Ph.D. Program in Recreation, Park and Tourism Management

For students who already have a master's degree in RPTM, Penn State’s Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management offers a Ph.D. program that will elevate your academic and career opportunities to the highest possible levels.

Building on the breadth and depth of scholarship and research in the M.S. program, the Ph.D. supports your area of specialization, research design and methods, leisure behavior, and conceptual bases of leisure and interdisciplinary coursework.

While pursuing your Ph.D., you’ll have access to a variety of unique collaborative research, theory, and practice opportunities related to leisure and recreation experienced at the individual, societal, and cross-cultural levels, with concentrated studies in:

• Park and Protected Area Management

• Experiential Education

• Sport Participation

• Travel and Tourism

• Community Recreation, Health and Well-Being

• Environmental Education

These include disciplinary areas, such as the psychological, social, and cultural aspects of leisure and recreation; and applied areas, including recreation management, tourism, and outdoor resource-based recreation. Upon completion of the degree requirements — including a research-based thesis — you will be thoroughly prepared to take on research, academic, and upper-level administrative positions in the public, private, and non-profit sectors.