52 undergraduate courses in the 2026–27 Undergraduate Calendar, and 26 graduate courses in the Fall 2026 Graduate Calendar.
An overview of the broad field of recreation and leisure emphasizing the understanding of various leisure phenomena. As such, it provides the student with an introductory understanding of the nature and scope of leisure, leisure behaviour, and affiliated recreation activity.
Using a wide variety of leisure, sport, and recreation organizations as examples, this course introduces students to the nature and scope of services and sectors. Topics include program components, the classification and management of resources, professionalism, and current managerial trends and future developments.
The scope of recreation program design and delivery is examined with particular emphasis on needs assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. This course emphasizes the application of the various management principles required for service delivery.
This course is designed to examine models, theories, tools, and techniques required in the design, facilitation, and evaluation of therapeutic recreation services for individuals and groups.
One or more term courses will be offered from time to time as announced by the Recreation and Leisure Studies Department. Subjects will be dependent upon special research and/or instructional interests of faculty.
The course explores historical and modern conceptualizations of play. Course topics may include indoor and outdoor play spaces, play-based learning, toys and games, technology and media literacy, play inequities, risky play and play beyond childhood. Students will develop the knowledge and skills for developing and supporting children's play in leisure and learning contexts.
This course focuses on how justice, equity, and liberation can be taken up within and promoted through recreation, leisure, and community. Emphasis is placed on just communities that put liberation of all peoples at the forefront of relations including self-care, community care, and environmental care. It explores why social justice matters by introducing issues related to inclusivity, privilege, power, marginalization, identities, and oppression. Topics for critique and resistance may include, but are not limited to gentrification, capitalism, settler colonialisms, environmental injustice, and other systemic barriers at play within our leisure lives and communities.
This course considers the historical impact of Western sport. It traces the history from individual play through amateurism to professionalism, big business, and media. It examines sport's social role within local, national, and international communities, and its relationship to class, gender, leisure, race, and politics.
This course examines sport in modern societies and the distinctive features of Canadian sport. Attention is directed to the relationship between sport and other institutions, including the economy and political system. Contemporary issues, including racial and gender inequality and controversies over violence and drugs are also considered.
Sport, like philosophy, is the source of constant and passionate debate. This course brings the two subjects together. Through reading, writing, and small group discussion of texts from a wide range of disciplines, including philosophy, sociology, and popular sports journalism, students will use the tools and concepts of philosophy to explore important questions about sport, such as: What is sport? What is the value of sport for participants or fans? Are violent sports unethical? Should performance enhancing drugs be banned? Why are most sports segregated by gender, and should they be? Students will develop their ability to understand and evaluate philosophical and ethical concepts and arguments that relate to sports and build the critical thinking and communication skills required to advance their own arguments and perspectives.
This course explores the business of professional sport around the world. Topics may include league policy and governance, strategic growth and development, media, team building, analytics, financial management, and business ethics.
Exploration of marketing concepts and methods available to public, commercial and private recreation, sport and event organizations. Topics may include the marketing philosophy, market research, market segmentation, and marketing mix strategies related to programming, distributing, pricing and promoting recreation, sport, and event experiences.
This course examines social entrepreneurship as a means for improving individual and community well-being. Focus will be placed on learning and implementing tools which businesses, citizens, and consumers can use to address social issues. Students will complete the course with an understanding of their personal responsibilities and roles as community/ global citizens providing opportunities for students to practice their leadership skills and support their career development. Emphasis may be placed on the role of social entrepreneurship in addressing issues related to social justice, inclusion, and sustainability practices.
This course will offer students a broad understanding of event studies from theoretical and applied perspectives. Particular emphasis will be placed on exploring issues relevant to event management, defining and categorizing events based on their purposes and outcomes, and understanding and critiquing the role of events in society.
This course examines outdoor recreation experience and program delivery in relation to Indigenous-led land-based learning initiatives. It integrates experiential learning with critical thinking and applied skills to explore how ideas and practices of Indigenization, reconciliation, and decolonization relate to the community and health benefits often associated with outdoor leisure, sport, tourism, and events.
This course is designed to explore the etiology of disability and the role of therapeutic recreation in the lives of people with developmental and emotional disabilities.
This course is designed to explore medical, sociocultural, and experiential understandings of physical disability and the role of therapeutic recreation in the lives of people disabled by physical, natural, and social environments and structures within community.
This course involves an unpaid practical experience for students in Honours Therapeutic Recreation. The placement supervisor must be approved by the academic supervisor prior to registering for the course. The practicum will require 105 hours interspersed over one academic term (15 weeks).
This course introduces students to what makes a community and the theories, models, and concepts central to community organizing, building, and engagement. Students will learn about changing community demographics and how various systems, sectors, and services influence community well-being and health. Students will develop their understanding of the ethical, social, and cultural dimensions of community recreation leadership, preparing them for roles in building vibrant and inclusive communities.
One or more term courses will be offered from time to time as announced by the Recreation and Leisure Studies Department. Subjects will be dependent upon special research and/or instructional interests of faculty.
The scope and nature of tourism as a contemporary leisure experience is examined along with economic, political and social ramifications, research strategies employed, and implications for the future.
This course explores theories and practices of youth development in sport and recreation, emphasizing inclusive, developmentally appropriate, and evidence-based approaches. Students will critically examine program design, participation trends, and the broader social contexts that shape youth experiences in sport and recreation settings. Through interactive projects, students will become meaningful leaders in the lives of youth.
This course draws on a range of feminist theories and frameworks to examine the interconnections between gender and health in local, national, and international contexts. Topics may include the medicalization of gendered bodies; reproductive experiences, choices, technologies and rights; health care systems and institutions; health policy; and the links with leisure, recreation, and health. Intersections of gender with race, ethnicity, sexual identity, (dis)ability, class, religion, aging, and other axes of oppression will also be addressed.
REC 312 involves an unpaid placement in an organization related to recreation, sport, business, or tourism. Placement opportunities will be facilitated by the course instructor, in partnership with the supervising organization.The placement will require 105 hours interspersed over one academic term (15 weeks). The completion of these hours will be determined by the placement supervisor, in consultation with the student.
This course introduces students to the policies, programming, and management strategies involved in supporting the amateur sport system from early sport and recreation participation to the international stage. Students will learn about key actors, sport policy, long-term athlete development, board governance, fundraising and grants, strategic partnerships, and volunteer management. Specific emphasis will be given to critical thinking related to how effective governance systems can be implemented.
This course provides a comprehensive exploration of leadership theories and their application within recreation, sport, and leisure organizations. Students will integrate theoretical foundations with real-world applications and reflexive learning. Topics may include building resilient leaders and teams, effective collaboration strategies, as well as the responsibilities and consequences of different approaches to leadership. Specific emphasis will be given to a leader’s role in building organizational culture and well-being. Students will have the opportunity to participate in leadership- and communication-focused experiential learning.
This course focuses on the core areas of event planning and design including logistics, risk management, human resources, sponsorship and financial management, marketing and assessments. Students will learn through lectures and collaboration with community partners how to conceptualize and design events to achieve important outcomes such as social justice, inclusion, economic development, environmental sustainability, tourism development, sport development, and community well-being.
This course is designed to examine the scope of modalities and facilitation techniques used by therapeutic recreation professions in the facilitation of therapeutic recreation interventions for individuals and groups in a variety of therapeutic recreation settings.
This course examines the processes and practices of supporting community change for health and well-being. Students will gain knowledge and experience to be effective advocates for equitable recreation and leisure opportunities and sustainable transformation within various communities. Students will learn theories and skills to advocate for and lead policy and upstream changes that positively influence community well-being. Students will work closely with community partners to understand and experience how to plan, fund, implement, and analyze elements of communication, public relations, and grassroots organizing.
This course is designed to examine theories, concepts, and evidence informing the design and facilitation of therapeutic recreation practice.
This course is designed to familiarize the student with the characteristics of the aging population, particularly as related to recreation, leisure, and lifestyle. It focuses both on the theoretical aspects of aging and their implications for leisure and on the practical aspects of recreation and leisure program development, delivery, and facilitation for all older adults.
An introduction to individual and population aging. Topics discussed include: aging from a historical and comparative perspective; aging in subcultures; aging and the social structure; aging and social processes; aging and the environment; work and retirement; and aging and leisure patterns.
This course provides students with skills to collect, organize, visualize, analyze, interpret, and communicate quantitative data. Students will develop their analytic and problem-solving skills and develop solutions with the use of statistical analysis. Students will learn to use data management software tools.
One or more term courses will be offered from time to time as announced by the Recreation and Leisure Studies Department. Subjects will be dependent upon special research and/or instructional interests of faculty.
An exploration of qualitative methodologies used in the fields of leisure. Philosophies, theoretical orientations, and ethical considerations will be emphasized as students discuss and participate in various approaches to research design, data collection, analysis, and representation.
The course examines the nature, significance, and costs and benefits of tourism in the context of tourism destinations in developed and developing countries. It employs an international perspective to assess the economic, environmental, social, and cultural impacts of tourism in diverse settings.
This course examines relationships between various aspects of leisure and well-being from a holistic perspective. Both positive and negative implications of leisure and recreational pursuits for well-being are considered for individuals, communities, and environments.
This capstone course allows students to reflect upon and integrate insights and skills they have gathered during their studies. Specifically, students will draw upon knowledge gained in previous courses and relevant work experience to identify and address complex managerial challenges. These challenges may be social and/or organizational in scope, and approaches used may be multi-sectorial in nature. Students will develop plans and measures that confront those challenges in innovative ways that best achieve stated goals and objectives.
This course explores the effective implementation and leverage of events to achieve event impacts. Students will also examine various quantitative and/or qualitative event evaluation methods.
Students will acquire knowledge and skills to plan and conduct evaluations of leisure services and programs. The course will cover pre-evaluation, needs assessment, goals and outcomes, evaluation designs, process and outcome evaluation, report preparation, evaluation politics, and ethics.
This course examines the employment of recreation, sport, and tourism to transform, enliven, and/or alter community spaces. In doing so, it explores the potential of (re)shaping, (re)territorializing, and (re)making the built environment with the intent of interpreting, narrating, and imagining places to inscribe them with meaning and value. With an emphasis on principles of transformative placemaking, students are encouraged to envision meaningful alterations of places to better meet the needs of communities.
This course will examine the role of cultural heritage resources in urban and regional planning. Students will discuss different types of cultural heritage resources, including their identification, evaluation, promotion, protection, and role in community identity. Students will also consider the legislative and policy frameworks for heritage conservation and learn how to apply key tools for inventorying and evaluating cultural heritage resources.
This blended course includes a field and online learning experience and focuses on the philosophical, socio-cultural, health, and ecological dimensions of ecotourism, and the skills and practices necessary for planning and managing ecotourism for community development and well-being. The course will involve one or more overnight excursions to ecotourism destinations in Ontario (e.g., Muskoka or Haliburton region).
This advanced-level study abroad course offers a comprehensive examination of the dynamic field of international sport management. This course takes place in an international location which may vary in each course offering. Engaging lectures, interactive discussions, and the site visits/tours to prominent sport organizations and venues will provide students with first-hand insights into the global significance and rich cultural community development, and the socio-economic impacts of sport on global communities.
This internship course provides an opportunity for students to use the therapeutic recreation process and demonstrate core competencies of professional and ethical conduct in an approved therapeutic recreation setting. The student must engage in minimum 560-hour (typically completed over a minimum of 14 consecutive weeks) internship at or with an approved organization under the shared supervision of a qualified Therapeutic Recreation professional and an academic supervisor. The student has one opportunity to attempt the internship and must achieve a minimum grade of 70% to obtain the course credit.
This course is designed to facilitate an in-depth exploration and analysis of philosophical issues and interdisciplinary theories to discuss how they relate to therapeutic recreation practice and research.
This course critically examines the complex challenges and trends in community recreation and leisure and explores opportunities to respond to these challenges with innovation and creativity. The course draws on an interdisciplinary approach to system-level change for healthy communities. Through a collaborative capstone project, students will demonstrate critical analysis and advanced leadership required to drive positive change and contribute to the well-being of diverse communities.
The honours recreation and leisure studies undergraduate thesis is an independent research project on an approved topic supervised by a faculty member. To complete the honours thesis, students are expected to complete both REC 471A and REC 471B. REC 471A includes an approved design and completion of the research proposal.
The honours recreation and leisure studies undergraduate thesis is an independent research project on an approved topic supervised by a faculty member. The thesis is comprised of REC 471A and REC 471B. Enrolment in REC 471B requires the approval of the academic supervisor.
One or more term courses will be offered from time to time as announced by the Recreation and Leisure Studies Department. Subjects will be dependent upon special research and/or instructional interests of faculty.
This course allows students to pursue a particular topic in depth through guided independent study. Students will be encouraged to synthesize evidence and/or scholarship from a number of sources to mobilize knowledge in a way that makes information accessible, relevant, and actionable for the needs of a particular audience, including academia, community, organization, or sector.
This seminar-type course provides students an opportunity to situate their past learning and work experience with broader contemporary and critical issues associated with tourism development, sustainability, society, and both individual and community well-being.
From the Fall 2026 Graduate Calendar.
An examination and discussion of the definitions, concepts and theories used in recreation and leisure studies. The seminar seeks to identify and discuss current theories, methods, and issues, and to examine the concepts of professionalism and scientific inquiry as they apply to the field of recreation.
A critical exploration of research design, ethics, methodological approaches, methods, and data analysis that can support evaluation in organizations and professional settings.
A structured experience in a specified community agency to provide the student with the opportunity to relate theory and practice. A minimum of 50 hours per term will be required. Approval of Faculty Supervisor and Field Supervisor; Faculty Supervisor to assign grade via final written report, in consultation with Field Supervisor.
An overview of processes for collecting, synthesizing, and communicating information for diverse audiences. Topic areas may include information literacy, knowledge translation, and communication skills specific to marketing, grants, reports, and policy documents.
This course focuses on the foundations of effective organizational leadership. Drawing on concepts from organizational theory and organizational behaviour, students will learn how to successfully lead change, build high performance organizational cultures, manage conflict, and mobilize people. The course will inspire students to develop their own leadership capacity to achieve an organization’s vision and objectives.
Students work in teams to develop and apply their theoretical knowledge and research skills to an evaluation project. Projects may include, but are not limited to, evaluability studies, needs assessments, outcome evaluations or process evaluations. Teams work with existing organizations to identify relevant projects, carry them out, and ensure the utilization of findings.
This course will examine and critique contemporary issues and practices in equity, diversity, and inclusion. Students will consider and reimagine how institutions, organizations, and communities can facilitate culture change for more just futures.
The elective course will examine contemporary issues related to one of the five thematic areas of the Recreation and Leisure Studies graduate curriculum, specifically leisure, place and space.
Students will learn effective ways to build community through engaging diverse stakeholders including citizens and grassroots organizations, non-profit organizations, business, government, and funders.
Using a critical lens, students will explore and analyze topics including disability, illness, health, and well-being in relation to recreation and leisure. Issues more directly connected to practice will also be explored, including practice models, social inclusion, accessibility, relationships, and relationship-building in leisure and recreation settings.
An examination of epistemological, methodological, and analytical issues in quantitative approaches to research. Emphasis is placed on diverse forms of research design, data collection, and statistical analysis. Topics may include diverse forms of measurement, scale development, sampling, survey design, statistical methods and interpretation, and applications of theory in quantitative research. The course includes discussions of the implications of empirical research in the field and ethical issues in the research process.
An examination of various qualitative research processes including ontological and epistemological underpinnings, theoretical frameworks, methodologies, methods, analysis, and both traditional and creative analytic representations. Students will investigate methodological possibilities and ways of navigating philosophical, political, and ethical considerations related to undertaking qualitative inquiry.
Examines and applies a variety of statistical techniques used in the analysis of leisure research data. Emphasis is placed on the interpretation and implications of empirical research in the field. Note: An undergraduate statistics course and permission of the instructor is required.
This course provides a scholarly environment for graduate students working on individual qualitative research projects. It builds on foundational knowledge of onto-epistemological perspectives, theoretical frameworks, and qualitative methodologies explored in REC 663 by examining how these aspects inform and guide individual research designs. Students will be expected to spend considerable time working on research ethics, theoretical perspective, literature review, methodology, data collection techniques, analysis styles, and various forms of representation.
Topic(s) to be negotiated on an individual or small group basis with members of the faculty.
An examination of the different paradigmatic perspective that influence the multidisciplinary field of Leisure Studies. The interrelationships among paradigms, theories, epistemologies, and methodologies are explored, with particular attention to their application to current research in the field. Graded on a Cr/NCr basis.
This course will provide an overview of current thinking on work and health by introducing students to major substantive topics in the area from a multi-disciplinary perspective. The course will critically examine a variety of topics that may be investigated from different disciplinary perspectives. Classes will include presentations by faculty members representing different disciplines in the collaborative program. Examples of topics discussed in a given term may include work-stress relationships, healthy workplaces, and vulnerable populations.
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to different ways of designing and implementing research within the topic area of work and health as well as some of the practical, political and ethical challenges. The course content will include an examination of the epistemological positions associated with different types of research questions, analysis of case studies of research in work and health, and discussions of proposed research questions and proposals that examine problems from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. The course will also include presentations by researchers and practitioners from the work and health domain, who will facilitate discussions on the challenges and opportunities of conducting and applying research in this area.
This seminar is a forum for student presentations about results of or proposals for research. Invited speakers will also present results of research from time to time. Attendance at the seminar is required for two terms (i.e., during the candidates' first two years in the program). Attendance beyond that is encouraged. The range of topics that will be addressed in the seminar crosses all areas of investigation in the collaborative program. Grading will be on a credit/no credit basis.
This seminar is a forum for student presentations about results of or proposals for research. Invited speakers will also present results of research from time to time. Attendance at the seminar is required for two terms (i.e., during the candidates' first two years in the program). Attendance beyond that is encouraged. The range of topics that will be addressed in the seminar crosses all areas of investigation in the collaborative program. Grading will be on a credit/no credit basis.
This survey course will be team-taught by members of the collaborative program and will serve to introduce students to major sub-areas of aging, health and well-being research. Topics will be covered from each Department within the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences.
This seminar is a forum for Aging, Health and Well-Being students to present about their research. Invited speakers will also discuss relevant research or professional development. Attendance at the seminar is required for two terms (i.e., through completion of HLTH/KIN/REC 751A and HLTH/KIN/REC 751B, respectively, over the students' first two years in the program). The topics addressed in the seminar cross all disciplines of the Collaborative Aging, Health and Well-Being Program.
This seminar is a forum for Aging, Health and Well-Being students to present about their research. Invited speakers will also discuss relevant research or professional development. Attendance at the seminar is required for two terms (i.e., through completion of HLTH/KIN/REC 751A and HLTH/KIN/REC 751B, respectively, over the students' first two years in the program). The topics addressed in the seminar cross all disciplines of the Collaborative Aging, Health and Well-Being Program.
Examines and applies a variety of statistical techniques used in the analysis of leisure research data. Emphasis is placed on the interpretation and implications of empirical research in the field. Note: An undergraduate statistics course and permission of the instructor is required.
This course provides a scholarly environment for graduate students working on individual qualitative research projects. It builds on foundational knowledge of onto-epistemological perspectives, theoretical frameworks, and qualitative methodologies explored in REC 663 by examining how these aspects inform and guide individual research designs. Students will be expected to spend considerable time working on research ethics, theoretical perspective, literature review, methodology, data collection techniques, analysis styles, and various forms of representation.
An in-depth analysis of specific topics of interest. The particular topics for a given term will be determined by the interests of the faculty and participating students. The form of the study may include a literature review or the planning and execution of an independent research study leading to a major paper.