Recreation Management and Policy: Outdoor Leadership and Management

UNH's Outdoor Leadership and Management (OLM) Program is designed for students who want to study and work in outdoor programs, parks, and public or commercial recreation settings. Our graduates are guides, leaders, directors, and managers of agencies that provide healthy outdoor activities for people across their lifespan. Our curriculum combines experiential learning in urban, rural, and backcountry landscapes with a classic liberal arts education. You'll gain a solid foundation in the theories, philosophies, and methods of outdoor recreation leadership and management while gaining skills in outdoor activities, pursuits or disciplines such as climbing, canoeing, and backpacking. This program will prepare you for dynamic careers in outdoor education, adventure programming, outdoor recreation management, parks and protected areas management, youth and after-school programming, conservation, and other outdoor fields.   

• Students will know and demonstrate the nature and scope of the outdoor industry, including outdoor education, adventure leadership, and parks and protected-areas management.
• Students will know and demonstrate the techniques and processes used by professionals and staff in the outdoor industry.
• Students will know and demonstrate the foundation of the outdoor industry in history, science, and philosophy.
• Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to design, implement, and evaluate services that facilitate targeted human experiences and that embrace personal and cultural dimensions of diversity in outdoor settings.
• Students will demonstrate entry-level knowledge about operations, strategic management, and administration in the outdoor industry.
• Students will demonstrate the potential to succeed as professionals at supervisory or higher levels in the outdoor industry through participation in structured practicum and internship experiences.

Secondary and/or university transcript(s) of any coursework taken prior to applying to UNH, with English translations, are required. International documents received by UNH Admissions are verified, scanned, and confidentially destroyed. Official documents submitted will not be returned to the student.

Ideally, the letter should be from a student's school counselor or teacher. UNH does not require more than one recommendation and our preference is to receive no more than two. Excess recommendations may delay the admissions review process.