Application Procedure

• A minimum of 18 semester or 24 quarter hours of therapeutic recreation and general recreation content coursework with no less than a minimum of 15 semester or 20 quarter hours in therapeutic recreation content. A minimum of five (5) courses in therapeutic recreation is required and each course must be a minimum of three (3) credit hours. Content specific Therapeutic Recreation coursework is required as part of the NCTRC professional eligibility requirements. The specific course content includes the following areas: a) Assessment; b) TR Process; and c) Advancement of the Profession. It is recommended that each content area be addressed by a specific TR course but at a minimum, at least 50% of the course be devoted to the designated content material. Multiple courses can be used to meet a TR content area if the total amount of coverage is equal to 50% of a three credit course. [The Content Specific Therapeutic Recreation Coursework standard requirement is currently suspended but applicants are strongly encouraged to meet the above outlined criteria].
• Supportive courses to include a total of 18 semester hours or 24 quarter hours of support coursework with a minimum of: (i) three (3) semester hours or three (3) quarter hours coursework in the content area of anatomy and physiology; (ii) three (3) semester hours or three (3) quarter hours coursework in the content area of abnormal psychology; and (iii) three (3) semester hours or three (3) quarter hours coursework in the content area of human growth and development across the lifespan. The remaining semester hours or quarter hours of coursework must be fulfilled in the content areas of social sciences and humanities; AND
• A minimum 560-hour, fourteen (14) consecutive week field placement experience in therapeutic recreation services that uses the therapeutic recreation process as defined by the current NCTRC Job Analysis Study under the supervision of both academic and agency field placement supervisors who are NCTRC CTRS certified. An acceptable field placement experience is one which is completed after the majority of required therapeutic recreation and general recreation coursework is completed as verified on the official transcript and the completed fieldwork verification form.

·     To sit for the exam, these previously mentioned tasks must be completed.

http://nctrc.org/newapplication.htm