Master of Science in Recreation, Sport and Tourism - Online

Choose Your Own Path

Master's Degree

Finish in 18 months
Training for an advanced career

Career Advancement Courses

Fully Online
Flexibility to learn anywhere

Certificate

Choose your focus area
Three 8-week options

Why choose a degree in Recreation, Sport, and Tourism?

The demand for professionals with an advanced degree in the leisure service industry continues to increase. Job opportunities in parks and recreation, sports management, hotel management, convention and tourist bureaus, health and fitness clubs, and volunteer and youth agencies, just to name a few, are on the rise. Employees with graduate degrees will have the best opportunities for supervisory or administrative positions.

Is an Online Master of Science in Recreation, Sport, and Tourism right for me?

The online Master of Science in Recreation, Sport and Tourism is a 36-credit hour, 18-month degree with cohorts beginning in December, April and September. This degree provides you a quality and highly accessible education, ensuring that you are prepared to meet the changing requirements of the leisure services industry.

Stackable courses—Earn a Certificate.

Not ready to commit to a full master's program? You can start with the 12-credit-hour graduate certificate program, which is also fully online. If you decide to continue your education, all 12 of your credit hours in the certificate program will transfer into the master's degree program. To begin the certificate application process, fill out the expression of interest form.

Admissions Requirements

Bachelor's degree from a regionally-accredited college or university
Cumulative 3.0 GPA (4.0 grading scale) in the last 60 credit hours/two years
Two letters of recommendation
Personal Statement
International applicants must have proof of English proficiency (TOEFL IBT greater than 102; IELTS greater than 7.0)
No GRE required

Required Courses

One emphasis area course (4 hours) and three graduate elective courses (total of 12 hours) are required.
RST 501: Concepts & Applications in RST (4 credit hours)
RST 504: Applied Evaluation & Needs Assessment in RST (4 credit hours)
RST 512: Managing RST Organizations (4 credit hours)
RST 515: Marketing in RST (4 credit hours)
RST 516: Finance & Budgeting (4 credit hours)
RST 519: Strategic Management (4 credit hours)

Alumni Have Landing Jobs At...

Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Environmental Protection Agency
National Park Service
NCAA, NFL, NBA, & PGA
St. Louis Cardinals
US Olympic Committee
Chicago Blackhawks

Application Deadlines

Spring 2025
Apply by December 12, 2024

Hear more from others

Natalie Dukes, RST '20
Recreation Specialist, Tualatin Hills Parks & Recreation District

"The University of Illinois Online MS in RST has allowed me to jump-start my career in the recreation industry in a way that would not have been otherwise possible. Thanks to the incredible professors, I have been able to succeed in my coursework through a cross-country move and completion of an internship while also working full time."

Kristy Duncan, RST '11
Assistant Athletics Director & Head Women's Volleyball Coach at Illinois College

"The supportive and collaborative nature fostered in the online learning environment helped me connect with peers in my cohort to help expand my professional network."

Tyler Nelson, RST '20
United City of Yorkville, IL Parks and Recreation

"This program is allowing me to better myself, while balancing school, work and family, and it will open doors for me in the future. The flexibility of the program, price, and material covered creates an ideal situation for a working professional in the RST field to pursue a master's degree."

Skylar Peters, RST '16
4H/Youth Development Educator with Penn State Extension

"The online program allowed me to tailor my Master's education to research and development that suited my full-time job and allowed me to excel as an Extension Educator."

Hear from RST Alumna Eva Schmidt

Alumna Eva Schmidt shares how the online Master's Degree in RST from the University of Illinois helped her land her position as a customer service executive with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Hear from RST Alumnus Jay Lopez

RST Alumnus, Jay Lopez, talks about how helpful this degree is for his management skills and that pursuing an online graduate degree is doable while working full-time with a young family.