The Department of Community and Therapeutic Recreation has a long history at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

• Some form of a professional preparation program in recreation as existed since 1947.
• During the 1974-1975 academic year, authorization was granted to establish an autonomous Recreation Division.
• The name of the Recreation Division was officially changed to the Recreation and Leisure Studies Division in the 1981-1982 academic year.
• At the beginning of the 1984-1985 academic year, it was granted departmental status.
• In academic year 1989-1990, it was renamed the Department of Leisure Studies.
• The name of the Department was changed to the Department of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism, in the beginning of the 1998-1999 academic year.
• In the 2000-2001 academic year, the Hospitality Management Program was administratively housed within the Department of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism.
• In academic year 2004-2005, the name of the Department was changed to the Department of Recreation, Tourism, and Hospitality Management.
• In the 2011-12 academic year, the Department name changed to Community and Therapeutic Recreation.

Within the department there are currently two separate and distinct degree programs:

• M.S. in Parks and Recreation Management,
• B.S. in Recreation and Park Management.

The Department’s undergraduate program has been accredited by the NRPA/AALR Council on Accreditation (currently The Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Related Professions – COAPRT) since October 1981.