Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management

Whether it is traveling, planning events, organizing sports, creating experiences in the outdoors, working with youth or helping improve the well-being of others, a degree in parks, recreation and tourism management (PRTM) will prepare you for a rewarding career doing what you love while making a difference in your community and the lives of others. PRTM prepares students for a people-centered and community-engaged profession through experiential, hands-on learning. At the start of the program, you will spend a semester with a cohort of PRTM majors and dedicated, passionate professors organizing events, meeting area professionals, learning to communicate professionally, and collaborating on real-world business and management plans. Next, you will apply that foundation of learning to one of several career options with practicum and internship experiences that help you put the skills you have learned into practice while also building valuable industry connections. By the time you complete your degree, you will be ready for a career that will contribute to the $2.9 trillion PRTM industry while doing what you love and making a true difference in your community. Spend a career filled with adventure while creating unforgettable memories, meaningful connections and improvements in people's health, wellness and lives.

The parks, recreation and tourism management major offers four areas of specialization. 

No matter which focus you choose, you will graduate knowing how to manage people and places, take an active role in the environment and apply scientific studies to everyday work. You will also have deep knowledge of the positive effects of PRTM on local, regional and national economies, communities and individual well-being.

• Community Recreation and Sport Management: Gain knowledge, skills and experience with planning, implementing and evaluating leisure, recreation, youth and sport programs and managing community recreation organizations.
• Parks and Conservation Area Management: Explore parks, outdoor recreation and public lands management from a visitor-centered perspective.
• Recreational Therapy: This allied health field creates recreation services that improve participants' health, leisure experiences, quality of life and functional capabilities.
• Tourism and Event Management: Learn about the scope and scale of the travel and tourism industry, and how it can be planned and managed to support community development both locally and globally. This emphasis also includes a focus on event planning and management.

For the 2022 admissions cycle, Clemson has adopted a test-optional policy. Applicants are not required to submit a standardized test score to be considered for admission to Clemson for the 2022-2023 academic year.

If you choose that test scores should be used, your scores must be submitted electronically by the respective testing agency. Clemson’s institutional code for SAT is 5111, and the code for ACT is 3842. Clemson super-scores both the SAT and the ACT. For the SAT, this means that the overall total SAT score will then be derived by taking the highest of the evidence-based reading and writing/math scores.

According to The ACT, superscoring at Clemson means that we “consider a student’s highest ACT section (or subtest) scores regardless of test date. The super composite ACT score is calculated as the average of the best ACT English, Reading, Math, and Science subject scores and is used as one of multiple factors in admission and financial aid.”