Outdoor Recreation Option

Student with backpack and hat hiking in the woods

If you are passionate about spending time outdoors, the Outdoor Recreation option of Penn State’s Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management major may be the right match for you.

As a student pursuing the Outdoor Recreation option, you’ll be challenged to become a leader in the Outdoor Recreation field by learning key principles and developing skills that will launch your journey.

Pursue your passion for the outdoors

There are two pathways in the Outdoor Recreation option, OEL and PMEI. Both pathways include opportunities to take advantage of Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, Penn State’s affiliate nature center that is, in essence, a 7,000-acre “outdoor laboratory.”

Outdoor Experiential Leadership (OEL): Outdoor Experiential Leadership is for those interested primarily in teaching people outdoors focusing on health and wellbeing using activities such as backpacking, canoeing, rock climbing/mountaineering, expeditions and snowsports. This pathway is aligned with the Kurt Hahn Consortium for Values and Experiential Learning and is ideally suited for people aspiring to work for organizations such as Outward Bound™, The Duke of Edinburgh International Award, Round Square Schools, United World Colleges, Youth Expedition and Exploration, Sail Training Organizations, National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and Outdoor/Adventure Centers.

Park Management and Environmental Interpretation (PMEI): Park Management and Environmental Interpretation is for those interested in educating people about the environment, conservation and nature. This pathway is aligned with the Parks and Protected Areas Research Collaborative and is ideally suited for people aspiring to work for National and State Parks and Environmental Education Centers.

Pursue your passion for the outdoors

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