Degrees, Majors, and Certificates
Outdoor Recreation and Resource Management
The Outdoor Recreation and Resource Management Program focuses on educating students about outdoor recreation resources and their use. Topics include outdoor recreation, environmental education, interpretive techniques, outdoor adventure education, nature study, recreation resource management, and organized camping.
Students pursue a course of study leading to a Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation and Resource Management. The curriculum includes a general education core, specialization courses, electives, 320 hours of field experience, and an internship. Each student meets regularly with a faculty adviser for ongoing academic career planning. In addition to the general education core courses, students take 40 credits in outdoor recreation subjects. The emphases of this curriculum are basic concepts of outdoor resources, the relationships and interactions of people and outdoor resources and how to manage them, and skills and knowledge to pursue specific careers in this field. A number of skill certificates are available to students through various academic courses.
Special Opportunities
Through class practica, projects, internship opportunities, and field experiences, the Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies helps students apply what they learn when—and where—they learn it. And Indiana University offers the following recreational management opportunities and living laboratories that give students firsthand experience: C.O.R.E. (Conservation & Outdoor Recreation/Education), Great Lakes Park Training Institute, Bradford Woods Outdoor Center, and Hilltop Garden and Nature Center. Additional nearby facilities include Brown County State Park, City of Bloomington Parks, the Hoosier National Forest (including Charles C. Deam Wilderness), McCormick's Creek State Park, Monroe County Parks, Monroe Reservoir, and Yellowwood State Forest.
Careers
The specialization in outdoor recreation and resource management provides a thorough foundation for careers in an array of settings, including historic sites, municipal parks and recreation departments, nature preserves, nonprofit organizations, outdoor adventure organizations, zoos, and state and federal agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service.
Because people are spending more time and money on leisure and fitness services, the job outlook for recreation and park administration graduates is excellent. The U.S. Department of Labor projects that employment of recreation and fitness workers will grow faster than the average through 2010. In 2000, Newsweek predicted that 50 percent of American jobs will be in leisure and tourism by 2050. The Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies prepares a monthly nationwide listing of recreation-related jobs totaling more than 1,500 annually.
Many graduates with this specialization go on to pursue advanced degrees including the Master of Science (M.S.) in Recreation with an option in Park and Recreation Administration, the Director of Recreation (Re.Dir.), and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Leisure Behavior.
Degree Program
Bachelor of Science in Recreation
For more information, contact:
Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies
School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation
Indiana University
HPER 133
1025 E. Seventh Street
Bloomington, IN 47405-7109
Phone: (812) 855-4711
E-mail:
