Parks, Recreation, Sport and Tourism

The field of parks, recreation and sport is a multi-billion dollar industry, which encompasses important environmental and social issues such as conservation, community building, human development, health and well-being, and the quality of life. The Parks, Recreation and Sport program provides students with opportunities to develop knowledge and skills for designing, managing, and evaluating various leisure services across a variety of user groups. The undergraduate degree program is comprehensive, yet tailored to meet the needs of students based on current job requirements and professional trends including leadership, communication, problem solving, accounting, and economics. All of our areas of emphasis are accredited with eligibility to sit for the Certified Park and Recreation Professional certification.  A wide range of careers in Parks, Recreation and Sport include: outdoor education, park management, park ranger, resource manager, back country guide, visitor relations, recreation supervisors, facility managers, health and fitness, golf course management, park planner, cultural arts, aquatics, account executives, customer relations, game-day operations, compliance, fund raising, sales, and marketing.

This major has the following emphasis areas:

• Natural Resource Recreation Management
• Recreation Administration
• Sport Management
• Tourism Development

You can do nearly anything with a Mizzou degree, but here are some common career paths taken by graduates of this major:

• First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers
• Natural Sciences Managers
• Range Managers