COURSE CURRICULUM

The Outdoor Leadership and Management program at University of New Hampshire combines recreation management, adventure education, environmental stewardship, leadership training, and hands-on outdoor experience to prepare students for careers in parks, outdoor recreation, adventure tourism, conservation, and youth programming. The curriculum begins with core courses such as Recreation & Tourism in Society, Diversity and Inclusion in Recreation Services, Program and Event Design, Recreation Management Practicum, Professional Development and Ethics, and a large professional internship capstone. Students complete either a 400-hour or 560-hour supervised internship in a real recreation or outdoor leadership setting, helping bridge academic learning with practical industry experience. The specialized outdoor leadership curriculum includes Applied Recreation Risk Management, Foundations of Adventure Education, Wilderness Emergency Medical Care, Recreation Resource Management, Law and Public Policy in Leisure Services, and Human Dimensions of Natural Environments. These courses train students in outdoor safety, leadership, environmental ethics, emergency response, natural resource management, and recreation policy. Students also choose leadership or management training courses such as Experiential Teaching & Leadership or Group Facilitation and Leadership. A major strength of the program is its field leadership training, where students gain direct experience in activities like rock climbing, wilderness travel, backcountry adventure programming, and water-based recreation. Electives allow additional specialization in sea kayaking, whitewater canoeing, wilderness navigation, aerial adventure courses, ski industry management, financial management, youth programming, rescue operations, and entrepreneurial recreation. Students also complete outdoor-focused Lifetime Activity Program courses to build practical activity skills. Graduates are prepared for careers as outdoor educators, adventure guides, recreation managers, camp directors, park and protected area managers, conservation leaders, wilderness instructors, youth program coordinators, and tourism professionals. The program strongly emphasizes experiential learning, leadership development, teamwork, communication, environmental sustainability, and real-world outdoor problem-solving skills.