Leisure Studies Dalhousie University

Overview

Dalhousie University ’s Master of Arts Leisure Studies programme is a thesis-based programme with two main areas of research concentration: Therapeutic Recreation and Recreation Administration. We offer a welcoming and close-knit community situated within a large and diversified health science environment that offers multiple opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration and work.

Undergraduate degrees in fields as diverse as the humanities, the social sciences, recreation and leisure studies, and human movement studies provide a strong background for the MA Leisure programme. We guide our students toward becoming the leaders, healthcare professionals, and researchers in Leisure Studies that they aspire to be. Many applicants already have work experience in recreation, sport and fitness, or the arts, and they find they can easily apply their previous experience while acquiring new research and analytical skills.

The curriculum focuses on leisure across the life course, theoretical concepts related to leisure, and the delivery of leisure services in diverse contexts. Since leisure is a significant component in the promotion of social, physical, psychological, and spiritual health, students in this programme will graduate ready to apply their skills in a variety of settings.

Welcoming faculty help our students research the role of leisure in such topics as aging, community, diversity, management, and health and wellness. Through Dalhousie and its links with many institutions and organizations within Halifax and beyond, students make important connections, resulting in valuable and meaningful collaborative learning and career opportunities.

Situated within the School of Health and Human Performance, the MA Leisure Studies programme is perfectly positioned to provide students with interprofessional collaboration opportunities that emphasize the importance of leisure and its impact on health.

Possible careers include:

• Provincial government position

• Manager of sports, and/or recreation facilities

• Researcher 

• Instructor at a community college or university

Programme options

Non-thesis: Build your skills and knowledge in this course-based programme.