Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management: Park and Conservation Area Management Concentration, BS

Program Requirements

The Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management prepares students for a variety of careers in the public, private and non-profit sectors. The curriculum provides broad exposure to the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to create, manage, lead and operate in organizations, agencies and businesses that provide leisure and leisure-related experiences, services, environments and therapeutic interventions. Students choose from one of five concentration areas: Community Recreation, Sport, and Camp Management (CRSCM); Parks and Conservation Area Management (PCAM); PGA Golf Management (PGA GM); Recreational Therapy (RT); and Travel and Tourism(T&T). These concentration areas offer the flexibility to accommodate each student’s career objectives in positions in community recreation, community and campus-based sport/athletics management, event and experience planning and management, commercial recreation and tourism, park and conservation area management, interpretation and management of natural, historic, and cultural sites, rehabilitation services, recreational therapy, programs for people with disabilities, senior citizens or other special populations, camp administration, golf industry, travel industry, resort management, convention and visitor bureaus, conference and meeting planning, and community tourism development to name a few.

The Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Related Professions (COAPRT). Therefore, our graduates are immediately eligible to apply to become National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) “Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP),” a valuable credential for professional development. Students choosing the Recreational Therapy option will also be qualified to sit for the Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) certification; and PGA Golf Management students will be in a position to complete the requirements to become a Class A Professional with the PGA of America.

When space is available, a student may change majors to one of the degree concentrations in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management with a 2.0 cumulative grade-point average and approval of the department chair or his/her designee. Students are encouraged to speak with a PRTM advisor about changing their major prior to the start of their sophomore year to avoid a delay in graduation due to course sequencing and course prerequisite requirements.

Graduate degrees offered are Master of Science (Thesis option or Online/non-thesis option) and Doctor of Philosophy.

Concentration

Students in Park and Conservation Area Management (PCAM) prepare for work as park rangers, planners, educators, law enforcement officers, and administrators of our nation’s federal, state, and county public lands that hold unique natural, cultural, and historic resources. PCAM focuses on helping visitors enjoy and appreciate parklands while protecting those resources for future generations. Besides taking coursework in PRTM, students study natural, cultural and historic resources by taking courses in related disciplines.

120 Total Semester Hours

¹ See General Education Requirements   and advisor. Clemson University requires a total of 33 credit hours of General Education, including two credits of Academic and Professional Development (satisfied by PRTM 2060  and PRTM 2070 ). Students must take at least 31 additional credits of General Education as outlined in the Undergraduate Announcements General Education section.

² Students select a total of 49 credits as follows:

• PRTM Supporting coursework: 21 credits selected from PRTM 3200 , PRTM 3300 , PRTM 4030 , PRTM 4210 , PRTM 4310 , PRTM 4740 , PRTM 4300  
• Leisure Skills coursework: LS 2780  and LS 2910  and two additional credits selected from any LS course
• Cultural Resources coursework: Three credits selected from any 2000-4000-level course in AAH, ANTH, ARCH, MUSC or REL
• Historical Resources coursework: Three credits selected rom any 2000-4000-level HIST course
• Natural Resources coursework: Six credits selected from AGM 3010 , ASTR 1010 , ASTR 1020 , PES 2020 , RS 4010  or any 2000-4000-level course in BIOL, ENT, GEOL or WFB
• Policy Planning and Law coursework: Three credits selected from ENR 4290 , RS 4590 , WFB 4300  or any 2000-4000-level course in CRP, LAW or POSC
• Management and Administration coursework: Three credits selected from PRTM 3210 , WS 2300  or any 2000-4000-level course in AGRB, MGT, MKT or NPL
• Geographic Information Systems coursework: Two credits selected from CRP 4300 , ENR 4340 , FOR 3080 , FOR 4330 , FOR 4340 , GEOL 4210