RCPT Minors
There are four minors offered by the Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism, including: eSports, Outdoor Recreation and Leadership, Recreation, Parks and Tourism, and Tourism and Special Events.
Please click on the title of each minor to navigate to the Office of the Registrar page to view the course requirements.
eSports (15 Credits)
The minor in esports services focuses on play, community, team-building, inclusion, and event planning. Offered jointly with the English Department, this minor will prepare students for careers in this burgeoning field. Courses include those dedicated to the esports ecosystem and game design. Depending on personal interests, students are able to choose supportive courses such as writing, marketing, leadership, and special events.
Outdoor Recreation and Leadership Minor (18 Credits)
The minor in Outdoor Recreation and Leadership (OURL) consists of courses to develop the student’s outdoor leadership skills in areas such as adventure-based programming, wilderness first aid, natural and cultural interpretation, and challenge course programming. Students majoring in a variety of disciplines will find this minor an excellent way to develop leadership skills for a variety of outdoor related careers. Students have the option to choose between one of two tracks based on consultation with the OURL academic advisor. No perquisites are required; however, enrollment is limited each year based on available space. The minor is open to all students with an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher.
Recreation, Parks and Tourism (15 Credits)
The minor in Recreation, Parks and Tourism seeks to academically engage students through diverse learning opportunities with an emphasis on experiential learning. This approach specifically targets the development of professional competencies in the areas of: (1) foundational knowledge, (2) program leadership, (3) administrative and management functions, and (4) professional skills and behavior. Emphasis is placed on developing the students’ critical thinking skills as the foundation for competency development.
Tourism and Special Events (15 Credits)
The minor in Tourism and Special Events aims to provide students with “real world” practice and theory within the discipline. Students will be armed with tools to succeed in the field, understand current theories, and be exposed to professionals to formulate relationships with practitioners that can lead to internships and job placements. Courses such as Sustainable Tourism, Tourism Marketing and Promotion, and Experiential Tourism and Events provide opportunities to learn about emerging trends, while courses such as Commercial Recreation, Special Events, and Professional Advancement in Tourism provide opportunities to draw from related fields of business and marketing while targeting learning to the application of tourism. There are diverse career opportunities in this area. Students are given flexibility to choose 4 of the required 5 classes that comprise the minor, offering opportunities for them to tailor their experience to ultimate goals. The minor is open to all students with an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher.
Accreditation
Our undergraduate program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation for Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Related Professions. The recreation therapy concentration meets eligibility requirements to take the national certification examination. COAPRT is accredited by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, which recognizes 60 institutional and programmatic accrediting organizations.
Important Information Regarding Degree Mills and the Value of Accreditation
Please watch this important video regarding degree and accreditation mills. According to CHEA, "Degree mills and accreditation mills mislead and harm. In the United States, degrees and certificates from mills may not be acknowledged by other institutions when students seek to transfer or go to graduate school. Employers may not acknowledge degrees and certificates from degree mills when providing tuition assistance for continuing education. “Accreditation” from an accreditation mill can mislead students and the public about the quality of an institution. In the presence of degree mills and accreditation mills, students may spend a good deal of money and receive neither an education nor a useable credential." Read more on CHEA's website.
CHEA defines accreditation as "the primary means of assuring and improving the quality of higher education institutions and programs in the United States. Active for the past 100 years, this private, voluntary system of self-examination and peer review has been central to the creation of a U.S. higher education enterprise that is outstanding in many respects." Read more about the Value of Accreditation.