The Recreation & Leisure Studies program is designed to prepare you for a wide range of options in the rapidly expanding field of recreation and leisure services. The Outdoor Recreation program focuses on leadership in the natural environment. This program provides students with the skills, knowledge and dispositions necessary to serve as wilderness trip leaders, to facilitate groups in outdoor recreation settings, to work in a variety of outdoor and experiential education environments, and to serve as agents of social and environmental change in the world. This program prepares you to facilitate outdoor experiences using a socially and environmentally focused ethical framework. The Outdoor Recreation program provides you not only with a philosophical and theoretical grounding in outdoor recreation, group dynamics and leadership, but also with opportunities to apply knowledge, skills and dispositions through outdoor field experiences. Further, we foster critical thinking about peoples’ relationships with nature and relationships with others.

A Bachelor of Recreation & Leisure Studies degree with a concentration in Outdoor Recreation opens the door to a wide variety of job possibilities! Here is just a sample: Wilderness Guide Camp Director Adventure Program Leader Outdoor Interpreter Park Manager Outdoor Educator Adventure Travel/Tourism Guide Naturalist Wilderness Therapy Workers Outdoor Risk Management Specialist A firm grounding in Recreation & Leisure Studies also enables Outdoor Recreation students to find work in other areas including: Designing and implementing employee wellness, fitness and health promotion programs Supporting inclusion of individuals with disabilities to participate in mainstream community recreation Health Promoter, Leisure Educator and Counselor Managing volunteer programs Program Coordinator in municipal recreation, Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs, YW/YMCA Corrections facility/group home/transitional services Recreation Programmer Manager/Director of staff and facilities Program/Entertainment Director at a resort or on a cruise ship Marketing & Promotions Director Coach/Sport Administrator/Official Campus Recreation/Intramural Sport Coordinator at post secondary institution Special Event/Conference/Tournament Coordinator Supervisor in an area of program expertise such as aquatics, fitness, early years, school aged, youth or older adults Fundraising/Grant Coordinator Adult Educator/Staff & Volunteer Trainer Municipal planning/community development Researcher/Consultant Open space, facility and play space development Entrepreneur Teacher/Educational Assistant/College Instructor/Professor A Bachelor of Recreation & Leisure Studies degree will prepare you for further education: Pre-service education (Teacher's College) Graduate studies (Masters programs) Post degree/diploma certificate programs * Please note that some careers may require additional professional or graduate qualifications.