Explorer 11 or Google Chrome (newest version) or Firefox (newest version) Network Adapter: 802.11ac 2.4/5 GHz wireless adapter Camera: Webcam/built-in camera Internet connection
Questions regarding technology recommendations can be directed to the IT Service Desk or the faculty office.
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