Department of Recreation Management and Physical Education

Accreditation

  1. Home
  2. Academic Programs
  3. Recreation Management
  4. Accreditation

Accreditation is a process that assures the educational community and the general public that an institution or a program has clearly defined and appropriate objectives and maintains conditions under which their achievement can reasonably be expected. It encourages improvement through continuous self-study and review. It fosters excellence in postsecondary education through the development of principles and guidelines for assessing educational effectiveness. Accreditations can be for the university, colleges, departments or specific programs. Appalachian State University is currently SACS accredited and has been since 1942.

The Recreation Management program at Appalachian State University has been continuously accredited by the Council on Accreditation for Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Related Professions (COAPRT). COAPRT recognizes academic programs in colleges and universities that prepare new professionals to enter the parks, recreation, tourism and related professions COAPRT Accreditation is a status granted to an academic program that meets or exceeds stated criteria of educational quality. In the United States, accreditation of professional preparation curricula is conferred by non-governmental bodies, which are often closely associated with professional associations in the field. COAPRT accredits baccalaureate degree programs in this profession. COAPRT is accredited by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). The links below will take you to a (PDF, version of our latest accreditation report and the report from COAPRT.

Internship Experience (RM 4900) Response to Pandemic 2020: 

In response to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic and North Carolina stay at home orders, the RM program did not encourage traditional field internships for 2020. For students that had over 122 credit hours and adequate field experiences (through class, volunteer work, and job experience) the internship was waived. Students were encouraged to participate in either virtual internships or the AppRec Lab (internship course developed by RM faculty) if they needed the internship requirement to graduate in 2020. 

Important Information Regarding Degree Mills

Please watch this important video regarding degree and accreditation mills. According to CHEA, "Degree mills and accreditation mills mislead and harm. In the United States, degrees and certificates from mills may not be acknowledged by other institutions when students seek to transfer or go to graduate school. Employers may not acknowledge degrees and certificates from degree mills when providing tuition assistance for continuing education. "Accreditation" from an accreditation mill can mislead students and the public about the quality of an institution. In the presence of degree mills and accreditation mills, students may spend a good deal of money and receive neither an education nor a useable credential." Read more on CHEA's website.

Accreditation Documents