What Can I Do With A Major In Recreation Management?

         The Recreation Management program is directed at managing natural resources for recreation opportunities, primarily in wild land situations. Recreation managers are in a sense applied social scientists working in natural resource settings to provide profound and satisfying recreational experiences. Graduates of our programs begin careers as National Park rangers, as wilderness backcountry rangers, with State Park agencies, local and county park systems, and the like.

        Recreation managers must not only comprehend and understand the social and philosophical context and significance of natural resources, but they must also understand the natural processes that have formed and influenced those landscapes they manage.  Recreation managers must understand the social and psychological needs of their visitors.  They must appreciate the biological and ecological consequences of that visitation.  They translate legitimate social needs into resource supply and management.  They exercise leadership to facilitate and provide beneficial leisure opportunities.  It is the interactions of people and nature that is of most interest to the recreation manager.  Recreation managers are of service to society in both protecting the resource while providing valuable recreational opportunities.