Be active

Lake Champlain sailing team
Group of students and a mentor in Costa Rica
Student on mountain top
Skier. Photo credit: Stowe Resort
Ski Area Management Course Students at Stowe Resort
Students snowshow up a trail
People in a raft in the rapids of a river
UVM mascot Rally and fans at Gutterson ice hocky arena
Aiken Center

The Parks, Recreation and Tourism Program prepares students to become leaders in innovative sustainable practices in the recreation and tourism fields; in the provision of high-quality recreation and travel experiences for individual well-being; and in planning and managing leisure systems for environmental quality and societal benefit. The program offers an integrative approach to the study of parks, recreation, and tourism that combines foundational knowledge in the social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences with professional skills in planning, business operations, and managerial skills.

8 Semester Plan for Parks, Recreation and Tourism (PDF) | Program brochure (PDF)Learning outcomes | Minors | Sports Management minor | Accelerated Master's Program in Natural Resources | Resources for Current Students

 

Research and Beyond the Classroom

Internships and cooperative education opportunities provide valuable work experiences. These experiences assist students with career planning, provide education not offered in campus course work, and often lead to useful professional contacts. Service-learning in courses such as outdoor recreation planning, landscape design, and others, provide real world, hands-on projects and interaction with community partners. An optional semester study abroad in Costa Rica offers students the opportunity to explore community-based sustainable development and nature-based travel. While there, students engage in service-learning projects in remote communities.

Learn more about internship, career, service-learning, research, and study abroad opportunities through our Office of Experiential Learning and our in-house Career Counselor & Internship Coordinator.

Careers | Internships | Service-learning | Research | Travel courses & Study abroad | Spring Semester Abroad in Costa Rica

Experiential Learning: Hallmark of the Rubenstein School

  • 100% of students take a service-learning course.
  • 100% of Parks, Recreation & Tourism students participate in an internship.
  • 97% of faculty conduct grant-funded research with many opportunities for student involvement.
  • 30% of students study abroad.
  • Faculty teach more than 25 service-learning courses and close to 30 field lab courses each year.

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Graduate employment rate

94%

of Rubenstein graduates are employed or continuing their education within 6 months of graduating.

Careers

  • Four-season resort managers
  • Ski area managers
  • Travel business managers
  • Park rangers
  • Tourism and recreation entrepreneurs
  • Public relations officer
  • Recreation director
  • Recreation and sports marketing and sales specialist

Where alumni work

  • National Park Service
  • State and community parks
  • Private campgrounds
  • Hotels and resorts
  • Marinas
  • Private recreation and tourism companies
  • Sports and recreation facilities

Related Information

Minors

The Parks, Recreation and Tourism minor and the Sports Management minor are open to students in all UVM colleges/schools.

Parks, Recreation and Tourism minor requirements: 15 credits in PRT courses. Learn more in the UVM catalogue.

Sports Management minor requirements: 18 credits in PRT and UVM courses. Learn more in the UVM catalogue.

Learn more about the program

Contact Parks, Recreation and Tourism Program Director:

Patricia StokowskiProfessor Patricia Stokowski