Program Details

Prepare for personal and professional success, leadership in a global society, the advancement of a sustainable environment, and life-long intellectual growth.

Students and faculty in a sail boat on the water

Students will:

  • Demonstrate an understanding of recreation and leisure as a profession including a broad appreciation of the nature and scope, ethical issues, principles and trends of the industry with special emphasis on the interrelationships between leisure behavior and the natural environment.
  • Develop an understanding of current and changing techniques and processes used by workers within the broad range of professional positions and organizations housed in the industry.
  • Demonstrate an appreciation of the social science, philosophical and historical grounding necessary for practical work in the field.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of concepts and the skills necessary for the design, implementation, and evaluation of comprehensive recreational programs tailored to a great variety of individual and group needs.
  • Demonstrate leadership and facilitation skills that are effective for providing quality recreational experiences for diverse groups.
  • Develop an appreciation for the role of the environment in the provision of leisure services and the design and operations of related facilities.
  • Understand and develop techniques that enable the implementation of appropriate operational and strategic management practices.
  • Demonstrate practical applications of their coursework through course-embedded fieldwork and faculty/staff guided practicum experiences. These experiences will better prepare them for management/leadership positions in their professional internship of no less than 10 weeks and 400 hours.

Career paths

Conservation Law

Interested in becoming a park ranger or a game warden, or working for a law enforcement agency? Choose the Outdoor Recreation and Leadership major with a minor in Conservation Law.

Wilderness Therapy

Interested in a career that uses wilderness as a therapeutic process to help those in need? Choose either the Outdoor Recreation Leadership major or the Psychology and Community Studies major with a minor in Wilderness Therapy.

Adventure Tour Guide or Activity Instructor

Interested in guiding or instructing others in outdoor/adventure activities? Choose the Outdoor Recreation and Leadership major with a minor in Outdoor Recreation.

Community and Youth Services

Interested in working with communities or youth in municipal recreation or educational programs? Choose the Outdoor Recreation and Leadership major with a minor in either Outdoor Recreation or Coaching. 

Business Owner or Manager

Interested in owning your own gym, recreation business, or working in upper-level management positions for a Parks and Recreation Department? Choose the Outdoor Recreation and Leadership major with a minor in Business.

Park Interpreter or Manager

Interested in educating others about natural resources or managing lands for recreation? Choose the Outdoor Recreation and Leadership major with a minor in Outdoor Recreation and/or a geographic information systems (GIS) certificate.

Statement of Values

The Outdoor Recreation and Leadership program emphasizes the integration of the environment, economic development and human behavior through its structured curriculum which transitions from foundational knowledge to leadership/programming skills, to management theory and practices.  The program emphasizes a balance between analytical thinking and practical application.  The Outdoor Recreation and Leadership curriculum is committed to academic excellence.  The faculty refers to a graduate of the program as “liberally educated” but also “professionally prepared” for individual success and leadership in the field.  The program utilizes its unique environment and its small community setting to offer hands-on learning and community service opportunities for the students.

The curriculum is designed and selected with the expectation that graduates will leave the University of Maine at Machias with a solid foundation of knowledge and skills pertinent to all areas within the leisure service industry (as “generalists”, rather than “specialists”). 

Student Resources

Recreation and Tourism Management Fall 2020 Advising Sheet

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More ways to study

  • Minor in one of four complementary subjects aimed at a specific sector of the leisure services industry: coaching, outdoor recreation, conservation law or wilderness therapy.

Let the Adventure Begin

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