About Department

The Recreation Management Department aims to provide a multifaceted education focused on organizing indoor and outdoor activities, planning travel content, and designing customized programs for different tourist groups, with the goal of improving individuals' overall quality of life and helping them spend their free time productively. In this context, the entertainment industry, hotels, convention and festival centers, event management companies, medical facilities providing health tourism services, museums, historical sites, libraries, ski resorts, thermal areas, mountaineering, camping, and theme parks are among the main employment opportunities for our graduates.

Our Department's Mission: To broaden the vision and competencies of our students while making a positive difference in the lives of individuals involved in society and tourism activities; to be one of the most dynamic educational programs in our country with its numerous foreign language options, theoretical and practical-oriented education, activities carried out in partnership with sector stakeholders, and bilateral agreements with equivalent educational institutions abroad.

The aim of the department is to train individuals  who have theoretical and practical experience in recreation management and tourism sectors, are knowledgeable about current technology and the digital world, possess reading, writing and speaking skills in at least two foreign languages, have developed leadership, communication, creativity and entrepreneurship skills, uphold professional ethics and moral values, and protect the rights of living beings.

Department Admission Requirements:  The Recreation Management Department accepts students based on their verbal/verbal scores.

Required Clothing and Equipment for the Job:  There are no mandatory clothing or equipment requirements.

Expenses for Supplies, Tools, and Equipment Used in Practical Courses:  There are no tuition fees for exams, materials, or educational services. However, the tools, equipment, clothing, and other materials used in practical courses vary according to the instructor's course planning. In this context, if deemed necessary by the instructor, students may be required to provide certain course materials.

Program Content, Campus Location:  The Recreation Management Department, a four-year undergraduate program, offers a curriculum consisting of common compulsory courses, professional courses related to recreation and tourism, general courses based on marketing, economics, and management, as well as numerous foreign language options. Recreation Management is a department within the Faculty of Tourism, located in the Kınıklı Campus, the main campus of Pamukkale University.

Part-Time Student Work Opportunities : Pamukkale University offers part-time work opportunities to its students. For detailed information, please see:  https://www.pau.edu.tr/sks/tr/sayfa/kismi-zamanli-calisma

Scholarship, Food, Dormitory, etc. Facilities:  Pamukkale University Kınıklı Campus Central Dining Hall provides food service to students in two halls: Green Hall and White Hall. Lunch is served only in the White Hall, while both lunch and dinner are served in the Green Hall. In addition, the White Cafe, Morphology Dining Hall, Poolside Cafe & Restaurant, PAÜ Cafe, Ay Cafe, Social Facilities Guest House Restaurant, Vitamin Cafe, Göl Cafe, Yakut Cafe, and Zümrüt Cafe are available on the Kınıklı Campus. There is also a canteen within the faculty. Pamukkale University provides food scholarships to students every year. For detailed information, please see:  https://www.pau.edu.tr/sks/tr/sayfa/burs-hizmetleri

However, various institutions and organizations provide different scholarship opportunities to students, and quotas are allocated for our faculty.

Our university's main campus, Kınıklı Campus, has student dormitories with a capacity of 4150 students, affiliated with the Credit and Dormitories Institution. Rooms in these dormitories are shared by two or four students and are geared towards students with limited financial means. These state-owned dormitories include study halls, libraries, game and TV rooms, private laundry and ironing facilities, canteens and cafes, hairdressers, and a multi-purpose indoor sports hall, football field, and athletics track. Numerous private dormitories and apartments in Denizli Province also offer accommodation services to students near the campus. Additionally, there is a 24-bed guesthouse and an attached restaurant on the Kınıklı Campus. For detailed information, please see:  https://ebs.pusula.pau.edu.tr/bilgigoster/sayfa.aspx?lng=1&pi=4511797E-966F-4EDB-B121-1F62807BCF4E

Departmental Statistics (Faculty, student, graduate numbers):  The Recreation Management Department has three Assistant Professors. The department began admitting students in the Fall Semester of 2022-2023. Therefore, the department does not yet have any graduates.

Graduation Requirements:  To successfully complete the Recreation Management program, students must pass all courses offered in the department [equivalent to 240 ECTS credits], achieve a weighted grade point average of at least 2.30 out of 4.00, and complete a mandatory internship program of 60 working days. Students can divide the internship period into two summer semesters (30+30 working days) or complete it in one go (60 working days).

Employment Opportunities:  Employment opportunities for students graduating from the Recreation Management Department vary. The fields offering job opportunities are listed in detail below.

  • Hotel businesses and resorts,
  • Group A travel agencies,
  • National and international airlines,
  • Blue Flag certified marinas and yacht businesses,
  • Cruise ships and floating facilities,
  • Event and organization companies,
  • Convention, exhibition and festival centers,
  • Entertainment businesses and theme parks,
  • Sports, golf and swimming facilities,
  • Ski resorts,
  • Facilities providing health tourism services (medical, thermal, wellness and spa centers),
  • Campsites and facilities (such as nature, weight loss, motivation, and yoga centers),
  • Provincial Planning and Coordination Directorates, which operate within the governorates,
  • The Urban Aesthetics Departments, Environmental Protection and Control Departments, and Parks and Gardens Directorates operating within the municipalities,
  • General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks, affiliated with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry,
  • Health, Culture and Sports Departments located in state and foundation universities,
  • Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Provincial Culture and Tourism Directorates,
  • Civil society organizations, foundations, associations, professional unions, federations and confederations that play a role in the development of the tourism sector,
  • Museums and archaeological sites,
  • Libraries,
  • State theaters and private theaters (membership in the team responsible for organization and preparation),
  • Social facilities of public institutions,
  • Media, communication, and promotional organizations that publish content on tourism,
  • Tourism-based NGOs that serve disadvantaged groups,
  • Sports clubs.

Distinguishing Features of the Section

The proportion of people participating in recreational activities to utilize their free time is increasing every year, placing the tourism sector among the top economic areas showing stable growth worldwide. When examined specifically in Turkey, it is clear that the contributions of the tourism sector, linked to recreation, to the gross national product are becoming increasingly significant, and investments in this area are being encouraged in national development plans. Accordingly, the recreation and tourism sector, which attracts capital investors, continues to provide labor-intensive services despite technological advancements, and inspires confidence in terms of the sustainability of employment resources due to its high readiness for unexpected changes, is a vital field of work. Considering that tourism and recreational activities are expected to continue increasing in line with population growth, the sector's need for a trained workforce that prioritizes service quality will become evident. Therefore, it can be said that individuals graduating from the Recreation Management Department have a high and stable chance of employment.

Learning Outcomes of the Recreation Management Department

  1. To learn the basic concepts of recreation management,
  2. To gain skills and experience in professions related to recreation management,
  3. Individuals must possess reading, writing, and speaking skills in at least two foreign languages.
  4. To be competent and entrepreneurial individuals with well-developed leadership qualities in the field of recreation management,
  5. To gain skills, experience, and competence in managing businesses that provide services in the recreation sector.
  6. To be individuals with well-developed interpersonal skills and who are outgoing,
  7. To identify, understand, and analyze the psychological and sociological reasons for leisure time behavior.
  8. To be individuals who respect and protect the rights of living beings,
  9. To be competent individuals who keep up with the digital world and can adapt and utilize technological developments in their professional lives.
  10. To be individuals who possess critical thinking and analytical problem-solving skills,
  11. To be individuals who act in accordance with professional ethics and moral principles in the decisions they make in their professional lives,
  12. To be individuals who can design and implement projects related to recreation management at regional, national, and international levels.