Recreation, Adventure Education and Leisure Management

Recreation changes lives. Learn how to improve those of your diverse participants through high-quality experiential and outdoor educational programs.

We’re passionate about recreation because recreation influences everyone. Outdoor recreation includes adventure guiding, experiential outdoor education, environmental education, recreation center management, and more. Through this program, you’ll gain professional and personal skills that will take you on the life path of your dreams while improving the lives of your students, participants, clients, or campers. Students choose different areas of emphasis, including environmental education, adventure education, and technical/guiding skills. No matter which area of focus you select, you’ll graduate with a highly marketable and capable set of skills:

  • Sustainable recreational and business practices
  • Manager-level program design and delivery
  • Business, advertising, and site/facility management
  • Deep understanding of the broad social contexts that influence access/barriers to recreation
  • Ability and passion for making recreation accessible for all
  • Communication, leadership and problem-solving
Key Facts
  • Focus on Outdoor Recreation Leadership, Environmental Education, or design your focus for the career of your dreams
  • Classwork and internships utilized our on-campus 2,500-acre trail and interpretive center
  • Professional certifications available for credit
  • Opportunities for off-campus internships and study abroad experiences
Career Options
  • Park and Recreation Site Manager
  • Ecotourism Guide and Management
  • Recreation Outfitters, Guide, & Management
  • Nature/Interpretive Center Management
  • Program and Operations Supervisor
  • Environmental Educator and Interpreter
  • Camp or Scouting Management
Courses & Objectives
Through your rigorous academic and professional experiences, you’ll graduate able to:

  • Critically analyze and interpret the foundations of play, recreation and leisure through their historical, social, emotional, spiritual and environmental contexts
  • Apply industry standards in the design, delivery and evaluation of safe, ethical, and developmentally appropriate recreational programming, through a personal environmental and wild lands ethic
  • Implement professional level facilitation, leadership and group management with diverse audiences and diverse settings through multiple venues and platforms
  • Apply management best practices for facilities, staff and recreation related businesses with a focus on sustainability and recreation for all

Sample courses:

  • Introduction to Recreation and Leisure
  • Adventure Recreation
  • Environmental Education
  • Sustainable Nature Based Tourism
  • Expedition Planning Practicum
  • Experiential Technical Skills courses
  • Recreation and Facilities Management
  • Sustainable Practices in Entrepreneurship

More program information and a full course list can be found in the College Catalog. For program planning sheets, click here.

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FACULTY PROFILE: KENDRA ORMEROD

Assistant Professor of Recreation; Department Program Coordinator; PRIDE Club Faculty Advisor; Assessment Committee Chair