Recreation Experience Management Major, Bachelor of Science (BS)
The nationally accredited Bachelor of Science in Recreation Experience Management trains recreation professionals for positions with community and college recreation, corporate training and management, resort and tourism companies, youth and adventure programs, outfitting companies, sport management companies, event and convention centers, health/wellness and rehabilitative medicine, federal and state land management agencies, corrections, military recreation, and much more. Students who complete this degree are eligible to sit for the Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP) and Certified Park and Recreation Executive (CPRE) exams.
The curriculum is designed to aid students in developing a philosophical and practical knowledge of the recreation experience industry. Students are exposed to skill sets and competencies that are relevant to a management career in recreation through the means of a variety of experiential learning opportunities. Students may choose from the following concentrations (students may choose more than one), in addition to minors in Experiential Training and Development and Sport Management.
The degree includes four concentrations:
- Recreation and Tourism Management
- Outdoor Recreation Leadership
- Natural Resource Recreation
- Experiential Training and Development
| Required Core | ||
| RCLS 201 | FOUNDATIONS OF THE RECREATION EXPERIENCE INDUSTRY | 4 |
| RCLS 220 | LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN RECREATION EXPERIENCE MANAGEMENT | 3 |
| RCLS 240 | INTRODUCTION TO THERAPEUTIC RECREATION | 4 |
| RCLS 270 | DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION IN THE WORKPLACE | 2 |
| RCLS 313 | PUBLIC LANDS AND OUTDOOR RECREATION | 4 |
| RCLS 360 | FACILITY PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN | 4 |
| RCLS 385 | EVENT PLANNING AND EXPERIENCE DESIGN | 4 |
| RCLS 400 | LIABILITY AND RISK MANAGEMENT IN RECREATION EXPERIENCE MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| RCLS 425 | EVALUATION AND RESEARCH METHODS IN RECREATION EXPERIENCE MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| RCLS 435 | PROFESSIONAL PREPARATION IN RECREATION EXPERIENCE MANAGEMENT | 2 |
| RCLS 455 | RESORT AND COMMERCIAL RECREATION MANAGEMENT | 3 |
| RCLS 470 | ORGANIZATIONAL MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION IN RECREATION EXPERIENCE MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| RCLS 480 | FINANCIAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN RECREATION EXPERIENCE | 4 |
| RCLS 495 | RECREATIONAL MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL INTERNSHIP | 12 |
| Choose from the following concentrations (students may choose more than one) | 12-22 | |
| Recreation and Tourism Management | ||
| PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING | ||
| STANDARD FIRST AID AND SAFETY | ||
| YOUTH SPORTS MANAGEMENT | ||
| FOUNDATIONS OF TRAVEL AND TOURISM | ||
| Outdoor Recreation Leadership | ||
| OUTDOOR LIVING SKILLS | ||
| WILDERNESS AND REMOTE FIRST AID | ||
| ESSENTIALS OF SNOW-BASED TRAVEL | ||
| WHITEWATER RAFTING GUIDE TECHNIQUES | ||
| OUTDOOR LEADERSHIP | ||
| EXPEDITION PLANNING AND LEADERSHIP | ||
| Natural Resource Recreation | ||
| FIELD BOTANY | ||
| GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS I: SPATIAL ANALYSIS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES | ||
| WILDERNESS AND REMOTE FIRST AID | ||
| OUTDOOR LEADERSHIP | ||
Electives-choose one of the following courses | ||
| FUNDAMENTALS OF SOIL SCIENCE | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM | ||
| Experiential Training and Development | ||
| STANDARD FIRST AID AND SAFETY | ||
or RCLS 290 | WILDERNESS AND REMOTE FIRST AID | |
| FACILITATION AND GROUP DYNAMICS IN RECREATION MANAGEMENT | ||
| PRACTITIONER TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT IN RECREATION EXPERIENCE MANAGEMENT | ||
| EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AND LEADERSHIP | ||
Electives-choose one of the following courses | ||
| COMMUNICATION IN ORGANIZATIONS | ||
| ORGANIZATION THEORY AND BEHAVIOR | ||
| SOCIAL CHANGE | ||
| Capstone | ||
| RCLS 490 | SENIOR CAPSTONE IN RECREATION | 4 |
| Total Credits | 74-84 | |
Plan of Study
The following plan of study is for a student with zero credits. Individual students may have different factors such as: credit through transfer work, Advanced Placement, Running Start, or any other type of college-level coursework that requires an individual plan.
Courses may be offered in different terms and not all courses are offered every term, checking the academic schedule is paramount in keeping an individual plan current. There may be some courses that have required prerequisites not listed in the plan, review the course descriptions for information. Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.
All Undergraduate students are required to meet the Undergraduate Degree Requirements.
| First Year | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall Quarter | Credits | Winter Quarter | Credits | Spring Quarter | Credits | ||
| ENGL 101 | 5 | ENGL 201 | 5 | Global Studies - graduation requirement1 | 5 | ||
| MATH 107 | 5 | Natural Science BACR 11 | 5 | Humanities & Arts BACR 11 | 5 | ||
| Social Science BACR 11 | 5 | Social Science BACR 21 | 5 | Natural Science BACR 21 | 5 | ||
| 15 | 15 | 15 | |||||
| Second Year | |||||||
| Fall Quarter | Credits | Winter Quarter | Credits | Spring Quarter | Credits | ||
| RCLS 201 | 4 | CMST 430, SOCI 470, or MGMT 326 | 5 | Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective | 5 | ||
| RCLS 220 | 3 | Diversity - graduation requirement1 | 5 | Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective | 5 | ||
| Humanities & Arts BACR 21 | 5 | Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective | 5 | Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective | 5 | ||
| Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective | 3 | ||||||
| 15 | 15 | 15 | |||||
| Third Year | |||||||
| Fall Quarter | Credits | Winter Quarter | Credits | Spring Quarter | Credits | ||
| PHED 193 or RCLS 290 | 2-3 | RCLS 333 | 4 | RCLS 270 | 2 | ||
| RCLS 335 | 4 | RCLS 360 | 4 | RCLS 380 | 4 | ||
| Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective | 5 | RCLS 385 | 4 | RCLS 425 | 4 | ||
| Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective | 2 | Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective | 5 | ||||
| 13-14 | 12 | 15 | |||||
| Fourth Year | |||||||
| Fall Quarter | Credits | Winter Quarter | Credits | Spring Quarter | Credits | Summer Quarter | Credits |
| RCLS 435 | 2 | RCLS 400 | 4 | RCLS 240 | 4 | RCLS 495 | 12 |
| RCLS 470 | 4 | RCLS 480 | 4 | RCLS 313 | 4 | ||
| Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective | 5 | RCLS 490 (Senior Capstone - graduation requirement) | 4 | RCLS 455 | 3 | ||
| Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective | 2 | Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective | 2 | ||||
| 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | ||||
| Total Credits 180-181 | |||||||
- 1
University Graduation Requirements (UGR) and Breadth Area Course Requirements (BACR) courses may be less than 5 credits and additional credits may be required to reach the required 180 total credits needed to graduate. Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.
University Competencies and Proficiencies
English
Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning
Placement and Clearance
Prior Learning/Sources of Credit AP, CLEP, IB
General Education Requirements (GER)
- Minimum Credits—180 cumulative credit hours
- 60 upper-division credits (300 level or above)
- 45 credits in residence (attendance) at Eastern, with at least 15 upper-division credits in major in residence at Eastern
- Minimum Cumulative GPA ≥2.0
Breadth Area Core Requirements (BACR)
Humanities and Arts
Natural Sciences
Social Sciences
University Graduation Requirements (UGR)
Diversity Course List
World Language (for Bachelor of Arts)
Global Studies Course List
Minor or Certificate
Senior Capstone Course List
Application for Graduation (use EagleNET) must be made at least two terms in advance of the term you expect to graduate (undergraduate and post-baccalaureate).
Use the Catalog Archives to determine two important catalog years.
Requirements in Degree Works are based on these two catalog years:
- The catalog in effect at the student's first term of current matriculation is used to determine BACR (Breadth Area Credit Requirements) and UGR (Undergraduate Graduation Requirements).
- The catalog in effect at the time the student declares a major or minor is used to determine the program requirements.
Students who earn a BS in Recreation Experience Management from EWU should be able to:
- demonstrate an understanding of the basic functions and be able to apply skills in the areas of administration; budgeting; evaluation and assessment; promotions and marketing; employee recruitment, training, and supervision; risk management; customer service; and small business enterprise;
- demonstrate an understanding of the principles of organizational leadership, and employee and customer motivation;
- demonstrate the ability to perform essential functions in the areas of programming; activity analysis, implementation, and evaluation; recreation leadership and facilitation; and facilities management;
- demonstrate an understanding of the principles of commercial enterprise and entrepreneurship as they apply to the recreation industry;
- demonstrate the ability to articulate a land management and stewardship philosophy.
REM CONCENTRATION OUTCOMES:
Recreation and Tourism Management
- Demonstrate the ability to perform essential programming functions in resort and commercial recreation settings.
- Demonstrate the ability to perform essential functions in the areas of aquatics and sport management.
Outdoor Recreation Leadership
- Demonstrate proficiency in the technical skills necessary to lead outdoor recreation experiences by completing an assessment and obtaining certifications in the technical skills.
- Demonstrate how to lead outdoor recreation experiences for multiple populations by leading their peers and others in outdoor recreation activities.
Natural Resource Recreation
- Demonstrate proficiency in the use of GIS in public land management contexts.
- Demonstrate how to deliver natural resource recreation opportunities for public agencies while conserving the natural resource.
Experiential Training and Development
- Develop immersive learning programs that focus on adult learning, experiential learning, and organizational development.
- Custom design experiences that drive transformation in individuals, groups and organizations utilizing proven leadership assessments.