Recreation, Sport and Tourism at Illinois
Flexible Schedule
Master’s degree can be earned in as few as 18 months
Advance Online
Fully online so you can complete at your own pace
Certificate Options
Choose your focus area with three 8-week courses
RST alumni have landed jobs with Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Environmental Protection Agency, National Park Service, NCAA, NFL, NBA, PGA, St. Louis Cardinals, U.S. Olympic Committee, Chicago Blackhawks and many more!
Start here to learn which path best meets your needs and goals. You have options!
RST Alumni Vignette
Alumna Eva Schmidt talks about how the online master’s degree in RST has helped elevate her career in professional sports while allowing flexibility to pursue further education.
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.
Looking for something on campus? Check out the residential M.S. in RST program.
Are there other options shorter than a full degree?
Yes! 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 at the top of this page.
What are the admissions requirements?
The general requirements are below, but see the RST Graduate Admissions page for full details.
- 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
Hear More from RST Alumni
Kristy Duncan, RST ’11
Assistant Athletics Director and 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, Ill. 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.”
Become a leader in recreation, sport or tourism fields.
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