Recreation Therapy Quick Facts
Updated: 2/11/16
Contact:
Candace Ashton, Ph.D., CTRS/LRT, RT Program Coordinator
 ashtonc@uncw.edu
 910.962.7794
 McNeill Hall 3010
Admission Requirements:
 Application Deadlines
o Fall cohort deadline is February 15th
o Spring cohort deadline is September 15th
 2.5 Cumulative GPA
o For current students it is the UNCW GPA. If a student has
a GPA below 2.5 they are still eligible to apply and may be
accepted by the end of that semester on the condition
that they have the 2.5 GPA
 Successful completion of EXS 216/217 or BIO 240/241 or transfer
equivalency is preferred but not required by time of application
 Minimum of 25 hours experience working or volunteering with
individuals with disabilities, disabling conditions or illnesses
o If a student does not have 25 hours completed they can
still apply and may be accepted conditionally providing
that they acquire 25 hours by the end of the semester
 Completion of online application*
o This includes student information, previous volunteer
experience, two page essay and an RT Technical
Standards of agreement
o Following submission, applicants will complete an
interview with two RT faculty members.
o Notified via email of their acceptance
*NOTE: Potential transfer students are eligible to apply to the RT
program prior to acceptance at UNCW. Those applying should have
What potential RT students need to know . . .
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Goal of Rec. Therapy is to help people become more
independent by using your interests in rehab (example: if
you enjoy basketball utilizing that to improve mobility and
connect with others)
RT provides students the freedom to work in a variety of
areas with people of all ages with disabilities and illness:
o Mental health, acute care hospitals, physical
rehabilitation, substance abuse, long-term
care/assisted living, child life/pediatrics
RT is very hands-on, practice based
Rec. Therapy has a greater carryover effect after rehab
Many students minor in Psychology
Cannot minor in RT
Must receive at least a C in all RTH (prefix) courses
No official prerequisites but there is a sequence of courses
to follow and RTH 468/475, RTH 480 and RTH 459 must be
taken the semester before their internship
RTH 468 only offered in the spring and RTH 475 only
offered in the fall
RTH 368
o RT major only or permission of instructor
o Requires 25 hours applied learning
RTH 348 Practicum
o Can only be taken after RTH 368 is completed
o Is usually taken in the summer – students can do
this at home as long as the site is approved
 Must have hands-on experiences with
individuals with disabilities or illnesses
o Requires 100 hours of field work at one site (not
multiple)
o Required to complete assignments including time
Recreation Therapy Quick Facts
Updated: 2/11/16
completed/be in process of completing their application to UNCW. They
will also need to submit a scanned copy of their transcript on the
application
What advisors need to know about RT…
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Three focus areas of the program:
Treatment, Participation, Education
A lot of students come from Nursing
There is not a Feeder course because you must be a Rec.
Therapy major to take foundations course
Students should follow the recommend sequence of courses
when they begin the program
Four semester major including one semester of internship
Lots of hands on experience
Possible for student athletes to complete this major and there
have been several major while playing a sport (but there is
internship required so will need to consult with faculty advisor)
Can receive Recreation Therapy license after bachelor’s (benefit
compared to other undergrad degrees)
Do not have to have Bachelor’s in Recreation Therapy to be
eligible for Recreation Therapy graduate school but it is preferred
Can do EXS 216/217 for RT graduate programs (students should
consult with institutions to find grad school prerequisites)
Job market – need to be willing to move to a big city but there are
plenty of jobs in long term care
Program is unique in several ways:
1. Assistance dog training program – this is a recreational
therapy elective and you need to start as a sophomore.
UNCW is the only school in the US that has it
2. Child life certification
o Online child-life course from another institution, plus
RT degree, plus internship in child-life will make them
eligible for certification exam
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logs pre-practicum assignments, midterm and final
assignments – not face to face
Study Abroad experiences may count – consult RT
RTH 497 Clinical Placement in RT
o Available after completion of all RTH coursework
o Requires 560 hours of field work completed over
14 consecutive weeks
 Very limited internship sites in Wilmington
 Can be done anywhere in US or Canada
 Students locate their own internships with
the help of faculty – Dr. Candy Ashton
 There is a database for students but
they can find their own as well
o Must be done under the direct supervision of a
Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist and if
done in NC under a Licensed Recreational Therapist.
o Multiple assignments within the course – weekly
time logs, bi-weekly reports, midterm and final
evaluations, clinical case study and final project
University Studies-- RTH courses count for:
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o 3 Writing Intensive (RTH 459, 468, 480)
o 2 Information Literacy (RTH 459 & 468)
o Living in Diverse nation (RTH 372)
o Living in Global Society (RTH 480)
o Quantitative & Logical Reasoning (RTH 459)
o Explorations Beyond Classroom (RTH 497)
o Capstone (RTH 497)
RTH 475 is only taught in Fall
RTH 468 is only taught in Spring
No summer courses except RTH 348 Practicum and RTH 497
Internship
Recreation Therapy Quick Facts
Updated: 2/11/16
o
May need to do separate internship from RT major
requirement unless they can find a site with both
o Child-life is transitioning to Master level in 2020
3. Aquatic therapy class
4. Adapted sports class
5. Specializations in pediatrics, geriatrics, physical rehab and
behavioral health
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The Thematic Cluster for most RT students is Foundations
of Systems Thinking (EXS 216 & 217 and RTH 468) –
modeling and human behavior are also potential options
Students have the option to complete an RT concentration
or support courses approved by their advisor
Concentrations (3 courses plus focused internship) offered
are:
o Behavioral health
o Geriatrics
o Pediatrics
o Physical rehabilitation
RT has a “voluntary” national certification, however NC is one of a
handful of states that requires a licensure by state law which
means students must also pass the national certification exam
o From 2013 to May 2015, UNCW pass rate for national
certification was 86%
Student Involvement Opportunities . . .
Assistance Dog Training Program Overview:
o Four Courses open to anyone on campus
o RTH 286 - intro course (fulfills LDN), RTH 287 - limited to
30 that completed RTH 286, RTH 492 – limited to top 12
students in RTH 287 and they receive a dog to train 24/7
(this course has two parts for the same 12 students)
Specialty Courses/Electives
 Assistance Dog Training (RTH 286, 287, 492) (RTH 286 Living in a
Diverse Nation)
 Aquatic Therapy (spring semester only) (RTH 362) (RT majors only
or permission of instructor)
 RT and Child Life with Hospitalized Children (RTH 384) (every
other summer semester only) (RT majors only or permission of
instructor)
 Inclusive Recreation (RTH 303 Living in a Diverse Nation)
(summer semester only) (REC/RST majors or permission of
instructor)
 Adapted Sports (RTH 362) (summer semester only) (RT majors
only or permission of instructor)
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ARTS (Association of Recreation Therapy Students)
Honors College and Departmental Honors research
Study Abroad
Miracle League
Special Olympics
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Some students use RT as an undergraduate degree for
graduate study in OT or PT
o These students should take BIO 240 and 241 in
place of EXS 216 and 217 (though EXS 216/217 may
full prerequisites for some programs)
o The Thematic Cluster for most of these students is
Modeling (BIO 201, PSY 105, CHM 101) (may also be
appropriate for pre-nursing students)
Students in RT can do both OT and PT after completing the program,
however it’s best for them to complete prerequisites before starting
the RT program as RT semesters do not have room for additional
courses.