Career opportunities in recreation
The program in recreation, park and leisure studies has a long
history at the University of Minnesota. One of the oldest degree
granting programs in the country, the University of Minnesota began
a bachelors major in recreation leadership in the late 1930's. The
program in Recreation has a long history of preparing students to be
professionals in a variety of recreation and park organizations and
agencies.
Students select a specific emphasis area for course selection,
internship placement, and in the case of graduate students for their
choice of research topics. The emphasis areas at both the undergraduate
and graduate levels are: public park and recreation management; outdoor
education/recreation; and, commercial recreation. In addition, at the
graduate level there is an emphasis in sport management. The faculty
expect to develop an additional emphasis in recreation and youth
development in the next year.
These same emphasis areas are career paths in recreation program
management, parks management, outdoor adventure and environmental
education, commercial recreation, and sport management. Each emphasis
area is further explained below. Examples are given of career
opportunities in each emphasis, and web links are provided to a sampling
of organizations and businesses in each emphasis area. These are leisure
service organizations and businesses where program graduates have
participated in internships and found career placement after graduation.
Bachelor degree and masters degree graduates often find employment in
the same types of organizations, with masters degree graduates assuming
positions of more responsibility and requiring more credentials.
Commercial recreation
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Commercial recreation graduates work as program and facility managers in a
variety of businesses, which include: theme parks, travel companies (including
adventure travel), golf courses, ice arenas, aquatic facilities, tourism
facilities, tourism planning agencies, and event planning businesses. |
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Typical organizations that hire our students include:
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Outdoor education and recreation
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Outdoor education and recreation graduates work on individual development and
education, as well as group development, in an outdoor setting. They work in
three main types of settings: adventure education and recreation facilities
(camps, challenge courses, outdoor tripping organizations and businesses, and
college outdoor programs); environmental and outdoor education facilities
(nature centers, environmental education centers and interpretive centers); and,
in park management at the county, state and federal level.
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Typical organizations that hire our students include:
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Public park and recreation
management
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Public park and recreation management graduates have leadership and supervisory
positions where they plan and manage recreation programs and manage recreation
facilities. These programs and facilities are in city park and recreation
departments; non-profit youth serving agencies like Boys Clubs, Girls Clubs,
YMCA's, 4-H; county park and recreation departments; youth sport programs; sport
facilities like swim centers, ice arenas, and golf courses; and community
centers. |
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Typical organizations that hire our students include:
The cities of
- Shoreview
- Richfield
- St. Paul
- Roseville
-
Plymouth
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Sport management graduates work in supervisory and management positions in a
variety of sport related organizations and businesses. These organizations and
businesses include: professional and semi-professional sport teams, youth sport
programs, intercollegiate athletics, intramural sports, sport foundations,
health and fitness clubs, ice arenas, aquatic facilities, golf courses, and
sport equipment retailing. |
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Typical organizations that hire our students include:
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