Park & Resource Management, Bachelor of Science (BS)

Program Overview

The Park & Resource Management program at Slippery Rock University equips students with the knowledge and skills to manage and conserve parks and outdoor recreation areas. The program requires 120 credit hours and can be completed in four years of full-time study. Graduates are prepared for careers as park rangers, natural resource specialists, outdoor recreation planners, environmental educators, and cultural resource managers.

Program Outline

Outline:

• Program Content
• The Park & Resource Management (PRM) program at Slippery Rock University provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to manage and conserve parks and other outdoor recreation areas.
• Program Structure:
• The program requires 120 credit hours and can typically be completed in four years of full-time study.
• Course Schedule:
• First Year:
• Fall: Foundations of Parks and Outdoor Recreation, Introduction to Park and Resource Management, Critical Writing, FYRST Seminar, Foundations of Academic Discovery 1, and a Creative & Aesthetic Inquiry course
• Spring: Critical Reading, Quantitative Reasoning, Science of Life, Humanities Inquiry, and another Creative & Aesthetic Inquiry course
• Second Year
• Fall: Resources for Outdoor Programming, Introduction to Geospatial Technologies, a Science course, a course from Group Facilitation and Leadership or Administrative Strategies for Resource Managers or Outdoor Leadership, and a course from the declared thematic thread.
• Spring: Parks and Recreation Planning, Natural History of Ecosystems I, a PCRM Leadership course, a Social Science Inquiry, another course from the thematic thread.
• Third Year:
• Fall: Recreation Resource Planning and Analysis, Professional Elective, Natural History of Ecosystems II, Cultural Resources Management, and another course from the thematic thread.
• Spring: Challenges and Trends in Parks and Conservation, Search and Rescue/Wilderness Medicine, Wildlife & Wildlands Field Methods and Management, two courses from the thematic thread, and a PCRM Elective/Minor/Certificate course.
• Summer: Parks & Conservation Practicum
• Fourth Year:
• Fall: Park and Resource Management, Interpretive Methods and Programming
• Spring: PCRM Electives/Minor/Certificates
• Modules
• The program includes a variety of modules that cover topics such as:
• Park planning and management
• Natural resources management
• Outdoor recreation programming

Careers:

• Graduates of the PRM program are prepared for a variety of careers in the park and resource management field, including:
• Park ranger
• Natural resource specialist
• Outdoor recreation planner
• Environmental educator
• Cultural resource manager