COAPRT Accreditation
Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Related Professions (COAPRT) Accreditation
Western Washington University's Recreation Management and Leadership major is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Related Professions (COAPRT). The Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Related Professions (COAPRT) accredits baccalaureate programs in parks, recreation, tourism, sport management, event management, therapeutic recreation, and leisure studies offered at regionally accredited institutions within the United States and its territories, and at nationally accredited institutions in Canada, and Mexico.
WWU’s Recreation Management and Leadership major has been accredited by COAPRT since 1986. The faculty, students, and alumni continue to take great pride in Recreation Management and Leadership’s commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and service to the profession in helping students discover how their values, beliefs, knowledge, and acquired skills can enrich the lives of others through the provision of recreation and leisure services.
The combination of a unique cohort-based curriculum, faculty dedication to teaching in and out of the classroom through retreats, applied and experiential learning opportunities that engage community members, and service learning opportunities linking theory with practice intersect to provide a dynamic learning environment for our students and faculty. This affirmation of the quality of the Recreation Management and Leadership is a reflection of WWU’s commitment to excellence. According to the 2010 U.S. News & World Report college rankings, WWU is the second highest highest-ranking public regional University in the West and the highest ranked master’s-granting university in the Pacific Northwest. The faculty, staff, and students of the program were therefore pleased to receive continued accreditation in 2018 as part of its ongoing commitment to excellence in undergraduate education.
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.