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.<br><br>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.