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Recreation and Sport Management Accreditation Information

Nationally Accredited Since 1985

The Recreation and Sport Management undergraduate professional core and the Therapeutic Recreation sequence have been accredited by the Council on Accreditation for Parks, Recreation, Tourism, and Related Professions since 1985. The Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism, and Related Professions (COAPRT) accredits programs in parks, recreation, tourism, sport management, event management, therapeutic recreation, and leisure studies offered at regionally accredited institutions within the United States and its territories, and at nationally accredited institutions in Canada, and Mexico.

COAPRT standard 2.05.05 requires reporting of aggregated results of learning outcomes assessment. Some of our most recent data findings follow: 

  • In 2023, Recreation Management senior student groups earned an average 90.5% on their program experience project designing, leading, and evaluating a program for participants in a variety of settings. 
  • In 2023, Therapeutic Recreation senior students earned an average 93% on their Lab Leadership assignment, planning, implementing, and evaluating two Therapeutic Recreation technique sessions with peers in their class. 
  • In 2023, RSM junior/senior students earned an average 95% on their agency evaluation project where they designed, collected, and analyzed evaluation data for a professional agency partner. 
  • RSM 2023 graduates scored an average 98% on their supervisor evaluation at the end of their senior internship. 
  • Additional evidence reflecting academic quality, student achievement, and 7.0 series aggregate data is available in the Recreation and Sport Management Assessment Report.

For more information about the accreditation status of our program, please visit the COART Program Detail website

Important Information Regarding Degree Mills

Please watch this important video regarding degree and accreditation mills. According to the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), "Degree mills and accreditation mills mislead and harm. In the United States, degrees and certificates from mills may not be acknowledged by other institutions when students seek to transfer or go to graduate school. Employers may not acknowledge degrees and certificates when providing tuition assistance for continuing education. "Accreditation from an accreditation mill can mislead students and the public about the quality of an institution. In the presence of degree mills and accreditation mills, students may spend a good deal of money and receive neither an education nor a useable credential."

Read more on CHEA's website.

Illinois State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.