Parks, Conservation and Outdoor Recreation

If you love nature, wild places and people, this emphasis area is the perfect fit for you.

• Overview

  Our curriculum is co-designed with an advisory board of park management professionals and is structured around NRPA curriculum standards. It’s also the only parks-focused option at Clemson University that is accredited by the National Parks and Recreation Association (NRPA).

  Graduates of the parks, conservation and outdoor recreation curriculum meet the most demanding challenge - managing parks, wilderness areas, and vast public lands for superb visitor experiences while conserving these areas for future generations. Career options are readily available after you graduate, including local, state and national park services federal land management agencies, historic areas, zoos, aquariums, nature centers, and conservation advocacy groups.

  Employers recognize the breadth and administrative skills of our students. Unlike other majors, we teach both the administrative skills and the resource knowledge necessary for a career in park and conservation area management.

• Faculty Expertise

  Our faculty are experts in:

  • Park visitor monitoring and management - Provide tools and frameworks to help manage parks and protected areas to maximize the quality of visitor experience while minimizing environmental impacts
  • Human dimensions of natural resource management – Investigate the social aspects of natural resource management issues (perceptions, knowledge, attitudes) to support effective planning and inform decision-making.
  • Nature and health - Explore the human-nature connection and the multifaceted benefits associated with parks and outdoor recreation across diverse contexts, with an emphasis on public health and well-being.
  • Environmental education and interpretation – Evaluate existing programs and identify strategies and approaches for reaching desired outcomes such as building environmental awareness and helping learners develop the knowledge and skills necessary to engage in stewardship behaviors and environmental sustainability
  • Sustainable Tourism and Protected Areas—Research to support tourism management in parks and protected areas that maximizes the benefits to local residents in and around parks, minimizes impacts on the resources of the area, and enhances the visitor experience
  • Outdoor Recreation—Investigating and evaluating outdoor recreation management, benefits, and impacts
  • Virtual reality and nature - Apply an interdisciplinary, technological focus to the study of people’s connections and interactions with the natural world
• Admission Requirements

  Visit Clemson University Admissions to learn more about admission requirements, how to apply and important dates.

• Program Requirements

  You will follow the general curriculum for the B.S. in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management and the following courses on the PCOR track:

  • PRTM 2700 - Introduction to Recreation Resources Management
  • PRTM 3300 - Visitor Services and Interpretation
  • PRTM 4030 - Elements of Recreation and Park Planning
  • PRTM 4740 - Advanced Recreation Resources Management
  • 15 additional credits selected from any 3000- or 4000-level courses offered at Clemson University

  Explore the Course Catalog for details about PRTM course options. Course selections must be made in consultation with your academic advisor.

• Practicums and Internships
  You will take two practicums and one internship during your degree program. Learn more about practicums and internships, including what they involve and when you take them.
• Find Out More

  For more information about the PCOR track, please contact: 

  • Daniel Anderson, Advisor/Coordinator, Undergraduate Student Services
  • Lauren Duffy, Coordinator, PRTM Undergraduate Program (for curriculum questions)