Outdoor Recreation and Leadership

Students select our program at UMaine Machias because they love the hands-on nature of the coursework, the field work, the small class sizes, and placement in internships that gain them quality work experience by the time they graduate.

Our program emphasizes learning and leadership in a wide variety of environmental contexts. Students gain a broad understanding of leisure and recreation in our society while developing strong managerial skills. The curriculum is designed and selected with the expectation that graduates will leave UMaine Machias with a solid foundation of knowledge and skills pertinent to all areas within the leisure service industry (as “generalists”, rather than “specialists”). Yet, students have the opportunity to delve more deeply into their personal area of interest through our carefully designed cross-disciplinary minors and certificates, including: Conservation Law, Wilderness Therapy, Outdoor Recreation, and Coaching.

Our program maintains a balance between analytical thinking and practical application as we prepare students for professional careers. Students become very involved in campus and community stewardship and programming through many service projects over the course of their studies. These projects allow students to learn through experience while benefiting the local community.

We take great pride in our personal approach to education and our Downeast location. Our location on the coast among coves, rivers, lakes, and forests lends itself to the enjoyment of outdoor recreational experiences and, therefore, to unique experiential learning opportunities, particularly for future recreation professionals.