The B.S. in Parks, Tourism & Recreation Management degree is designed to prepare students for professional positions developing and managing nature-based recreation experiences and park resources for public land management agencies, nonprofit organizations, and the nature-based tourism industry. Students pursuing this degree must choose between an option in Recreation Resources Management or Nature-Based Tourism. The Recreation Resources Management option provides the educational background necessary for evaluating and managing wild lands to protect their recreational, heritage, and ecological values. The Nature-Based Tourism option is designed to combine an understanding of social, cultural, political, environmental, and economic contexts surrounding tourism in a natural resource setting. All students learn the processes and conceptual skills needed to determine alternative management strategies, make management decisions, and carry out management programs. Included are courses leading to an understanding of the basic ecological characteristics of recreational lands. Students also take courses dealing with human behavior and management. Emphasis is placed on presenting problems that would be encountered while managing national parks and forests, state and regional parks, wilderness areas, and other recreation resources of international and national significance. The degree and Recreation Resources Management option are accredited by the National Recreation and Parks Association and the American Association for Leisure and Recreation.
Students pursuing the B.S. in Parks, Tourism & Recreation Management degree complete the following courses (or their equivalent if transferred from another college or university). Transfer credits and course equivalency will be determined by the University and the College of Forestry and Conservation. In addition, students are required to take a practicum in Parks, Tourism & Recreation Management , RECM 460. This is a work-learning experience that involves at least 10 weeks full-time employment in a professional work environment. RECM 460 has a prerequisite of 400 previous hours of relevant work experience. Electives may be taken at any time, keeping in mind these courses as well as the University's General Education requirements for graduation. See also the graduation requirements for the College of Forestry and Conservation listed previously in the catalog.
| First Year | Credits |
|---|---|
| RECM 110S Introduction to Recreation Management | 3 |
| RECM 180 Introduction to Natural Resources Issues or WBIO 105N Wildlife and People or RSCN 121 S Nature of Montana | 2-3 |
| WRIT 101 (ENEX 101) Composition | 3 |
| BIOB 170N (BIOL 108N) Principls Biological Diversity or BIOE 172 (BIOL 121N) Introductory Ecology | 3 |
| PSYX 100S (PSYC 100S) Introduction to Psychology | 4 |
| CHMY 121N (CHEM 151N) Intro to General Chemistry | 3 |
| M 115 (MATH 117) Probability and Linear Mathematics | 3 |
| Electives and General Education | 9 |
| Summer | Credits |
| FOR 200 Natural Resources Measurements Camp | 2 |
| Second Year | Credits |
| FOR 210N Introduction to Soils | 3 |
| RECM 210 Nature-Based Tourism | 3 |
| RECM 230 Programming in Recreation | 3 |
| STAT 216 (MATH 241) Statistics, FOR 201 Forest Biometrics or SOCI 202 (SOC 202) Social Statistics | 3-4 |
| RECM 217S Wildland Recreation Management | 3 |
| WRIT 222 (FOR 220) Technical Approaches to Writing | 2 |
| ECNS 201S (ECON 111S) Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| FOR 250 Geographic Information System Practicum | 2 |
| COMM 111A Public Speaking | 3 |
| Electives and General Education | 3 |
| Third Year | Credits |
| FOR 330 Forest Ecology or 462 Range Ecology | 3 |
| RECM 380 Recreation Administration and Leadership | 4 |
| FOR 385 Watershed Hydrology | 3 |
| RECM 300 Recreation Behavior | 3 |
| RECM 310 Natural Resources Interpretation | 3 |
| RECM 450 Pre-practicum Professional Preparation | 1 |
| Electives and General Education | 9 |
| Summer | Credits |
| RECM 460 Practicum in Recreation | 6-9 |
| Fourth Year | Credits |
| RECM 482 Wilderness and Protected Area Managements | 3 |
| RECM 484 Field Techniques | 3 |
| RECM 485 Recreation Planning | 4 |
| FOR 422 Natural Resource Policy OR WBIO 410 Wildlife Biology and Biopolitics | 3 |
| Electives and General Education | 9-14 |
| First Year | Credits |
|---|---|
| RECM 110S Introduction to Recreation Management | 3 |
| RECM 180 Introduction to Natural Resources Issues or WBIO 105N Wildlife and People or RSCN 121 S Nature of Montana | 2-3 |
| WRIT 101 (ENEX 101) Composition | 3 |
| BIOB 170N (BIOL 108N) Principls Biological Diversity or BIOE 172N (BIOL 121N) Introductory Ecology | 3 |
| SOCI 101S (SOC 110S) Principles of Sociology | 3 |
| ECNS 201S (ECON 111S) Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| CHMY 121N (CHEM 151N) Intro to General Chemistry | 3 |
| M 115 (MATH 117) Probability and Linear Mathematics | 3 |
| Electives and General Education | 6 |
| Summer | Credits |
| FOR 200 Natural Resources Measurements Camp | 2 |
| Second Year | Credits |
| FOR 210N Introduction to Soils | 3 |
| RECM 210 Nature-Based Tourism | 3 |
| RECM 230 Programming in Recreation | 3 |
| STAT 216 (MATH 241) Statistics, FOR 201 Forest Biometrics or SOCI 202 (SOC 202) Social Statistics | 3-4 |
| SOCI 202 (SOC 202) Social Statistics | 3 |
| RECM 217S Wildland Recreation Management | 3 |
| WRIT 222 (FOR 220) Technical Approaches to Writing | 2 |
| ACTG 201 (ACCT 201) Principles of Financial Accounting | 3 |
| COMM 111A Public Speaking | 3 |
| Electives and General Education | 6 |
| Third Year | Credits |
| FOR 330 Forest Ecology or 462 Range Ecology | 3 |
| MKTG 360 Marketing Principles | 3 |
| RECM 380 Recreation Administration and Leadership | 4 |
| RECM 300 Recreation Behavior | 3 |
| RECM 310 Natural Resources Interpretation | 3 |
| RECM 450 Pre-practicum Professional Preparation | 1 |
| Electives and General Education | 12 |
| Summer | Credits |
| RECM 460 Practicum in Recreation | 6-9 |
| Fourth Year | Credits |
| RECM 451 Tourism and Sustainability | 3 |
| RECM 483 Commercial Recreation, Marketing, and Tourism | 3 |
| RECM 484 Field Techniques | 3 |
| FOR 475 Sociology of Environment and Development | 3 |
| FOR 422 Natural Resource Policy OR WBIO 410 Wildlife Biology and Biopolitics | 3 |
| MKTG 362 Consumer Behavior | 3 |
| FOR 379 Collaboration in Natural Resource Decisions | 3 |
| Electives and General Education | 3-7 |
U=for undergraduate credit only, UG= for undergraduate or graduate credit, G=for graduate credit. R after the credit indicates the course may be repeated for credit to maximum indicated after the R. Credits beyond this maximum do not count toward a degree.
U 110S Introduction to Parks, Recreation and Tourism 3 cr. Offered autumn and spring. The basic motivations and socio-economic determinants of recreation needs and preferences. History of the development of the resources base, trends in user participation, classification of recreation lands, recreation opportunities and needs, management objectives, economics of outdoor recreation, and definitions of leisure and recreation.
U 180 Careers in Natural Resources 2 cr. Offered autumn and spring. Same as FOR 180, WBIO 180. Subject matter and fields of study within natural resources management. Topics include forestry, wildlife biology, range, water, recreation management, forest products production and other areas of opportunity for students seeking careers in natural resources.
U 195 Special Topics Variable cr. (R-6) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
U 210 Nature-Based Tourism 3 cr. Offered autumn. Introduction to the tourism and commercial recreation industries. Provides initial link between the natural environment and business operations. Combination of introductory business philosophies, economics, and natural resource management into a framework for future reference and course work.
U 217 Wildland Recreation Management 3 cr. Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., RECM 110S or option in forest resources management. The management of land as an environment for outdoor recreation. Understanding the relationship between the visitor, resource base and management policies. Recreation planning on multiple use forest lands, parks, wilderness areas and private lands.
U 230 Programming in Recreation 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., RECM 110S. Principles of program planning for organized offerings in recreation. Selection, adaptation and evaluation of activities.
U 295 Special Topics Variable cr. (R-6) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
U 300 Recreation Behavior 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., RECM 217. This course provides an understanding of recreation behavior in wildland and nature-based tourism oriented settings. Students will learn about theories/conceptual frameworks from social and environmental psychology and their application to visitor management issues in the wildland recreation and nature-base tourism fields.
U 310 Natural and Cultural Resources Interpretation 3 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., one biology course; one public speaking course. Principles, concepts, techniques essential to providing high quality interpretive programs in natural or cultural history.
U 345 Sustaining Human Society and the Natural Environment 3-6 cr. Offered Winter and Summer. Same as FOR 345. These field-based, experiential classes focus on the environmental and conservation concerns, as well as the modern and traditional cultures, of Australia, New Zealand, or Fiji.
U 352 Himalayan Environment and development 3 cr. Offered summer only. Coreq., RECM/FOR/GPHY 353. Same as FOR/GPHY 352. This course covers the contentious issues surrounding environment and development in the Himalaya using the Garhwal region of India as the example.
U 353 Tourism, Livelihoods and Sustainability in the Himalaya 3 cr. Offered summer only. Coreq. RECM/FOR/GPHY 352. Same as FOR/GPHY 353. In this course we will explore the opportunities and challenges of development with particular reference to nature-based tourism and sustainability in an isolated but rapidly globalizing region of the Himalaya. Students will learn through extensive readings, class discussions, direct field experience (including living in a remote mountain village), meetings with development officials, sustainability activists and stakeholders in the region.
UG 371 Wilderness Issues Lecture Series 1 cr. (R-3) Offered spring. Same as EVST 371and RSCN 371. Explores current issues in wilderness preservation, management and research.
UG 380 Recreation Administration and Leadership 4 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., RECM 110S, 217 and 230 or consent of instr. Personnel, leadership, finance, facilities, programs and public relations. Coordination with youth serving institutions, government agencies, and private or commercial organizations.
U 395 Special Topics Variable cr. (R-12) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
U 396 Independent Study 1-6 cr. (R-6) Offered every term.
U 398 Internship Variable cr. Offered every term. Prereq., consent of instr. Extended classroom experience which provides practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus. Prior approval must be obtained from the faculty supervisor and the Internship Services office. A maximum of 6 credits of Internship (198, 298, 398, 498) may count toward graduation.
U 404 Wilderness in the American Context 4 cr. Same as FOR 404. Same as FOR 404. An expansive treatment of the history of the wilderness preservation movement in the United States. Introduction to the successive influences of philosophy, science, art and politics on society's relationship with wilderness. Discussion of the Wilderness Act of 1964.
U 405 Management of the Wilderness Resource 4 cr. Same as FOR 405. An ecology-based treatment of wilderness management. Brief overview of fundamental ecological principles followed by an examination of their specific and often unique applications to wilderness ecosystems. Presentation of basic wilderness management principles and guidelines. Discussion of nonconforming wilderness uses.
U 406 Wilderness Management Planning 3 cr. Same as FOR 406. Exploration of basic planning theory, concepts, effective plan writing, and the characteristics of successful planning and implementation. In-depth treatment of the Limits of Acceptable Change planning framework. Comparison and evaluation of the different planning approaches used by the four wilderness managing agencies.
U 407 Managing Recreation Resources in Wilderness 3 cr. Same as FOR 407. Examination of strategies to management recreation in a wilderness setting. Addresses management of visitor use and experiences, measuring and monitoring biophysical and social impacts, effective education and interpretation, and law enforcement.
UG 418 Winter Wilderness Field Studies 3 cr. Same as EVST 418. Examination of wilderness values, management issues and strategies, winter ecology and snow science, risk management and group leadership, and traditional skills. Winter field course in the Swan Valley and Mission Mountains Wilderness. Offered wintersession.
U 450 Pre-Practicum Professional Preparation 1 cr. Offered autumn. A pre-practicum class to provide orientation for the practicum, RECM 460, in recreation management.
U 451 Tourism and Sustainability 3 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., RECM 210 and 217. Theories and conceptual models are applied to analyzing relationships between the integration of planning theories to sustainability concepts.
UG 460 Practicum in Recreation 1-15 cr. (R-15) Offered every term. Prereq., RECM 380, senior standing, and consent of instr. Supervised pre-professional practice in approved recreation management agencies.
UG 481 Managing Wildland Resources and Visitors 4 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., RECM 217. Balancing the needs of people for recreation with the impact of recreational use.
UG 482 Wilderness and Protected Area Management 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., RECM 217, 370. Examination of the origin, evolution, and application of the park concept on state, federal, and international levels. Evaluation of legislation, philosophy, and policy leading to consideration of goals, objectives, and strategies for park management.
UG 483 Commercial Recreation, Marketing and Tourism 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., RECM 217. Interactions between wildland recreation areas and the private sector are reviewed. Linkages between natural resources and the tourism industry are discussed. Principles of marketing for the private sector within this context are presented.
U 484 Recreation Management Field Techniques 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., FOR 210, 330. Field measurement and management techniques critical in recreation management. Includes measurement of recreation impacts on biophysical and social attributes of recreational settings.
UG 485 Recreation Planning 4 cr. Prereq., RECM 217. Offered autumn. Needs of recreation opportunities and response to those needs through planning, demand assessment and resource analysis.
U 493 Omnibus Variable cr. (R-10) Offered intermittently. Independent work under the University omnibus option. See index.
UG 495 Special Topics Variable cr. (R-12) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, new courses or one-time offerings of current topics.
U 496 Independent Study Variable cr. (R-6) Offered every term. Prereq., consent of instr. Individual study of research problems.
U 497 Senior Thesis 1-3 cr. (R-3) Offered autumn and spring.
UG 498 Internship Variable cr. Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., consent of instr. Extended classroom learning during placements off campus. Prior approval must be obtained from faculty advisor and Internship Services office. A maximum of 6 credits of Internship (198, 298, 398, 498) may count toward graduation.
G 500 Recreation Research Methods 3 cr. Offered spring odd-numbered years. Prereq., one course in statistics. Methods used in recreation research.
G 560 American Wilderness Philosophy and Policy 4 cr. Same as FOR 560. History of the American Wilderness idea and associated policies, including the Wilderness Act and implementing regulations. Current management challenges also covered.
G 561 Managing Wilderness Ecosystems 4 cr. Same as FOR 561. Ecosystem science and policies and management practices related to managing specific resources, such as air, wildlife, and water, within wilderness. Management of non-conforming uses is also covered.
G 562 Managing Recreation Resources in Wilderness 3 cr. Same as FOR 562. Current research, theory, and management approaches to recreation management in wilderness, including monitoring and management of visitor impacts and experiences.
G 563 Wilderness Planning: Theory, Management Frameworks, and Application 4 cr. Same as FOR 563. Planning theory and effective plan development, including principles and practices of public involvement. Includes examination of primary planning frameworks.
G 565 Advanced Problems in Restoration Ecology 3 cr. Offered autumn. Same as FOR 565. Prereq., graduate standing and consent of instructor. This is a student-driven course that explores current topics in the theory and practice of restoration. Students will develop and implement a collaborative research project related to a current problem in restoration ecology or ecological restoration.
G 594 Graduate Seminar in Recreation 1 cr. (R-3) Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., graduate standing. Presentations by students, staff and guest speakers of issues and topics in their fields.
G 595 Special Topics Variable cr. (R-12) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
G 596 Independent Study Variable cr. (R-10) Offered every term. Prereq., consent of instr. Individual study or research problems.
G 597 Research Variable cr. (R-12) Offered every term. Prereq., graduate standing. Independent graduate research in recreation management.
G 598 Internship Variable cr. (R-12) Offered every term. Prereq., consent of instr. Extended classroom experience that provides practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus. Prior approval must be obtained from faculty advisor and Internship Services office.
G 599 Professional Paper Variable cr. (R-15) Offered every term. Preparation of professional paper.
G 697 Research 1-15 cr. (R-15) Offered every term.
G 699 Thesis Variable cr. (R-15) Offered every term. Prereq., graduate standing. Preparation of thesis.
Registrar's Office
Lommasson Center 201
Phone: (406) 243-2995
Fax: (406) 243-4807
