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.
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, PTRM 495 (RECM 460). This is a work-learning experience that involves at least 10 weeks full-time employment in a professional work environment. PTRM 495 (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 |
|---|---|
| PTRM 110S (RECM 110S) Introduction to Parks, Recreation and Tourism | 3 |
| NRSM 180 (RECM 180) Careers in Natural Resources, or WILD 105N (WBIO 105N) Wildlife and People, or NRSM 121S (RSCN 121S) Nature of Montana | 2-3 |
| WRIT 101 (ENEX 101) College Writing I | 3 |
| BIOB 170N (BIOL 108N) Principles 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 |
| COMX 111A (COMM 111A) Introduction to Public Speaking | 3 |
| M 115 (MATH 117) Probability and Linear Mathematics | 3 |
| Electives and General Education | 6 |
| Second Year | Credits |
| ENSC 245N (FOR 210N) Soils | 3 |
| PTRM 210 (RECM 210) Nature-Based Tourism | 3 |
| PTRM 230 (RECM 230) Programming in Recreation | 3 |
| STAT 216 (MATH 241) Statistics, or FORS 201 (FOR 201) Forest Biometrics, or SOCI 202 (SOC 202) Social Statistics | 3-4 |
| PTRM 217S (RECM 217S) Wildland Recreation Management | 3 |
| NRSM 200 Natural Resources Professional Writing | 3 |
| ECNS 201S (ECON 111S) Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| GPHY 284 Introduction to GIS and Cartography | 3 |
| Electives and General Education | 6 |
| Third Year | Credits |
| FORS 330 (FOR 330) Forest Ecology, or NRSM 462 (FOR 462) Range Ecology | 3 |
| PTRM 380 (RECM 380) Recreation Administration and Leadership | 4 |
| NRSM 385 (FOR 385) Watershed Hydrology | 3 |
| PTRM 300 (RECM 300) Recreation Behavior | 3 |
| PTRM 310 (RECM 310) Natural Resources Interpretation | 3 |
| PTRM 450 (RECM 450) Pre-practicum Professional Preparation | 1 |
| Electives and General Education | 9 |
| Summer | Credits |
| PTRM 495 (RECM 460) Practicum in Parks, Tourism and Recreation Management | 6-9 |
| Fourth Year | Credits |
| PTRM 482 (RECM 482) Wilderness and Protected Area Managements | 3 |
| PTRM 484 (RECM 484) Parks, Tourism & Recreation Management Field Measurement Techniques | 3 |
| PTRM 485 (RECM 485) Recreation Planning | 4 |
| NRSM 422 (FOR 422) Natural Resource Policy/Administration, or WILD 410 (WBIO 410) Wildlife Biology and Biopolitics | 3 |
| Electives and General Education | 9-14 |
| First Year | Credits |
|---|---|
| PTRM 110S (RECM 110S) Introduction to Parks, Recreation, and Tourism | 3 |
| NRSM 180 (RECM 180) Careers in Natural Resources, or WILD 105N (WBIO 105N) Wildlife and People, or NRSM 121S (RSCN 121S) Nature of Montana | 2-3 |
| WRIT 101 (ENEX 101) College Writing I | 3 |
| BIOB 170N (BIOL 108N) Principles Biological Diversity or BIOE 172N (BIOL 121N) Introductory Ecology | 3 |
| SOCI 101S (SOC 110S) Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| COMX 111A (COMM 111A) Introduction to Public Speaking | 3 |
| CHMY 121N (CHEM 151N) Intro to General Chemistry | 3 |
| M 115 (MATH 117) Probability and Linear Mathematics | 3 |
| Electives and General Education | 6 |
| Second Year | Credits |
| ENSC 245N (FOR 210N) Soils | 3 |
| PTRM 210 (RECM 210) Nature-Based Tourism | 3 |
| PTRM 230 (RECM 230) Programming in Recreation | 3 |
| STAT 216 (MATH 241) Statistics, or FORS 201 (FOR 201) Forest Biometrics, or SOCI 202 (SOC 202) Social Statistics | 3-4 |
| PTRM 217S (RECM 217S) Wildland Recreation Management | 3 |
| NRSM 200 Natural Resources Professional Writing | 3 |
| ACTG 201 (ACCT 201) Principles of Financial Accounting | 3 |
| ECNS 201S (ECON 111S) Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| Electives and General Education | 6 |
| Third Year | Credits |
| FORS 330 (FOR 330) Forest Ecology or NRSM 462 (FOR 462) Range Ecology | 3 |
| BMKT 325 (MKTG 360) Principles of Marketing | 3 |
| PTRM 380 (RECM 380) Recreation Administration and Leadership | 4 |
| PTRM 300 (RECM 300) Recreation Behavior | 3 |
| BMKT 337 (MKTG 362) Consumer Behavior | 3 |
| PTRM 310 (RECM 310) Natural Resources Interpretation | 3 |
| PTRM 450 (RECM 450) Pre-practicum Professional Preparation | 1 |
| Electives and General Education | 12 |
| Summer | Credits |
| PTRM 495 (RECM 460) Practicum in Parks, Tourism and Recreation Management | 6-9 |
| Fourth Year | Credits |
| PTRM 451 (RECM 451) Tourism and Sustainability | 3 |
| PTRM 483 (RECM 483) Commercial Recreation, Marketing, and Tourism | 3 |
| PTRM 484 (RECM 484) Parks, Tourism & Recreation Management Field Measurement Techniques | 3 |
| NRSM 475 (FOR 475) Environment and Development | 3 |
| NRSM 422 (FOR 422) Natural Resource Policy/Administration or WILD 410 (WBIO 410) Wildlife Biology and Biopolitics | 3 |
| NRSM 379 (FOR 379) Collaboration in Natural Resource Decisions | 3 |
| Electives and General Education | 3-7 |