Academic Accelerator - Bachelor of Arts - Recreational Therapy

Program Description

The Academic Accelerator Program (AAP) is a balanced first-year program for international students with good English-language skills. It supplements immersive classes taught in English with just the right amount of support.

Students in the Academic Accelerator receive:

• The right amount of support for their academic and English-speaking needs
• A full year’s worth of college credits
• Access to courses exclusively for international students
• English-language help with words they need to know for their classes
• A mix of classes with international and U.S. students

Recreational therapy (RT) is a form of therapy that uses physical recreation and activities to help people with illnesses or disabling conditions achieve mental and physical health. This therapy might include dancing, playing a sport, hiking, cooking, or even playing a video game. If students like being active and want to help others at the same time, they can consider majoring in Recreational Therapy. This program will give students the counseling techniques and knowledge they need to help rehabilitate individuals and educate them on the support systems and skills needed to maintain their health and happiness. The RT curriculum covers topics in recreational therapy foundations and treatment methods: through a combination of coursework, community programs, and treatment services, students learn how to conduct treatment planning and provide therapy. The culminating experience of the program is a recreational therapy internship through a local agency, preparing students for work in a professional environment. Students of this program graduate well-prepared to apply for licensure to practice as therapists or to find jobs in allied fields.

The Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science in Recreational Therapy program will help students to develop a wide variety of clinical skills necessary for the recreational therapist such as: assessment, treatment planning, problem-solving, behavior analysis, appropriate intervention implementation, and evaluation. Students acquire both theoretical and practical experiences and have an understanding of consumer health needs within community-based programs as well as treatment-based services. The University of Utah RT coursework prepares the student to take the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) examination to become a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS). Graduates of the U of U have consistently scored higher than the national average on this certification exam.