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MA in Recreation and Leisure Studies

Program Overview

The Master's degree program in Recreation and Leisure Studies offers the opportunity to study leisure and leisure behaviour from a variety of social science perspectives. Students learn to conduct independent scholarly research of high calibre through their coursework (usually completed during the first year of study) and a thesis (normally completed during the second year of study under the supervision of a faculty member).

The MA degree program is designed to achieve three objectives:

The MA program is designed for students who have demonstrated strong academic abilities at the undergraduate level. While there is a blend of applied and scholarly approaches, there is a strong emphasis on the ability to conceptualize and conduct independent research of high calibre.

Graduates from this program often seek careers which have a research component with governmental, professional, business or community organizations, or they go on to study at the PhD level.

Admission Requirements

See the Admissions link for further information on admission requirements.

Degree Requirements

The MA program requires five (5) one-term courses plus an MA thesis. Required courses include:

Students select three additional graduate elective courses from those offered within the department (each course is typically offered once every 2 years). Students may also elect to enroll in a "Selected Topics" or 'Internship" course or a graduate elective from another social science department at the Univeristy of Waterloo.

The MA thesis is the culmination of the master’s program, and normally takes 2 to 3 terms to complete.  For many students the thesis is the first time that they have been involved in independent research and it is typically both a demanding and a rewarding process.  Each student should work closely with his or her supervisor in selecting a research topic, writing a research proposal, conducting the research itself, and writing the final thesis.

The MA degree can be completed either on a full-time or part-time basis, but must be completed within the following time periods unless an extension has been granted (See Graduate Studies Calendar, Academic Regulations, Time Limits):

Faculty Advisors/Supervisors

When each graduate student enters the Department, the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies serves as a temporary graduate advisor. The advisor will assist the student in the selection of courses and other matters relating to the program of study but will not necessarily act as the thesis supervisor. Normally, a student will choose a thesis supervisor from faculty in the Department. Course work should normally be completed by the third or fourth term before registering for the thesis.

Student Evaluation

A review of each student's progress takes place during the month of May each year. Students are evaluated on several criteria, i.e., coursework and resulting grades, and, where appropriate, reports submitted by the students regarding their research and teaching assistantship activity. A grade average of at least B must be maintained.

Financial Support

Financial support in the form of teaching and/or research assistantships are provided for full time students during their first year. Students are encouraged to apply for scholarships and other forms of financial assistance as well.