Utah State University was the first to offer an academic course on managing outdoor recreation. Since the first class offered in the 1930s, USU continues to offer a strong degree program that prepares students for careers in public land recreation management.
Recreation resource management involves managing lands to accommodate recreational uses as well as interpreting the natural values of these lands to recreation visitors. Recreation resources play a vital role in maintaining the multiple uses of public lands. USU is located within half a days drive of six national parks, putting students in close proximity with field study opportunities at some of the most beautiful and most commonly visited recreation sites in the world.
Students wishing to pursue recreation resource management must have good people skills as well as a solid understanding of natural resources. Undergraduates receive a background in biological sciences, including courses in wildlife and fish diversity, plants, and ecology. The curriculum also places a strong focus on the human dimensions of natural resources, including planning and management; environmental interpretation; sociology and psychology of recreation; and environmental economics, history, and law.