Why get your dual master's degree in Social Work and Recreation Management & Policy?

By getting the dual degree of an M.S.W. in social work and an M.S. in recreation management & policy, you’ll be uniquely prepared to work in the expanding field of adventure therapy. One of the nation’s leading programs for mental health professionals, this graduate program unites the clinical training of UNH’s top-ranked social work degree and its pioneering outdoor education program. Graduates of the dual degree pursue successful, satisfying careers that bring counseling skills into challenging wilderness experiences for a therapeutic intervention that’s highly effective in promoting wellness and mental health, particularly among adolescents.

Why study Social Work and Recreation Management & Policy at UNH?

UNH’s social work and recreation management & policy graduate faculty are recognized leaders in their fields. The program emphasizes both classroom learning and hands-on learning in the lab and in the evidenced-based practices of the field. You will graduate prepared with the leadership skills and confidence needed to succeed in the workplace and emerge as a leader in your chosen area. Dual-degree students take classes simultaneously over the course of two and a half years in social work, recreation management & policy and outdoor education, including two internships, one of which concentrates on the utilization and application of adventure therapy in an agency setting. 

Potential Career Areas

Adventure therapy
Community centers
Juvenile criminal justice
Nonprofits
Outdoor programs
Public policy
Schools
Social work
Youth programs

Curriculum & Requirements

Program Description

Beginning in the 2025-2026 academic year, the Recreation Management and Policy and Social Work Dual Degree is pausing admissions to the program. Current students will continue to have access to the same high-quality education and resources until they graduate.

Dual-degree Social Work and Recreation Management and Policy (RMP) students take classes simultaneously over the course of two-and-and-half years in both Social Work and RMP and complete a minimum of 80-83 credits for graduation. This includes two internships, one during their first year of study, and a second specialized block placement internship over the summer following the second year of study, which concentrates on the utilization and application of adventure therapy in an agency setting. This block placement internship may occur in New England or in other appropriate settings across the U.S. Students should be prepared to travel to their internships if needed. Students are also required to complete a project focusing on a topic of their choice and supervised by faculty in RMP and Social Work.

Admission Requirements

Dual Degree applicants in Social Work and RMP must meet the requirements for admission in the MSW program and the MS in RMP-Recreation Administration. Applicants should check each program for their independent requirements which may be different; however, it is important to note that Dual Degree students are required for admission to have a minimum of 2 years of experience (post undergraduate) in the field of outdoor education, outdoor recreation, adventure education, and/or therapeutic recreation with evidence of considerable leadership time with individual and/or groups in outdoor settings, preferably with therapeutic populations. Applicants do not need to apply separately to each program but are instructed to apply online via the graduate school for the “MSW and MS-RMP Dual Degree” option. Applicants only need to provide one well-constructed double-spaced essay of 3-pages maximum (APA format). Please respond to the following questions:

Why are you seeking to earn an MS in the SW/RMP Dual Degree program?
How does your previous academic background or work experience contribute to the SW/RMP Dual Degree program as a graduate student? Please note specific personal, academic, organizational, volunteer, and/or paid work experiences.
What are your future career goals? What do you plan to do after completing the SW/RMP Dual Degree program? How will the SW/RMP Dual Degree help you obtain your career goals?
Briefly discuss a current social justice issue that impacts your desired professional goals. How will the SW/RMP Dual Degree enhance your abilities to affect change amongst clients whom you will serve?

Minimum GPA Required: 3.0

No GREs required for admission.

For additional information regarding the Social Work/RMP Dual Degree admission requirements, contact Dr. Anita Tucker in Social Work or Dr. Michael Ferguson in RMP.

Requirements for the Program

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Required Courses
SW 820	Social Welfare Policy I	3
SW 824	Positive Youth Development Through Sport Social Work and Recreation	3
or RMP 868	Theories and Philosophies of Youth Development
SW 830	Social Work Practice I	3
SW 831	Social Work Practice II: Practice in Small Groups and Community Organizations	3
SW 840	Implications of Race, Culture, and Oppression for Social Work Practice	3
SW 850	Human Behavior and the Social Environment I (HBSE I)	3
SW 851	Human Behavior and the Social Environment II (HBSE II)	3
SW 865	Adventure Therapy: Facilitation and Processing of the Experience	3
SW 880	Internship I (seminar and concurrent twoday/week internship/academic year)	3
SW 881	Internship II	3
SW 926	Social Welfare Policy II	3
SW 930	Advanced General Practice III: Clinical Assessment and Intervention	3
SW 931	Advanced Generalist Practice IV: Community and Administrative Practice	3
SW 952	Human Behavior and the Social Environment III	3
SW 962	Data Analysis and Statistics	3
SW 982	Internship III	4
SW 983	Internship IV	4
SW 897	Special Topics in Social Work and Social Welfare (Advanced Topics in Social Work)	3
or RMP 899	Master's Thesis
RMP 800	Concepts of Recreation and Leisure	3
RMP 806	Recreation Administration and Organizational Behavior	3
RMP 820	Adaptive Sport Facilitation for Recreation Therapy and Related Professions	3
RMP 876	Human Dimensions of Natural Environments	3
RMP 912	Non-Profit Administration and Leadership	3
RMP 992	Research Methods in Recreation Management and Policy	3
Electives
Select two courses from the following:		6
RMP 811	Recreation Resource Management
RMP 872	Law and Public Policy in Leisure Services
RMP 840	Therapeutic Recreation Service Delivery in Community Settings
RMP 924	Fund Development and Grantwriting
RMP 963	Graduate Field Practicum
RMP 970	Teaching Practicum
RMP 980	Independent Study
RMP 995	Capstone Seminar
RMP 998
Total Credits		80

Student Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Master of Social Work:

Student demonstrates ethical and professional behavior.
Student engages diversity and difference in practice.
Student advances human rights and social, economic and environmental justice.
Engage in practice informed research and research-informed practice.
Engages in policy practice.
Engage with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
Assess individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
Intervenes with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
Evaluates practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

RMP-Recreation Administration M.S.:

Demonstrates mastery of major theories, approaches, concepts, and both current and classical theoretical findings within their selected field of study.
Compiles and critiques current peer-reviewed research, practice of industry standards, and theoretical foundations to produce a paper or project of publishable quality that enhances existing knowledge or creates new knowledge in a specific area within the option.
Demonstrates proficiency and mastery of specific skills within the profession, which is grounded in evidence-based practice.
Displays professionally appropriate behaviors, ethical standards, sensitivity, compassion, tolerance of individual differences, and demonstrates the ability to work in a diverse and interprofessional work environment.

Application Requirements & Deadlines

Apply now

Deadlines

Applications must be completed by the following deadlines in order to be reviewed for admission:

Fall: December 1, then Rolling admission until April 1 (Priority and funding consideration given to applications received by December 1)
Spring: N/A
Summer: N/A
Special: N/A

Application fee: $65

Campus: Durham

New England Regional: CT ME MA RI VT

Accelerated Masters Eligible: No

New Hampshire Residents

Students claiming in-state residency must also submit a Proof of Residence Form. This form is not required to complete your application, but you will need to submit it after you are offered admission, or you will not be able to register for classes.

Transcripts

If you attended UNH or Granite State College (GSC) after September 1, 1991, and have indicated so on your online application, we will retrieve your transcript internally; this includes UNH-Durham, UNH-Manchester, UNH Non-Degree work and GSC.

If you did not attend UNH, or attended prior to September 1, 1991, then you must upload a copy (PDF) of your transcript in the application form. International transcripts must be translated into English.

If admitted, you must then request an official transcript be sent directly to our office from the Registrar's Office of each college/university attended. We accept transcripts both electronically and in hard copy:

Electronic Transcripts: Please have your institution send the transcript directly to grad.school@unh.edu. Please note that we can only accept copies sent directly from the institution.
Paper Transcripts: Please send hard copies of transcripts to: UNH Graduate School, Thompson Hall- 105 Main Street, Durham, NH 03824. You may request transcripts be sent to us directly from the institution or you may send them yourself as long as they remain sealed in the original university envelope.

Transcripts from all previous post-secondary institutions must be submitted and applicants must disclose any previous academic or disciplinary sanctions that resulted in their temporary or permanent separation from a previous post-secondary institution. If it is found that previous academic or disciplinary separations were not disclosed, applicants may face denial and admitted students may face dismissal from their academic program.

Requirements

Dual Degree applicants in Social Work and RMP must meet the requirements for admission in the MSW program and the MS in RMP-Recreation Administration. Applicants should check each program for their independent requirements which may be different; however, it is important to note that Dual Degree students are required for admission to have a minimum of 2 years of experience (post-undergraduate) in the field of outdoor education, outdoor recreation, adventure education, and/or therapeutic recreation with evidence of considerable leadership time with individual and/or groups in outdoor settings, preferably with therapeutic populations. Applicants do not need to apply separately to each program but are instructed to apply online via the graduate school for the “MSW and MS-RMP Dual Degree” option.

Minimum GPA Required: 3.0

No GREs are required for admission.

For additional information regarding the Social Work/RMP Dual Degree admission requirements, contact Dr. Anita Tucker in Social Work or Dr. Michael Ferguson in RMP.

Letters of recommendation: 3 required

Recommendation letters submitted by relatives or friends, as well as letters older than one year, will not be accepted.

Personal Statement/Essay Questions

Applicants only need to provide one well-constructed double-spaced essay of 3-pages maximum (APA format). Please respond to the following questions:

Why are you seeking to earn an MS in the SW/RMP Dual Degree program?
How does your previous academic background or work experience contribute to the SW/RMP Dual Degree program as a graduate student? Please note specific personal, academic, organizational, volunteer, and/or paid work experiences.
What are your future career goals? What do you plan to do after completing the SW/RMP Dual Degree program? How will the SW/RMP Dual Degree help you obtain your career goals?
Briefly discuss a current social justice issue that impacts your desired professional goals. How will the SW/RMP Dual Degree enhance your abilities to affect change amongst clients whom you will serve?

Resume

A current resume is required with your submitted application.

Important Notes

All applicants are encouraged to contact programs directly to discuss program-specific application questions.

The Department of Recreation Management and Policy also offers opportunities for graduate students to be graduate assistants. The deadline for applying is also 12/1. Visit this page for more information on this process.

International Applicants

Prospective international students are required to submit TOEFL, IELTS, or equivalent examination scores. English Language Exams may be waived if English is your first language. If you wish to request a waiver, then please visit our Test Scores webpage for more information.