Undergraduate Program

From attending a concert to visiting a National Park, our choices of what to do in our free time have a significant impact on our quality of life. 

How we choose to spend our money, our time and our energy in our “down” time can profoundly impact our lives.  Recreation, leisure, sport and tourism activities often improve the health and well-being the individuals as well as the communities where those individuals engage in those experiences.

Comprised of a passionate group of students, staff, and world-class educators and researchers, the Penn State Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management (RPTM) undergraduate program examines the broad spectrum of ways in which leisure activities, tourism and participating in life changing “experiences” impact our health and well-being over the course of our lives.

The RPTM program is different from other majors at Penn State in that we offer opportunities for students to gain the skills and competencies required of the profession through hands-on and engaged learning experiences that take students out of the traditional classroom setting. These include: 

• International experiences
• Partnerships with resorts and cruise lines for behind the scenes learning
• On-site experiences with the National Parks
• Major concert and live entertainment venues
• Courses and experiential learning at Penn State’s Affiliate nature and education center, Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center

Our faculty and staff get to know students in our small community on a first name basis and work closely to help each individual student develop a graduation plan that supports the student’s career and professional goals.