Therapeutic Recreation at University of Waterloo

Programme overview

Leads to the Bachelor of Arts in Therapeutic Recreation. Activity, sport, creative arts, music, or nature-based activities – there are many ways to help people enhance their quality of life, foster social connections, support independent living, and have fun, too. Recreation therapists are health care providers who work in clinical and long-term care environments who address emotional, physical, and social needs – and use leisure, recreation, and play to help people of all abilities meet their goals, wherever they are. In one of just three such programs in Ontario, you’ll gain valuable academic and practical experience to prepare you for a career in therapeutic recreation. 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 developmental and emotional disabilities to therapeutic recreation facilitation techniques. You'll be taught by certified therapeutic recreation professionals and will gain true hands-on experience, through REC 450, a mandatory 560-hour internship course, and REC 253, a mandatory 105-hour practicum course. Sample upper-year courses include Therapeutic Recreation: Developmental and Emotional Disabilities, Therapeutic Recreation: Physical Disabilities, Canadian Health Systems, Therapeutic Recreation Facilitation Techniques.

Career pathways

As a graduate, you can work with clients in settings ranging from long-term care facilities to local community agencies. You’ll also be eligible to apply for registration with Therapeutic Recreation Ontario and for certification with the U.S.

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); Search our admission requirements for Recreation and Leisure Studies (RLS). You'll apply to RLS for the Therapeutic Recreation major. How to apply: Apply to Recreation and Leisure Studies and choose Therapeutic Recreation as your major. Offers 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 Therapeutic Recreation 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

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