Recreation, Leadership, and Health at University of Waterloo

Programme overview

Leads to the Bachelor of Arts in Recreation, Leadership, and Health. We know recreation is key to happy, healthy, and connected communities. It takes strong, people-minded leaders to build new opportunities for recreation and make positive change in the world. You’ll learn how to plan, implement, and evaluate recreation programs and initiatives to build healthy populations. Available in the regular system of study or the co-op system.

Faculty: Faculty of Health | Study mode: full-time | Location: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

What you will study

About half of the classes you'll take will be Recreation and Leisure Studies courses, with topics ranging from outdoor recreation to leadership theory to action for community change. The other half dives into inter-disciplinary topics including sustainability, Indigeneity, and conflict resolution. Sample upper-year courses include Introduction to Leisure, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion for Just Communities, Outdoor Recreation and Land-based LearningREC 230 – Outdoor Recreation and Land-based Learning, Social Determinants of Health, Leadership Theory and Practice in Recreation, Sport, and Leisure Organizations, Leading Action for Community Change, Leisure and Well-being.

Career pathways

Graduates often pursue careers in areas such as event management, program coordination, education, not-for-profit administration, facilities management, and community development.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Ontario applicants: Six Grade 12 U and/or M courses including Any Grade 12 U English (minimum final grade of 70% is required); Admission average: low 80s (co-op and regular). How to apply: You'll apply to Recreation and Leisure Studies and select Recreation, Leadership, and Health as your major. Offer of admission If you're admitted to the program, your Offer of Admission will be to Recreation and Leisure Studies. Once you accept your offer, you'll be enrolled in Recreation, Leadership, and Health and start that major in September.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the courses you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

First-year students are admitted for the September (fall) term only. Terms: fall (September to December), winter (January to April), spring (May to August). Part-time, online, post-degree and non-degree studies can start in the winter, spring or fall term.

Applications for September 2027 entry close on 1 February 2027 for programs other than Engineering (documents due 15 February 2027) and on 15 January 2027 for Engineering programs other than Architecture (documents due 1 February 2027). International students have the same deadlines. Full-time applicants apply through the Ontario Universities' Application Centre (OUAC).

Part-time, online, post-degree and non-degree studies: winter 2027 applications close 30 October 2026 for degree and non-degree (13 November 2026 for post-degree); spring 2027 applications close 26 February 2027 for degree and non-degree (12 March 2027 for post-degree). Optometry closes 12 November 2026 and Pharmacy closes 6 January 2027.

Apply through the official page: https://uwaterloo.ca/future-students/admissions/how-to-apply

Explore more study programmes

Business