?Through individual counseling, graduate students are able to develop a course of study for advanced work in areas which complement previous experience and training. There is sufficient flexibility in the program to allow students to pursue their individual areas of interest.

Core program objectives are designed to encourage a climate of inquiry and research. Specifically, all students should gain the ability to:

• critically analyze and identify problems;
• develop and utilize appropriate research or inquiry methods of problem solving;
• report clearly and succinctly the results of problem-focused research or inquiry;
• understand the philosophical, historical, and scientific foundations and developments in leisure service systems; and
• identify and demonstrate the values of leisure and recreation to the individual, the community, and society at large.

Career competencies are dependent upon the professional goal of each student. Hence, these vary. After career objectives have been clarified, individual students usually will be educated to:

• develop valid and reliable measures of program evaluation based on theoretical constructs and practical field requirements;
• develop efficient, effective, and meaningful procedures for assessing recreation needs and for allocating resources;
• identify and demonstrate effective decision making processes in leisure service systems; and
• demonstrate an effective interpretation of leisure and recreation data, findings, and procedures, and communicate these in personal and professional environments.