The University of North Texas

Date: Dec 02 2018
Major: Kinesiology (This Major's Salary over time)
This alumni review pertains to the Recreation, Event and Sport Management Program (within the Kinesiology, Health Promotion and RECREATION Department) The history of this program area within the UNT KHPR Dept. is illustrative of how dysfunctional and pointless it has become.

During the previous 20 years ALL of the quality instructors (two full professors, two assistant professors and one lecturer) LEFT the program by choice - one retired, and the others left primarily because of the incompetence of two of the remaining instructors, and the toxic culture created by one of the tenured, full professors who remains within the program to this day. The College of Education faculty actually voted 'NO CONFIDENCE' in this person's administrative ability, but because of tenure, they could not be terminated from employment.

Of the two primary professors who remain teaching in the reformed program area, neither of them have ANY PROFESSIONAL, full-time experience managing ANY events, as in having had a full-time JOB managing a sporting event or even RECREATIONAL events (full time). That's right, they only have FULL-time experience obtaining multiple degrees in school and/or serving on boards or committees, or writing research papers that have to be co-authored because neither of them is good enough to publish on their own. If either of them ever actually had a full-time job in recreation, it was only a summer job or a part-time job while they went to graduate school. This is classic

blind leading the blind.

But both of them do excel at BS'ing, and you could easily be misled into choosing this as your major, and learning absolutely NOTHING of real value. You may waste several undergraduate years of your life, and find out that you will likely NEVER actually work in the field of "Recreation, Event and Sport Management' as this is a pseudo term invented by them when the other two, former legitimate program areas fell apart due to faculty resignations. Do yourself a favor before deciding on this program or major, and research the mediocre "Internship Evaluations" for the remaining supervising faculty to get an idea of just how meaningless this program area could be for you.

FACT: If you are truly interested in working in any type of event MANAGEMENT, you would be better off getting a BUSINESS degree and minoring in recreation. At least with a business degree, WHEN (not IF) you discover that you can't make a decent living (defined as being able to purchase a home, a car and save fore retirement) as a 'special event' or 'sport management' person, you could get a good-paying job in an unrelated field with your LEGITIMATE BUSINESS degree.