Parks and Recreation Management (PARK)
The Bachelor of Science in Parks and Recreation Management (PARK) degree prepares students with training in the design, management, and administration of programs for federal, state, or community parks and recreation areas or to work with non-profit or private industries operating sports, tourism, and recreation facilities. Within the nature-based Park and Recreation Management path, students learn to manage national, state, or private parks and recreation areas suitable for outdoor activities, including hiking, camping, kayaking, fishing, hunting, and mountain biking, to name a few. Or, depending on a student’s career goals, they can tailor their major for Community Parks and Recreation Management careers focused on administering facilities and leading programs in areas such as city trails and parks, community recreation centers, playgrounds, aquatic centers, and other sporting facilities.
Coursework for the major includes a two-week experiential field course where students gather as a cohort to focus on outdoor skills development where they can earn several micro-credentials, including Leave No Trace, Certified Interpretive Guide, and Wilderness First Aid, among others. Before their senior year, students are prepared for and complete supervised internships as part of their degree requirements.
The major is designed based on standards set forth by the Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism, and Related Professions (COAPRT). After one year of employment, students who have completed the degree meet the requirements to participate in the examination to become Certified Park and Recreation Professionals (CPRP) by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA).
The learning objectives of the program are to provide students with:
- Entry-level knowledge about the nature and scope of park and recreation professions and their associated industries; the techniques and processes used by professionals and workers in these industries; and the foundations of the profession in history, science, and philosophy.
- Ability to design, implement, and evaluate services that facilitate human experiences in parks and recreation that embrace personal and cultural dimensions of diversity.
- Entry-level knowledge about operations, strategic management, and administration in parks and recreation.
- Demonstrated potential for success as professionals at supervisory or higher levels in parks and recreation.
| Freshman | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| ENGL 1100 English Composition I | 3 | ENGL 1120 English Composition II | 3 | ||
| FOWS 1020 Science of Nature I & FOWS 1021 Science of Nature I Laboratory | 4 | FOWS 1030 Science of Nature II & FOWS 1031 Science of Nature II Laboratory | 4 | ||
| FOWS 1010 Introduction to Renewable Natural Resources | 1 | POLI 1090 American Government in Multicultural World | 3 | ||
| MATH 1130 Pre-Calculus Trigonometry | 3 | COMM 1000 Public Speaking | 3 | ||
| NATR 2050 People and the Environment: An Introduction to Conservation Social Sciences | 3 | ||||
| 14 | 13 | ||||
| Sophomore | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| History2 | 3 | History or Social Science2 | 3 | ||
| Literature2 | 3 | HOSP 2600 Event Operations | 3 | ||
| Fine Arts | 3 | STAT 2510 Statistics for Biological and Health Sciences | 3 | ||
| Free Elective | 3 | PARK 3050 Safety, Risk and Legal Aspects of Parks, Recreation, and Sport Facility Management | 3 | ||
| PARK 2010 Introduction to Nature-Based Recreation and Management or 2020 Introduction to Community Parks and Recreation | 3 | PARK 3910 Field Skills Practicum3 | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||||
| Junior | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
| MKTG 3810 Foundations of Business Marketing | 3 | PARK 3100 Leadership in Parks and Recreation | 3 | PARK 4920 Internship in Parks and Recreation | 8 |
| POLI 3250 Introduction to Public Administration | 3 | PARK 4310 Sustainable Nature Tourism or COMM 3400 Organizational Communication | 3 | ||
| Free Elective | 3 | PARK 3350 Programming in Parks and Recreation | 3 | ||
| PARK 3010 Environmental Interpretation | 3 | Free Elective | 3 | ||
| PARK 3850 Professional Preparation in Parks and Recreation | 1 | Humanities or Literature2 | 3 | ||
| 13 | 15 | 8 | |||
| Senior | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| PARK 4200 Nature, Recreation, and Health | 3 | Restricted Elective1 | 3 | ||
| Restricted Elective1 | 6 | NATR 5430 Human Dimensions of Wildlife and Natural Resources | 3 | ||
| PARK 4300 Parks and Recreation Administration, Finance, and Management | 3 | NATR 5630 Conservation Planning or PARK 4500 Sustainable Planning and Design of Community Parks and Recreation | 3 | ||
| PARK 4250 Access and Participation in Parks and Recreation | 3 | PARK 4400 Park and Recreation Facilities and Infrastructure Planning and Management | 3 | ||
| 15 | 12 | ||||
| Total Hours: 120 | |||||
- 1
Contact the College for a current list of Restricted Electives.
- 2
Students must take a sequence in either history or literature.
- 3
PARK 3910 is taught at the completion of the spring semester.