High School
High school students interested in recreation work should get a broad liberal arts and cultural education and acquire at least a working knowledge of arts and crafts, music, dance, drama, athletics, and nature study.
Postsecondary Training
Acceptable college majors include parks and recreation management, leisure studies, fitness management, and related disciplines. A degree in any liberal arts field may be sufficient if the person's education includes courses relevant to recreation work.
In industrial recreation, employers usually prefer applicants with a bachelor's degree in recreation and a strong background in business administration. Some jobs require specialized training in a particular field, such as art, music, drama, or athletics. Others need special certifications, such as a lifesaving certificate to teach swimming.
Approximately 71 recreation administration, leisure studies, and related baccalaureate programs are accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Related Professions. Students may also pursue a master's degree or doctorate (Ph.D.) in the field.
Certification
The American Camp Association (ACA) awards certificates to individuals who complete online training. The following certificates are available: entry-level program staff certificate, experienced program staff certificate, middle manager certificate, camp director certificate, and day camp director certificate. Contact the ACA for more information.
- Adventure Travel Specialists
- Aerobics Instructors and Fitness Trainers
- Amusement Park Workers
- Arborists
- Archaeologists
- Archivists
- Athletic Directors
- Baggage Porters and Bellhops
- Baristas
- Bartenders
- Bed and Breakfast Owners
- Bicycle Mechanics
- Botanists
- Cancer Exercise Specialists
- Caterers
- Civil Engineers
- Cooks and Chefs
- Cruise Ship Workers
- Ecologists
- Environmental Education Program Directors
- Environmental Lawyers
- Environmental Planners
- Environmental Restoration Planners
- Environmental Scientists
- EPA Special Agents
- E-Sports Professionals
- Event Planners
- Exercise Physiologists
- Fast Food Workers
- Fish and Game Wardens
- Fitness Directors
- Flight Attendants
- Food Service Workers
- Foresters
- Forestry Technicians
- Gaming Occupations
- Geological Technicians
- Geologists
- Geophysicists
- Green Hotel/Resort Ecomanagers
- Grounds Managers
- Health Club Owners and Managers
- Historians
- Hosts/Hostesses
- Hotel and Motel Managers
- Hotel Concierges
- Hotel Desk Clerks
- Hotel Executive Housekeepers
- Hotel Restaurant Managers
- Housekeepers and Maids
- Inbound Tour Guides
- Jockeys
- Kinesiologists
- Land Acquisition Professionals
- Land Trust or Preserve Managers
- Landscapers
- Lifeguards and Swimming Instructors
- Marine Biologists
- Museum Attendants
- Museum Directors and Curators
- Music Venue Owners and Managers
- National Park Service Employees
- Naturalists
- Occupational Safety and Health Workers
- Park Rangers
- Parking Attendants
- Personal Shoppers
- Personal Trainers
- Physical Education Teachers
- Physical Therapists
- Physical Therapy Assistants
- Pilots
- Professional Athletes, Individual Sports
- Professional Athletes, Team Sports
- Range Managers
- Recreational Therapists
- Reservation and Ticket Agents
- Resort Workers
- Restaurant and Food Service Managers
- Rewilders
- Ship's Captains
- Ski Resort Workers
- Soil Conservationists and Technicians
- Soil Scientists
- Spa Attendants
- Spa Managers
- Space Tourism Managers
- Sports Agents
- Sports Broadcasters and Announcers
- Sports Equipment Managers
- Sports Executives
- Sports Facility Managers
- Sports Instructors and Coaches
- Sports Photographers
- Sports Physicians
- Sports Psychologists
- Sports Publicists
- Sports Scouts
- Sports Trainers
- Sportswriters
- Stadium Ushers and Vendors
- Strength and Conditioning Coaches
- Swimming Pool Designers
- Tour Guides
- Travel Agents
- Umpires and Referees
- Wedding and Party Consultants
- Wildland Firefighters
- Yoga and Pilates Instructors
- Zoo and Aquarium Curators and Directors