<p>Hello there. I’m looking for advice on how I should pursue a certification in Therapeutic Rec. I’m 26, worked in the field for around 3 years – 9 months internship, 1 year volunteering, 1.5 years full-time seasonal work, with another 6 months of outdoor recreation work but it was non-adaptive/TR. The NCTRC has three options for certification – complete a bachelors or masters, field placement, and pass the exam; or 5-years full-time work + pass exam; or 1 year full-time work under supervision of a CTRS + pass exam. “Seasonal” full-time work is not accepted. My long-term goal is to move into the administrative, full-time year round side of things for more stability, benefits, and to save my body from the wear-and-tear of being a hands-on instructor. I LOVE being an instructor, but I have chronic pain from injuries sustained years ago, arthritic knees, and want a job that I can still do and get paid if I blow an ACL skiing on my free time or break an arm mountain biking after work. </p>
<p>Anywho, considering several Masters programs, mainly at Indiana, Temple, SUNY Cortland, Springfield College, Utah, and UNH. I want to work in community-based or outdoor recreation programs (like I currently do), but have an interest in studying the clinical/rehab hospital side to gain a better understanding of what a client experiences before we see them in the field. AND…someone I work with also suggested maybe a 2nd Bachelors degree. It opens more doors as far as schools that offer the degree (way more undergrad than grad programs) but I’m wary of that because 1.) I feel I’m ready for Masters-level coursework and research, 2.) I maxed out my federal stafford loans as an undergrad and from what I understand, getting more for a masters is way easier than for a 2nd bachelors. </p>
<p>But…I have just a 2.8 undergrad GPA (kinesiology) from a large midwestern state U, with about a 3.4 in my last 60 credits if my calculations are right. A few of the standard pre-reqs – human a&p, developmental psych, abnormal psych – I took as a freshman/soph and those grades are awful. I didn’t care early on, and got my crap together my last 2.5 (out of 5) years. Should I retake them before applying/contacting schools? Apply and retake them on-campus as leveling courses like students applying who have never taken them? (obviously the school would know about prior grades from transcripts). I’ll be taking the GRE, probably next spring. The absolute earliest I plan on enrolling would be Fall 2016…to account for possibly time to retake courses, and I want to pay off my credit card debt and one private loan before enrolling, leaving only my federal loans to still be paid (lowest rate, and on income-based plan currently).</p>
<p>I’ve had a hard time finding much more about TR education, certification, etc. so if anyone here studied TR or knows of an online forum like this for it, please point me in the right direction! All advice is welcomed :)</p>