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Leisure & Recreation

A Guide to Studying Leisure & Recreation in Europe

Did you know that, as an international student, you can get a degree in Leisure & Recreation at a top-ranked European university? Best of all, it's taught entirely in English and costs less than 1 year of tuition at a US college.

What are my options?

15
European Bachelor's programs taught entirely in English.
8
European Master's programs taught entirely in English.

About this area of study.

"Recreation and leisure studies" sounds like a joke of a degree that doesn't prepare you for any career other than being a beach bum. In reality, this is a serious social science.

Graduates have the important job of organizing, running, and evaluating the effects of enjoyable, relaxing activities and the facilities that support them. They therefore play a major role in improving a society's physical and mental health, community cohesiveness and inclusivity, and even factors like crime rates.

Most recreation and leisure courses, including those taught at European schools, offer a broad amount of flexibility in terms of the syllabus you can construct. Undergraduate students may focus on sports club supervision, working with vulnerable individuals, park management, art in the community, event management, and perhaps several other areas. A bachelor's degree typically includes a fair amount of practical training and doing an internship is highly advisable.

People who choose this major should have a true desire to work with groups of people, especially children and teens. Some creativity and excellent organizational abilities will also be huge benefits in any recreation and leisure career.

Careers options in this area of study.

Some jobs available to recreation and leisure graduates include:

  • Teacher 
  • Recreational therapist
  • Youth worker
  • Recreational facility manager
  • Sports coach and organizer

As well as many positions in related fields like tourism and event management. 

Though demand for qualified applicants in these fields is growing, salaries are fairly low. Newly minted graduates can expect to earn between $28,000 and $34,500 during their first years of employment. Keep in mind, though, that many of them work only during part of the year, leaving them free to earn incomes from other sources during the remainder.

Admissions information.

The college admissions process in the US has become a race to the bottom as students compete with their peers for a single spot in a liberal arts college, convinced by parents and guidance counselors that their survival rests on playing a musical instrument or varsity sport. Many smart kids don’t do well on standardized tests. This doesn’t limit them as much when looking outside of the US, as many colleges in Europe do not require standardized tests. Many countries see entry into universities as a right, rather than a privilege, so admission standards are not as stringent.

How to study in Europe.

When you also factor in the many problems with US higher education, it is imprudent not to consider other possibilities. It is true there are many excellent schools in the United States—I don’t think anyone would argue that. There are some that have managed to look at applicants as people, and not just a checklist of achievements. Some even have reasonable tuition rates, and/or professors that actively teach and have highly engaged students. Despite this, I have yet to find a school in the United States that addresses all of these issues: allows students to opt out of the rat race the admissions process has become, have reasonable tuition, AND have positive results around the educational experience and post-graduation outcomes. Not every school in Europe provides all this either, but the schools listed in our database do.

How to find English-taught degrees.

Finding these programs is burdensome, difficult, and confusing, especially with institutional websites in foreign languages... We know that making the decision to study abroad can be difficult, so we want to make it easy for you. We scoured the continent for vetted programs and made them available to thousands of families looking to leave the US and find a better life in Europe. We found over 11,200 degrees, 870 universities, 550 cities, and 32 European countries to choose from. Europe offers an impressive range of educational opportunities!

We have gathered all of the information you need to know about studying in Europe – from the different types of schools available to how to get housing and everything in between. Our database helps you find these programs quickly and easily, helping you contextualize the many benefits and options around higher education in Europe.

You will be able to find programs and courses that suit your interests and needs, taught in English by experienced professors in state-of-the-art facilities. Search our database of English-taught European bachelor's and master's programs and get started on your journey to Europe today.

Travel the world while you get your degree.

Travel opportunities abound when attending college in Europe. For example, Lille, a city in northern France with multiple universities, is close to major cities such as Brussels, London, and Paris via high-speed rail. Air travel, especially with the rise of affordable airlines like Ryanair, EasyJet, and Transavia, can be comparable in price to rail travel, so many more destinations open up for short-term travel.

Feeling overwhelmed?

You shouldn't be! We're here to help in any way we can... and if it means running extensive searches and using our best judgement to lead the way, we're all for that too.

We get that choosing a program feels like committing to a major early on, but in reality it is more of a general direction. A Best Fit List gives you a unique list of 3 to 5 programs tailored to your needs, helping you take the headache – and heartache – out of choosing a program.

Discover all the English-taught European college programs in one place.

Beyond the States provides easy access to 11,600+ European bachelor's and master's programs across 870 universities, 550 cities, and 212 areas of study, plus all the resources you need to get there. No sponsorships. No bias.
3400+
English-taught bachelor's programs in our database.
8200+
English-taught master's programs in our database.
550
Beautiful European cities to choose from.
870
Top-tier universities accepting international students.
332,948
Typical savings against a private university in the US.
60,123
Typical savings against in-state tuition in the US.
All inclusive of tuition, living, food, books, health insurance, travel expenses, as well as hidden fees. Compiled with data from students and the official websites from KU Leuven, UNC, and Duke.

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