Residency requirement: Must complete at least 30 credits through UM/UMM, at least 12 of which must be in their major and 9 of these 12 must be upper level (300 level or above).
The Outdoor Recreation & Leadership major provides an integrated study of recreation and tourism services that prepares students for careers ranging from game wardens to park interpreters, professional guides, recreation resource managers, camp directors, municipal recreation directors, nature-based tourism providers, experiential educators, and many more. Students select our program at UMM because they love the hands-on nature of the coursework, the field work, the small class sizes, and placement in internships that gain them quality work experience by the time they graduate.
Our program emphasizes learning and leadership in a wide variety of environmental contexts. Students gain a broad understanding of leisure and recreation in our society while developing strong managerial skills. The curriculum is designed and selected with the expectation that graduates will leave UMM with a solid foundation of knowledge and skills pertinent to all areas within the leisure service industry (as “generalists”, rather than “specialists”). Yet, students have the opportunity to delve more deeply into their personal area of interest through our carefully designed cross-disciplinary minors and certificates, including: Conservation Law, Wilderness Therapy, and Coaching.
Our program maintains a balance between analytical thinking and practical application as we prepare students for the profession. Students become very involved in campus and community stewardship and programming through many service projects over the course of their studies. These projects allow students to learn through experience while benefiting the local community.
We take great pride in our personal approach to education and our Downeast location. Our location on the coast among coves, rivers, lakes, and forests lends itself to the enjoyment of outdoor recreational experiences and, therefore, to unique experiential learning opportunities, particularly for future recreation professionals.
Students may also acquire nationally recognized certifications while participating in this program, such as Leave No Trace Trainer, Wilderness First Responder, Red Cross EMR, NASAR, Certified Interpretive Guide, and Rescue Diver.
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