General Information on
PRTM
Graduate Degree Programs
- Graduate Student Committee
- General Information
- Areas of Concentration
- Course of Study
- Graduate Handbook
- Fellowship and Assistantship Information
- Clemson University Financial Aid
- Sue Slocum's Tanzanian experience
Denise Anderson, Chair of Graduate Student Committee
Faculty of PRTM
Three graduate degrees are offered: the Master of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management (M.PRTM), the Master of Science (M.S.), and the Ph.D. The M.PRTM is a professional degree designed to increase the depth and breadth of a student's knowledge while developing the student's practical administrative and management skills. The M.S. places greater emphasis on research design and methodology and requires a thesis representing an original contribution to scholarship acceptable to the faculty and Graduate School. The Ph.D. program is based on the student's grasp of recreation subject matter, competency to plan and conduct research, and the ability to effectively and professionally use written and oral communication.
Enrollment requires that the student hold a bachelor's degree for admission into the MPRTM or Master's programs and a Masters degree for admission into the Ph.D. program. The prospective student must file an application form, submit undergraduate transcripts and scores on all three sections of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Applications are accepted and encouraged from those whose undergraduate education did not include the formal study of recreation and parks. Normally, applications are considered in February of each year.
A number of applicants who have been admitted to either the Masters or Doctoral program in the Department will be selected for work with a faculty member who has compatible interests. Diverse faculty interests provide opportunities in such areas as therapeutic recreation, campus recreation, community recreation management, resource management and travel and tourism. Duties can include teaching, research, or related responsibilities, varying from 10 to 20 hours per week. Remuneration depends on hours worked and degree pursued. Hourly work associated with departmental projects may provide additional financial support. A limited number of University fellowships are also available.
For more information, contact the Coordinator of Graduate Studies at (PRTMGrd@clemson.edu) or call (864) 656-2183, FAX (864) 656-2226. You may also fill out our Prospective Student Request for Information.
If you would like to submit the Departmental Supplemental Information Form, please fill out the form. A formal Graduate School application must also be submitted http://www.grad.clemson.edu/Admission.php
The course of study is uniquely developed for each student in consultation with a graduate advisory committee. Factors determining the course of study will include the student's interests and goals, the undergraduate course of study, the student's employment history, and the degree program. For course descriptions, please see page 133 (10 of 12) in the Course of Instruction Catalog (pdf format).
Recreation Resource Management (RRM) addresses the complex issues of managing public park lands for the enjoyment of visitors while protecting cultural, historic and natural resources for future generations. All course work, projects and research is conducted from the perspective of the public lands manager working in public sectors such as federal, state and regional governments and not-for-profit organizations. Policy, planning, law enforcement, heritage interpretation, and resource/business/facilities management are addressed. Visitor management issues in heritage parks, ranging from vast wilderness areas to urban natural resource parks and open air history museums, are the focus of the Recreation Resource Management concentration. RRM students develop skills in negotiating and interfacing with the tourism industry, biologists, historians, archeologists, advocacy groups, politicians, and surrounding communities.
Travel and Tourism Management (T&T) is a complex industry that involves people and nations globally in the planning, development and transfer of economic, social, cultural and environmental resource, concepts and information. The course work, projects and research in travel and tourism management are conducted from the state, local, regional, national or international perspective and focus on businesses, tourists, residents, or the intermediaries involved in the tourist experience industry. Travel and tourism students develop skills in theory, research methodology and analysis for careers in academic, government, NGO and the private sectors. Specific research emphases of the program are in tourism marketing and business, information technology, nature-based/ecotourism, heritage tourism, ag-tourism, international tourism development, and poverty alleviation using tourism.
Community Recreation Management (CRM) is focused on increasing the quality of life of individuals across the lifespan as well as contributing to community development through the provision of quality recreation opportunities. Students will study through coursework and research how parks and recreation providers, both public and non-profit, at the local, state, regional, and national levels contribute to community development, economic development, quality of life, youth development, and health and wellness. Community recreation management students develop skills in theory, research methodology and analysis for careers in academic, government, and non-profit sectors. Specific research emphases of the program are in youth development, camp management, amateur sport, community development, health and wellness, benefits based management, programming, and staff development.
Therapeutic Recreation (TR) specialists typically work with individuals who have some type of cognitive, emotional, and/or physical limitation. For example, you may find therapeutic recreation specialists who work with hospitalized children who have cancer or are recovering from burns, adolescents and adults with psychiatric disorders, youth at-risk, older adults recovering from strokes or living with dementia, children and adults with developmental disabilities such as mental retardation, children and adults with physical impairments such as strokes or spinal cord injuries. Graduate students in the therapeutic recreation program will have an opportunity to pursue a variety of research topics. For example, recent projects have examined the therapeutic outcomes of horseback riding, recreation activities in families of children with autism, effects of recreation activities on residents of long-term care facilities, the role of ropes courses in enhancing self-determination, and the relationship of leisure constraints to selection, optimization and compensation.
Fellowship and Assistantship Information
In addition to the normal Departmental Assistantships, other funding sources include:
- Conover Graduate Fellowship
- Bishop Assistantship in Tourism
- George B. Hartzog, Jr. Fellowship
- University Fellowships
Clemson University Financial Aid
Additional general information about graduate school and application forms may be obtained at
www.grad.clemson.edu
or contact:
Graduate Coordinator
Department of Parks,
Recreation and Tourism Management
263 Lehotsky Hall,
Clemson University
Clemson, SC 29634-0735
Tel: (864) 656-2183
Fax: (864) 656-2226
GRDPRTM@clemson.edu
©Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management. Last updated on November 6, 2009