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Path
to Certification
NCTRC
Standards for Professional Eligibility
The
option to submit the Professional Eligibility Application
and payment online is NOW AVAILABLE.
Please
click on "MY
NCTRC LOGIN"
October
1, 2008 for January 5-9, 2009 exam
February
1, 2009 for May 4-8, 2009 exam
July
1, 2009 for October 5-9, 2009 exam
1. Are you interested in becoming
a CTRS by using your Therapeutic Recreation degree and Therapeutic
Recreation Field Placement?
2. Are you interested in
becoming a CTRS by using your Bachelor’s degree and
Therapeutic Recreation work experience?
3. Have you already sent in this
information, gained professional eligibility, and would like
to sit for the NCTRC exam?
The Academic Path eligibility requirements to take the CTRS
exam are a baccalaureate degree or higher from an accredited
college or university with a major in therapeutic recreation
or a major in recreation or leisure with an option in therapeutic
recreation. An official transcript must be submitted with
application and verify the degree, major and coursework.
A “major in therapeutic recreation” or “major
in recreation with an option in therapeutic recreation”
refers to the completion of a degree which includes the following:
- A minimum of 18 semester or 24 quarter
hours of therapeutic recreation and general recreation content
coursework with no less than a minimum of 12 semester or
16 quarter hours in therapeutic recreation content. A minimum
of 4 courses in therapeutic recreation is required and each
course must be a minimum of 3 credit hours; AND
- Supportive courses to include a total
of 18 semester hours or 24 quarter hours of support coursework
with a minimum of: (i) 3 semester hours or 3 quarter hours
coursework in the content area of anatomy and physiology;
(ii) 3 semester hours or 3 quarter hours coursework in the
content area of abnormal psychology; and (iii) 3 semester
hours or 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 area of ‘human services’
as defined by NCTRC; AND
- A minimum 480-hour, twelve (12) 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 an on-site field placement supervisor who
is 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.
Applicants
may apply for professional eligibility review after completion
of the following conditions:
- Enrollment
in a degree program pertaining to Therapeutic Recreation/Recreation
Therapy as defined by the current NCTRC standards.
- Completion
of a minimum of 90 credit hours toward degree attainment.
- Completion
of all required coursework other than the field placement
requirement, as defined by the current NCTRC standards.
- Submission
of an official academic transcript denoting the completion
of the above requirements.
Applicants
completing this option of the Academic Path application process
will be awarded NCTRC certification and the CTRS certificate
upon demonstration of the following:
- Successful
completion the NCTRC exam.
- Completion
of a field placement experience in accordance with NCTRC
Standards.
- Academic
degree attainment as documented by an official academic
transcript.
- Field
Placement Verification Form signed by the field placement
supervisor
Please
note: Applying through this process will require an additional
$25.00 fee. The total application fee is $425.00 when submitting
the Professional Eligibility Application.
Professional
Eligibility Application
Printed
Version (PDF) OR Online
Submission
FEE
POLICY
The eligibility requirements to
take the CTRS exam are a baccalaureate degree or higher from
an accredited college or university verified by an official
transcript and the following:
- A minimum of 18 semester or
24 quarter hours of therapeutic recreation and general recreation
content coursework with no less than a minimum of 12 semester
or 16 quarter hours in therapeutic recreation content. A
minimum of 4 courses in therapeutic recreation is required
and each course must be a minimum of 3 credit hours; AND
- Supportive courses to include
a minimum of 24 semester hours or 32 quarter hours from
three (3) of the following six (6) areas: adaptive physical
education, related biological/physical sciences, human services,
psychology, sociology or special education; AND
- A minimum of five (5)
years of full-time, paid experience in therapeutic recreation
services that uses the therapeutic recreation process as
defined by the current NCTRC Job Analysis Study.
The eligibility requirements to
take the CTRS examination are a baccalaureate degree or higher
from an accredited college or university verified by an official
transcript and the following:
- A minimum of 18 semester or
24 quarter hours of therapeutic recreation and general recreation
content coursework with no less than a minimum of 12 semester
or 16 quarter hours in therapeutic recreation content. A
minimum of 4 courses in therapeutic recreation is required
and each course must be a minimum of 3 credit hours; AND
- Supportive courses to include
a total of 18 semester hours or 24 quarter hours of support
coursework with a minimum of: (i) 3 semester hours or 3
quarter hours coursework in the content area of anatomy
and physiology; (ii) 3 semester hours or 3 quarter hours
coursework in the content area of abnormal psychology; and
(iii) 3 semester hours or 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 area of ‘human
services’ as defined by NCTRC; AND
- A minimum of one (1) year full-time,
paid work experience in therapeutic recreation services
that uses the therapeutic recreation process as defined
by the current NCTRC Job Analysis Job Skills, under the
supervision of a CTRS.
- Required work experience in therapeutic
recreation must occur in the 5 years before application.
- Credit will not be given for administrative
or consultant work, which does not include direct client
services.
- One-year full-time experience is defined
as a minimum of 1500 hours worked (excludes scheduled and
unscheduled leave time) within a minimum of a full calendar
year (52 weeks). The 1500 hour number is determined from
calculating full-time as a minimum of 32 hours per week
over 46 weeks. 46 weeks is determined by subtracting potential
vacation, holiday and leave time from 52 weeks in a year.
- A minimum of 32 hours per week will
be considered full-time status. Part-time employment of
no less than 20 hours per week will be pro-rated to full-time
equivalent up to the minimum of 1500 hours of employment.
- The supervisor must hold an active
CTRS credential throughout the period of supervision and
the supervisor may be either: Employed on-site with direct
supervisory responsibility for the applicant (direct supervisory
responsibilities refer to having primary responsibility
for the applicant’s performance evaluation, clinical
and/or managerial supervision); or a preceptor or consultant
to the agency and applicant. The preceptor/consultant must
provide on-site supervision of the applicant for a minimum
of one hour for every 10 hours of the applicant’s
employment for a minimum of 150 hours within the calendar
year of supervision. Supervision must include direct observation
of practice as well as supervisory meetings.
- The CTRS supervisor must complete
a formal evaluation provided by NCTRC.
Professional
Eligibility Application
Printed
Version (PDF) OR Online
Submission
FEE
POLICY
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