Pathways to the Profession

So what does a job in collegiate rec mean, exactly?

There are a lot of different careers that fall under the umbrella of collegiate recreation. Each one, in its own way, makes the whole of a collegiate recreation and wellness department possible. Below, you’ll find information on the many dynamic areas of growth in our industry.

NIRSA offers professional development training and resources in each of these areas. If you’re interested in learning more about a particular job, get in touch with the Student Leadership Team or representatives from our Mentor Program to be put in touch with a NIRSA professional who can answer your questions about his or her career

In providing amazing programs for students, we can’t overlook the numbers. Although most collegiate recreation departments do not have their own accountant, budgeting is extremely important to this field. Most programs are continuously growing and seeking the advice of accountants. NIRSA Institutional Members may not offer many accounting jobs per se, but accountants are close associates with many of those institutions.

Architects may not be hired on as full-time staff at any collegiate recreation department; however, they are extremely important to our field. Many campuses renovate,  remodel, or build entirely new complexes as the needs of their student population grows or evolves. Thus, collegiate recreation professionals often form tight-knit relationships with architects who understand their department’s needs.

Collegiate recreation professionals are often leaders. The profession harnesses the great talent of our community via values and management capabilities taught in business classes. Business majors often make successful transitions into the collegiate recreation field with their awesome communication skills and overall drive.

Collegiate recreation has a place for the html gurus, savvy bloggers, and social media mavens.  More and more university programs and services are becoming accessible online. Many collegiate recreation departments post their fitness class schedules, conduct online registration of intramural sports teams, and market their programs and services via the Web. Collegiate recreation has a place for the html gurus, savvy bloggers, and social media mavens.  Collegiate recreation is not afraid of the digital age. In fact, we embrace it.

Any of the health related fields will more than prepare you to acquire any of the national certifications most collegiate recreation departments look for when hiring. Almost all collegiate recreation departments have fitness specialists on board! Are you their next hire?

Marketing is an essential element to every collegiate recreation department. With a constant and exciting slew of programs and services to promote, many NIRSA Institutional members offer job opportunities for marketing majors.

Collegiate Recreation is a student service, period. If you have developing, budgeting, implementing, or supervising programs and services for students, then consider how your role can transfer into planning special events within the collegiate recreational profession.