The Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Administration (RPTA) at Western Illinois University has created two programs to assist practitioners in attaining their educational goals.
Beginning in August 2023, practitioners will be able to complete a Masters' Practitioners Option and/or a Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Event Planning without ever having to go to a physical campus. These programs were created because work obligations and distance make it difficult for some students, especially those with employment and familial responsibilities, to relocate or travel to campus.
These programs were designed to be different from typical online programs where learning occurs in isolation. Instead, students will experience collaborative learning as they interact in real-time with faculty and fellow learners.
The RPTA Masters' Practitioners Option is a 30-credit hour program designed for working professionals in public recreation and non-profit administration. Six required classes, covering professional ethics, experience studies/evaluation, facility management, fiscal management, fundraising and volunteerism and planning will be delivered via Zoom during evenings.
Each semester, two required courses will be offered during evening classes. Practitioners will be able to select two elective courses among the many that are offered in a variety of online delivery formats. They can take these courses based on their schedules in delivery options that work the best with their schedules.
The culminating experience for the program will allow practitioners to apply their academic learning to address real world situations they are navigating.
The RPTA Postbaccalaureate Certificate (PBC) in Event Planning is an 18-credit hour program that can be completed separately or in conjunction with the Masters' Practitioner Option. This certificate will benefit individuals interested in advancing their knowledge of theoretical and applied event best practices in commercial, public and non-profit industries.
Four core classes are delivered one Saturday a month over Zoom, two courses each semester, and electives are offered in a variety of delivery formats, including digital. Courses in the certificate can be used as electives in the Masters' Practitioners Option.
In addition to the MS Practitioners Option and PBC in Event Planning, students can complete a bachelor's and MS Traditional Option in RPTA on the Macomb Campus, or remotely through livestreamed (Zoom) courses and asynchronous delivery options.
For more information, visit wiu.edu/mpopbcepm or contact RPTA Graduate Coordinator Jeremy Robinett at jl-robinett@wiu.edu or at (309) 298-1967.
Categories: Illinois, Education