10 Essentials of an Outdoor Recreation Major
Posted: September 30, 2016 | Author: Abigail Wyatt | Read Time: 2 minutes
At Southern Utah University you are within half a day’s drive of 11 national parks, national monuments, and recreation areas, and within 100 miles of Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Grand Canyon National Park and the Pine View Mountains. This means you are never far from incredible wilderness experiences where you can practice the skills that are at the core of your Outdoor Recreation bachelor’s degree program.
As an Outdoor Recreation major, you will choose between three emphases for your degree: Public Lands Leadership and Management, Outdoor Education, or Outdoor Recreation Tourism. The average class size of 28 students means you get to work closely with your professors who become valued mentors as you decide on your specific career direction.
Every student in the Outdoor Recreation program completes either an internship or a practicum. Many of these positions lead directly to future careers.
Phenix Johnson, a junior from Las Vegas in the Outdoor Recreation program, shares 10 things you should put in your Backpack on your way to becoming an Outdoor Recreation Major.
1. Introduction to Outdoor Recreation. if you’re thinking about the major. It’s every course condensed and combined into one so it’ll give you a good idea what the major will be like.
2. On campus classes (not online). Most of the classes are hands on so you’ll want to be there in person.
3. Sign up for clubs. You’ll have enough free time to finish homework and do extra-curricular activities.
4. Get a job. You can apply to work in the Outdoor Recreation Center or look for in-town jobs that can give you more experience.
5. Plan your schedule wisely. Most classes are held once a week and are 4 hours long. Spread them out over the week so you don’t overkill it in one day.
6. Take a skill course. There are options from canyoneering to snowboarding and are only 1 credit so they’re easy to fit in your schedule.
7. Take the Leadership class and Risk Management in different semesters. They overlap a lot.
8. Get an internship. There a tons available with SUU Outdoors (they only hire in April) and IIC offers summer and full-time paid internships. You can work with the Forest Service, fight fires, be a ranger, be a wildlife technician, work in many different national parks and more.
9. Plan to have homework. The skill classes don’t have a lot of extra work but administration classes require a lot of reading and papers.
10. Do what you love. It’s okay to switch your major as you try to figure out what you want to do. Phenix Johnson started with a different major until she realized her hobby could be her career. Now Johnson is doing what she loves.
This article was published more than 5 years ago and might contain outdated information or broken links. As a result, its accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
Tags: Outdoors Majors College of Education and Human Development
