WCU's Parks and Recreation Management (PRM) Program prepares students for professions
in the leisure service, recreation, outdoor, and tourism industries, as well as with
land agencies such as the National Parks and U.S. Forest Service. Students in the
program earn a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Parks and Recreation Management.
A PRM minor is also available.
While there are no formal requirements for admission to the PRM program, students
must earn a 2.5 GPA in order to graduate with the PRM degree. As a major in the PRM
program, students will work with a PRM faculty advisor to outline courses, certifications,
and professional development options to help them achieve their academic and career
goals.
PRM & COAPRT Student Learning Objectives
7.01 Students graduating from the program shall demonstrate the following entry-level
knowledge: a) the nature and scope of the relevant park, recreation, tourism or related
professions and their associated industries; b) techniques and processes used by professionals
and workers in these industries; and c) the foundation of the profession in history,
science and philosophy.
7.02 Students graduating from the program shall be able to demonstrate the ability
to design, implement, and evaluate services that facilitate targeted human experiences
and that embrace personal and cultural dimensions of diversity.
7.03 Students graduating from the program shall be able to demonstrate entry-level
knowledge about operations and strategic management/administration in parks, recreation,
tourism and/or related professions.
7.04 Students graduating from the program shall demonstrate, through a comprehensive
internship of not less than 400 clock hours and no fewer than 10 weeks, the potential
to succeed as professionals at supervisory or higher levels in park, recreation, tourism,
or related organizations.
PRM students earn a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Parks and Recreation Management:
Download the Eight Semester Plan for B.S. in Parks and Recreation Management
Landmark Learning has a special relationship with Western Carolina University to provide nationally
recognized certifications to Western Carolina University students for course credit.
National certification enhances work opportunities in the field of Outdoor Education
and Recreation post graduation. Click here to download the PRM and Landmark Learning
Course Equivalency Guide.
Landmark Learning College Credit and Course Equivalencies
The Minor
The minor in Parks and Recreation Management requires 18 hours consisting of two core
courses and any 12 hours of electives approved by your PRM advisor. The two core courses
are PRM 250 and PRM 270. Please contanct Dr. Callie Schultz at csschultz@wcu.edu for more information.
As a PRM major, you will earn certifications, complete meaningful projects, present
research, obtain experiences, and participate in conferences. It is important to save
and document each of these items to be used as you begin your career search. In PRM
370: Professional Planning in PRM, students will begin the process of developing their
professional portfolio utilizing the online platform, Linked In. The final opportunity
to update the portfolio and Linked In profile will be in PRM 483/484 Capstone Internship.
The portfolio may contain the following items depending upon your focus area in PRM:
- Resume (professional)
- Outdoor Resume (skills, expeditions, experiences)
- Program proposal
- Trip planning documents
- Research prospectus
- Business plan
- Risk management plan and/or analysis
- Leadership self-analysis
- Activity Log/Journal
- Lesson plan or activity proposal
- Tent Peg article
- Newspaper articles, blog posts, press releases
- Service learning or volunteer work
- Photographs of interpretive work or programs
- Certifications related to your career path
- Awards
The field of parks and recreation offers graduates a wide range of career options in
community recreation, outdoor leadership and instruction, commercial and resort recreation,
and recreation resource management.
Learn More About Career Options
We encourage you to gain experience in your chosen area through coursework, internships, and
summer employment. You’ll gain leadership and participatory experience through volunteer
work at Base Camp Cullowhee, where a range of activities are planned for the on- and off-campus community.
The PRM program provides numerous opportunities to seek additional training and certification
in areas including wilderness medicine, skiing, canoeing, kayaking, outdoor leadership
and more. Landmark Learning is in a special relationship with Western Carolina University to provide nationally
recognized certifications to Western Carolina University students for course credit.
National certification enhances work opportunities in the field of Outdoor Education
and Recreation post-graduation.
Excellent internship opportunities, including the Great Smoky Mountains National Park,
the Blue Ridge Parkway, Navitat, Nantahala Outdoor Center, Project SOAR, and several
camps, surround the WCU campus. The strongest industry in the region is tourism, so
our students enjoy internships at attractions and resorts in Western North Carolina
and in the coastal areas of both North and South Carolina at places like Wilmington,
Hilton Head Island, Myrtle Beach, and Charleston. Community parks and recreation agencies
also abound in the region.
Learn More About Outdoor Organizations in the Region
PRM Program Diversity Statement
Diversity involves the affirmation, understanding, and professional application of the richness
of human differences, ideas, practices, and beliefs that result from, but are not
limited to, age, race, color, disability/health, ethnicity, gender identity, language,
national origin, religion/spirituality, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status,
rural or urban status, as well as the intersectionality of these multiple identities.
Professional practice that is responsive to diversity includes culturally appropriate communication skills; understanding power differentials and
dynamics; and attending to the social and cultural values which influence the multiple
areas of practice represented in PRM.
PRM Program Commitment to Social Justice
A commitment to social justice serves as a guiding principle of the PRM Program and
reflects our belief in the values and goals of a socially just society. Socially
just societies are dependent upon the optimal functioning, health, and well-being
of all persons in that society. Optimal functioning, health, and well-being of persons are contingent upon access
to healthy environments that support healthy development and functioning. Our program
is centered on a social justice approach by helping students to examine power structures
resulting in social injustices and to adopt an advocacy role in working with marginalized
and underserved populations. Our goal is to foster the development of professional
advocates who work to change societal structures, practices, values, and policies
which have long served to perpetuate unhealthy environments for these populations.
By working to effect change at the individual, institutional and systemic level,
our students assist in promoting greater access to economic, social, political, and
cultural resources.
Our mission is to advance knowledge, educate professionals, engage communities, and
affect positive social and environmental change using innovative, experiential, and
equitable practices. PRM graduates are prepared to design, implement, and evaluate
components of the leisure service industry.
We envision a global community where individuals and groups can equitably and responsibly
access spaces for recreation, pursue healthy active lifestyles, and promote social
and environmental justice.
