PRTS – Parks, Recreation and Tourism Studies
This course will examine leisure and its relationship to human behavior from historical and contemporary perspectives. The course will explore fundamental principles, theories, and philosophies of recreation, play, and leisure and how they relate to health and wellness, quality of life, personal identity, work, the economy, and social institutions. The role of leisure in one’s life will be examined in depth with a focus on positive and negative leisure behaviors, trends in world culture, and how societal factors influence leisure behavior.
This course is designed to help students understand and develop their program planning and development skills. Theories and techniques in relation to programs in parks, recreation organizations, and hospitality and tourism businesses are explored. The course will examine the planning process, including needs assessment, risk assessment, staffing, marketing, budgeting, and implementation.
This course introduces students to the field of park and recreation management, including public, non-profit, and private/commercial service delivery organizations. Career opportunities in each of these sectors will also be explored.
This course is designed to present an introduction to the tourism industry. Emphasis is placed on historical and technological development within tourism, the different components of the industry (transportation, accommodations, attractions, events), and career opportunities in tourism, events, and hospitality.
This course is designed to help students develop recreation facilitation and leadership skills. The course will focus on leadership theories, recreation leadership techniques, and group dynamics. Students will practice group leadership techniques through in-class activities and community engaged learning.
This course examines personnel, financial and organizational management principles, practices, and policies related to the recreation industry. The course explores general personnel management, organizational management, and the budget process. Students will learn about revenue sources, budget formats, and managing full-time, part-time, and seasonal personnel.
This course teaches the knowledge and skills needed to navigate lodging operations in the hospitality industry and provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental principles and practices associated with the successful operation of lodging facilities.
Agency field placement is required of all students in Park, Recreation and Tourism Studies. Seminar will include resume and cover letter writing skills, internship requirements, agency placement referrals, and interviewing techniques.
Supervised agency placement is required of all students in the Park, Recreation and Tourism Studies program. Placement must fulfill all professionally appropriate certification standards. Minimum of 400 clock hours. Students must have an overall GPA of 2.00 and a major GPA of 2.00 at the start of the internship.
Selected field-based experiences in a park, recreation and tourism service setting. Minimum of 200 clock hours.
This course addresses outdoor recreation and natural management using a recreation ecology framework. Physical and social impacts resulting from outdoor recreation in parks and protected areas will be discussed, as well as visitor use management strategies to address those impacts.
This course is designed to increase knowledge, skills, techniques, policies and procedures related to outdoor recreation. Students are required to participate in outdoor recreation experiences through the Outdoor Adventure Program and on their own.
This course will cover organization and administration of camp programs and facilities including history, trends, staffing, client needs, finance, marketing, accreditation, research and legal issues. Primary emphasis will be on organized camp programs and their impact on youth and society.
This course explores theories and concepts related to marketing and sales within successful service-oriented hospitality and tourism businesses. Course topics include marketing and sales planning, techniques, strategies, and management.
This course explores the meaning and practice of leadership and management in the hospitality and tourism industry. The course links theoretical concepts to the application of best practice in various aspects of administration. Students will also learn about current trends, research, and national and international case studies
This course is designed to equip students with a practical understanding of the principles involved in the revenue management of hospitality businesses. By blending theoretical concepts with real-world applications, students will learn how to ethically apply these techniques to enhance business outcomes in a dynamic industry. The Certification in Hotel Industry Analytics (CHIA), which is the only hotel-related certification that recognizes the skill and knowledge that these professionals have, is embedded in this course to boost the career prospects of students.
This course examines the principles and practices of sustainable management within park, recreation, and tourism settings. The course explores the complexities of sustainable management and best practices for achieving economic, environmental, social, and cultural sustainability.
The purpose of this course is to provide students with basic knowledge in research and evaluation within the park, recreation and tourism field. Specific focus is placed on applying research and evaluation concepts through a research or evaluation project within the field. Topics include evaluation criteria development, quantitative and qualitative research methods, and utilizing study results to make practical recommendations for park, recreation, and tourism organizations. This is a writing intensive course.
This course advances students’ knowledge of the marketing, planning, and management of festivals, meetings and conventions, and special events in tourism destinations. Students will learn strategies for successfully planning, marketing, organizing, and implementing a variety of events.
This course provides an opportunity for in-depth study of selected topics in the variety of areas comprising parks, recreation and tourism studies.
Individualized instruction to include research, specialized studies, or other scholarly writing.
Practice in the use of statistical and analytical techniques in solving problems in Park, Recreation and Tourism Studies; supervised student research.
This course is designed to increase the student's ability to critically analyze and discuss the contemporary issues and trends in parks, recreation and tourism. This course will require students to describe, evaluate, and critique the current research in the field; evaluate the future trajectory of park, recreation and tourism studies; and assess both personal and professional philosophies to elucidate his/her role as an advanced-level practitioner in parks, recreation or tourism industry.
Designed to provide detailed practical experience (400 clock hours) in a park, recreation or tourism field setting.
Selected topic courses in Park, Recreation and Tourism Studies
Investigations in park, recreation, and tourism studies. Problems approved in advance are investigated under the supervision of the faculty advisor.
Students work independently with a faculty member to conduct research for their thesis on a topic related to Park, Recreation, and Tourism Studies.
Students work independently with a faculty member to complete their thesis on a topic related to Park, Recreation and Tourism Studies.
This course explores the complexities and evolution of tourism consumer behavior from a multidisciplinary perspective. Choosing, buying and consuming tourism/travel products and services includes a range of psycho-social processes, individual and environmental influences, motivations, and meanings that researchers and managers of national parks and tourism destinations should take into account when evaluating the tourism experience. This course provides an overview of such processes and influences and explains the basic and advanced concepts and theories that underlie tourist decision-making and behavior.
The course examines the concepts, theories and philosophies related to outdoor recreation, travel and tourism, and community recreation. Discussion will focus on the application of social science theories to the study of leisure, parks, recreation and tourism.
This course targets research related to outdoor recreation in parks and open spaces. Empirical studies investigating sense of place, motivations for outdoor recreation, carrying capacity, crowding, recreation opportunity spectrum, and other sensitive issues will be covered. The course will also provide a historical overview of social sciences in outdoor recreation, and the principles guiding park management.
This course provides preparation for upper-level recreation administration. National standards for managerial, administrative and executive decision-making for parks and recreation professionals will be discussed, in addition to practical knowledge and current real-world skills necessary in today's changing park and recreation environment. The course is designed to prepare professionals to sit for the Certified Park and Recreation Professionals (CPRP) or Certified Park and Recreation Executive (CPRE) exam.
This course examines the planning, development and management of the tourism industry with regard to economic, social, cultural and environmental sustainability. Current theory and research in the field of sustainable tourism will also be explored in order for students to develop a critical perspective on sustainable tourism development.
Grant writing is an essential skill for the park and recreation professional. This course examines the grant writing process. This includes, but is not limited to, The Office of Research, the ODU Research Foundation, budgeting, human subjects, and partnerships. Students will be expected to submit a grant application by the end of the course.
The Positive Youth Development (PYD) movement has been greatly influenced by sport and recreation. With the recent increase of diabetes, obesity, sedentary lifestyles, and risky behaviors among youth, sport and recreation professionals are charged to help alleviate these societal issues. More specifically, practitioners need to target the socio-emotional needs of our youth through the sport and recreation experience. By using class lectures, technology, video, and self-directed research, students will explore research, theory, practice, and techniques of structuring positive experiences for youth. This course includes the examination of theories on youth development, behavior management, motivation, resiliency, and social skills as they relate to the sport and recreation experience.
This course explores the complexities and evolution of tourism consumer behavior from a multidisciplinary perspective. Choosing, buying and consuming tourism/travel products and services includes a range of psycho-social processes, individual and environmental influences, motivations, and meanings that researchers and managers of national parks and tourism destinations should take into account when evaluating the tourism experience. This course provides an overview of such processes and influences and explains the basic and advanced concepts and theories that underlie tourist decision-making and behavior.
The course examines the concepts, theories and philosophies related to outdoor recreation, travel and tourism, and community recreation. Discussion will focus on the application of social science theories to the study of leisure, parks, recreation and tourism.
This course targets the pursued and needed research of outdoor recreation in parks and open space. Empirical studies investigating areas such as: sense of place, motivations for outdoor recreation, carrying capacity, crowding, recreation opportunity spectrum, and other sensitive issues will be covered. The course will also include an historical overview of social sciences in outdoor recreation. The course will also cover principles to guide park management.
This course provides preparation for upper-level recreation administration. National standards for managerial, administrative and executive decision-making for parks and recreation professionals will be discussed, in addition to practical knowledge and current real-world skills necessary in today's changing park and recreation environment. The course is designed to prepare professionals to sit for the Certified Park and Recreation Professionals (CPRP) or Certified Park and Recreation Executive (CPRE) exam.
This course examines the planning, development and management of the tourism industry with regard to economic, social, cultural and environmental sustainability. Current theory and research in the field of sustainable tourism will also be explored in order for students to develop a critical perspective on sustainable tourism development.
The Positive Youth Development (PYD) movement has been greatly influenced by sport and recreation. With the recent increase of diabetes, obesity, sedentary lifestyles, and risky behaviors among youth, sport and recreation professionals are charged to help alleviate these societal issues. More specifically, practitioners need to target the socio-emotional needs of our youth through the sport and recreation experience. By using class lectures, technology, video, and self-directed research, students will explore research, theory, practice, and techniques of structuring positive experiences for youth. This course includes the examination of theories on youth development, behavior management, motivation, resiliency, and social skills as they relate to the sport and recreation experience.