Bachelor of Science in Recreation - Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Resources Major

The recreation, parks, and tourism resources major prepares students for careers providing outdoor recreation and tourism opportunities for a wide range of public, commercial, and non-profit agencies. This is a natural resource management degree program, emphasizing the ecological, economic, social, and psychological aspects of managing outdoor recreation and tourism resources. A required core of natural resource-based recreation and tourism management courses is complemented by forestry and natural resource management emphasis courses and other required University courses. Major Learning Goals Students graduating from the RPTR program shall be able to: Demonstrate entry-level knowledge about operations and strategic management/planning/policy related to parks, recreation, tourism, natural resources and/or related professions. Demonstrate an understanding of the roles, significance, and benefits of leisure and recreation to societies in the past, present, and future. Demonstrate the ability to design, implement, and evaluate services that facilitate various outdoor recreation and tourism experiences and opportunities. Describe and apply comprehensive natural resource management principles and strategies (from both ecological and social sciences) by analyzing natural resource recreation and tourism management problems and policy. Demonstrate an understanding of how the scientific method can be applied strategically to improve the management and planning of recreation and tourism areas and organizations. Demonstrate the use of a wide range of effective communication skills to enhance the management and planning of recreation and tourism programs, areas and organizations. Earn at least one field relevant certification (Wilderness First Responder; Association for Challenge Course Technology-Level 1, etc.). Careers Park, forest, or natural resource rangers and managers; Recreation tour operators, outfitters, and guides; Challenge/ropes course, or canopy tour guides and facilitators; Recreation programmers at resorts; State and local tourism agencies