The curriculum of the Master of Science in Recreation, Sport and Tourism consists of nine 4-credit hour courses, to be taken in the order listed below.
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- RST 501: Theories & Concepts of Leisure
Reviews basic philosophical, historical, and scientific foundations and developments in leisure and recreation. Analyzes the significance of leisure in modern societies. Provides a critical review of major writings in the field with attention to particular special problem areas and current issues.
Credit: 4 Sem. Hr(s).
Course Starts: Offered in September and January of each year
- RST 502: Critical Issues in Recreation Management*
Provides an in-depth study of the public administrative functions in large complex organizational structures. Develops an understanding of change and evolution in leisure service agencies as related to the internal and external environments. Studies various management styles and situations in leisure service agencies.
Credit: 4 Sem. Hr(s).
Course Starts: Offered in November and March of each year
- RST 520: Critical Issues in Sport Management*
Provides an analysis of the sport industry with a special emphasis given to the role and functions of the sport manager. Addresses advanced issues related to organizational theory, finance, marketing, sponsorship, contemporary management and leadership, decision making and strategic planning.
Credit: 4 Sem. Hr(s).
Course Starts: Offered in November and March of each year
- RST 530: Critical Issues in Tourism Management*
Exposes students to advanced theories, methods, practices and principles that govern tourism behavior. Surveys the body of literature on tourism, examining ongoing debates regarding how individuals travel and the structures of institutions that shape travel.
Credit: 4 Sem. Hr(s).
Course Starts: Offered in November and March of each year
- RST 515: Marketing in Recreation, Sport and Tourism
Examines quality service issues and service strategies needed to attain competitive advantage across leisure industries. Using a customer-focused management framework, focuses on customer satisfaction and retention, linking service quality, customer lifetime value, profitability segmentation, services mapping, understanding customer expectations and developing service and customer-focused relationship marketing strategies.
Credit: 4 Sem. Hr(s).
Course Starts: Offered in January and May of each year
- RST 594EM: Event and Facility Management
Provides an understanding of the theoretical models and business principles necessary for the development of a facility from initial planning and feasibility studies to organizational structure through the development of a facility plan. Further, students acquire an in-depth knowledge of the specialized field of event management and become familiar with management techniques and strategies required for successful planning, promotion, implementation and evaluation of special events within the context of recreation, sport and tourism.
Credit: 4 Sem. Hr(s).
Course Starts: Offered in March and July of each year
- RST 512: Human Resources in Recreation, Sport and Tourism
Examines theoretical and technical principles of personnel managers in leisure service agencies. Covers recruitment, training, selection, and evaluation of personnel with special emphasis on applied measurement concepts and legislation related to personnel administration in leisure services.
Credit: 4 Sem. Hr(s).
Course Starts: Offered in May and September of each year
- RST 594FB: Finance and Budgeting
Serves as a comprehensive study in the financing of leisure organizations. Emphasizes the budgeting process, revenue generation, expenditure, management, and other issues faced by such entities. Examines potential strategies that organizations use to cope with these unique concerns.
Credit: 4 Sem. Hr(s).
Course Starts: Offered in July and November of each year
- RST 503: Advanced Leisure Research Methods
Examines methods and techniques of conducting and evaluating leisure research; experimental and survey designs and procedures; and data collection, reduction and analysis.
Credit: 4 Sem. Hr(s).
Course Starts: Offered in September and January of each year
- RST 594SM: Strategic Management
Provides an opportunity to integrate the concepts and principles learned in the department's core courses and bring them together to address the critical issues that face an organization of interest. Simultaneously examines other global concerns in recreation, sport and tourism that require students to define the problem, formulate potential problem-solving alternatives, and communicate their recommendations for action. Takes an analytical approach to strategic and organizational change and provides students with a knowledge base to positively impact organizations.
Credit: 4 Sem. Hr(s).
Course Starts: Offered in November and March of each year
- RST 593: Special Problems
Final course in the program. Students conduct independent research on special projects.
Credit: 4 Sem. Hr(s).
Course Starts: Offered in January and May of each year
* Students will take one of these three courses, depending on their chosen specialization.
Textbooks and course packets are available online through our virtual bookstore. Ordering materials is easy and straightforward. Various shipment and payment options are available, and orders are shipped within 24 hours, Monday through Friday. Electronic books and used books will be available for purchase whenever possible, and students will often have the option to sell their books back to the bookstore at the end of a class.
The University of Illinois provides easy access to library resources online, including electronic reserves and materials necessary to complete course-related research. Assistance will be available by email, phone, or virtual chat. Online tutorials, guides, and other forms of assistance will help you gain familiarity with the library resources most appropriate for your program.
