320 HOURS PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT

Development of a professional involves a combination of academic preparation and practical field assignments including observations and leadership functions. Foundations, attitude development, and competencies provided in the classroom are tested by the student through practical experiences. Students are encouraged to fully develop skills and knowledge by becoming involved in the exploration of the various agencies providing leisure or recreational sports services, observing the program and operations of several agencies, and becoming involved through paid and volunteer services in a variety of professional positions.

320 Hour Guidelines.

1. Practical experience of 320 hours (equivalent to an eight week full-time position) is required of all majors.
2. All 320 hours shall be conducted in a therapeutic recreation, recreation or sport setting involving leadership and/or programming experiences.
3. The volunteer or paid experiences can be completed at any time after the student graduates from high school.
4. The 320 hours shall be completed prior to graduation, and before completing the R363 internship requirement.
5. Students are responsible for conducting an audit of total hours completed with their academic advisor prior to registering for their last semester.
6. Students may not accumulate all 320 hours from one agency. It is recommended that the student gain practical experiences from a variety of agencies. A minimum of 100 hours must be performed with agencies recognized by the therapeutic recreation option.
7. Volunteer hours required in courses such as R272 and R277 may be credited towards the 320 hours requirement. However, only hours actually spent in conducting or implementing the special event/class project will be given credit.
8. For verification of hours, students must submit a "Field Experience Report Form" available in the departmental office (HPER 133). Completed report forms should be mailed to the student's advisor or hand delivered by the student to the advisor. Students are encouraged to keep a duplicate copy of each form for their files.

If you have any questions or need further information on the 320 hour requirement, please see your academic advisor.

• Contact: Dr. David Austin or Dr. Bryan McCormick
  
• E-Mail: daustin@indiana.edu
  
• E-Mail: bmccormi@indiana.edu
  
• Phone:812-855-3482
  
• Address: Dept of Recreation and Park Administration
  Indiana University
  HPER Room 133
  Bloomington, IN 47405