Texas State University

Texas State University is a public, student-centered research institution guided by our unwavering belief in the power of education to transform communities, power economies, and reimagine the world. Our students come from every walk of life, from across Texas, the nation, and the world. The flagship campus of Texas State University is located in San Marcos, in the heart of the Texas Hill Country midway between Austin and San Antonio (one of the fastest growing corridors in the United States). We also have campuses in Round Rock, Texas and Querétaro, México.

As a Center for Excellence, our focus is on innovative and evidence-based professional preparation in leisure, recreation, and sport to enhance and improve the quality of life in Texas, the nation, and the world. Education and research are focused on the design, implementation and evaluation of programs and services in a variety of settings for people across the lifespan with a range of ability levels.

The Center is established in the Department of Health & Human Performance which is comprised of five academic disciplines: Recreation and Sport Management, Public Health, Physical Education Teacher Education, Exercise Sport Science and Athletic Training.  While each discipline has a specific focus, many of the research projects in our department are interdisciplinary in nature, allowing a broad perspective for researchers, faculty and students.

The primary advantage of the TXST Recreation Studies program is that the faculty are engaged in the profession at all levels. Each faculty member has a distinctly different focus regarding their teaching and research. While some might consider such diversity a problem, we see it as a wonderful benefit to our students. TXST is a student-centered university where good teaching is a valued skill. Faculty of all levels teach a variety of courses so that our students have exposure to a wealth of knowledge and experience in all aspects of the recreation and sport industry, from designing innovative recreation programs, to implementing adaptive sporting activities and events.

Texas State University (TXST) is recognized as Hispanic Serving with 41% of students being Hispanic, in 2024 TXST was recognized and a Fullbright Hispanic Serving Institute Leader. We are also considered First Generation as 43% of TXST students being the first in their families to attend college. TXST serves many veteran service men and woman and has consistently earned a gold award from the Texas Veteran’s Commission.