B.S. Parks, Tourism, & Recreation Management
Help people connect with nature through tourism and recreation
A bachelor’s degree in Parks, Tourism, and Recreation Management (PTRM) at UM prepares you to work in the world’s most beautiful places with federal and state agencies, non-profits, and nature-based tourism operators that manage and steward our wildest landscapes. You will develop skills and gain knowledge that helps connect people to place, manage park visitation, provide environmental interpretation, and integrate conservation sciences into recreation and tourism planning. PTRM offers an experiential education, professional development to diverse career pathways, and personal mentoring with faculty to chart your trajectory into one of the nation’s fastest growing industries. Experience the national parks and wilderness areas that make Missoula and Montana the ideal place to study wildland management in the heart of the Rocky Mountains.
Parks, Tourism and Recreation Management
100%
100% of PTRM Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ complete a career-focused internship
# 1
Montana's outdoor industry is the fastest growing in the U.S.
2nd
Outdoor recreation and tourism represents the second largest sector of Montana's economy
2
The number of national parks in Western Montana AND The number of Wilderness areas viewable from campus!
Careers
Students in the PTRM program find careers in many fields of recreation and tourism management, including as park interpreters, river rangers, backcountry rangers, wilderness managers, and recreation planners. When you graduate, you will find career opportunities with many federal land and resource-oriented agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Graduates also find positions in state natural resource agencies such as Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. You might also work with private and non-profit organizations such as nature preserves, educational organizations, camps and resorts, hospitality and resort associations, visitor and convention bureaus, outfitters/guides, and resorts, as well as at state and federal land management agencies and tourism boards/offices. Students are also well prepared to enter graduate degree programs, especially in natural resource-oriented departments.
PTRM Alumni Pursue Diverse Careers
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Matt Blocker ('05)
Recreation Planning and River Recreation Program Lead, Bureau of Land Management
Favorite course: Parks and Outdoor Recreation Management -
Katie Knotek (‘01)
Recreation Program Manager, Lolo National Forest
Favorite course: Wilderness and Protected Area Management
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Shaun Radley (‘09)
Owner and Operator, MTCX: Ski, Bike, Events
Favorite course: Recreation Programming
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McKoy Feland (‘21)
Recreation Program Supervisor, Sheridan (WY) Recreation District
Favorite course: Wilderness and Protected Area Management
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Kayla Mosher (’14)
Recreation and Outreach Coordinator, Kaniksu Land Trust
Favorite course: Recreation Behavior
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Joe Riemensnider (’19)
Owner and Operator, Spotted Dog Cycles
Favorite course: PTRM capstone
Matt Blocker ('05)
Recreation Planning and River Recreation Program Lead, Bureau of Land Management
Favorite course: Parks and Outdoor Recreation Management
Katie Knotek (‘01)
Recreation Program Manager, Lolo National Forest
Favorite course: Wilderness and Protected Area Management
Shaun Radley (‘09)
Owner and Operator, MTCX: Ski, Bike, Events
Favorite course: Recreation Programming
McKoy Feland (‘21)
Recreation Program Supervisor, Sheridan (WY) Recreation District
Favorite course: Wilderness and Protected Area Management
Kayla Mosher (’14)
Recreation and Outreach Coordinator, Kaniksu Land Trust
Favorite course: Recreation Behavior
Joe Riemensnider (’19)
Owner and Operator, Spotted Dog Cycles
Favorite course: PTRM capstone
Degree Requirements
To earn a degree in Parks, Tourism, and Recreation Management at the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, you must complete general degree requirements and may choose one of tracks listed below.
A total of 120 credits are required to graduate from the Ñý¼§Ö±²¥. 39 credits must be upper-division (300-level or higher). A total of 36 traditional letter-graded semester credits are required in the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, of which a minimum of 20 credits must be taken in an approved major within the college.
PTRM majors are required to fulfill 400 hours of approved work experience and fulfill an internship learning requirement (PTRM 498 — view internship guidelines)
Experiential Learning
Experiential learning is at the foundation of the PTRM degree, exposing Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ to opportunities working with professionals during internships and the PTRM capstone course to develop professional skills and provide pathways to careers while addressing real-world issues.
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PTRM First-Year Seminar
This introductory seminar introduces PTRM Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ to professionals in the field and includes an overnight trip to and the surrounding area! Students get to know other Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ and faculty in their major and are introduced to strategies for their success as a new university student.
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Study Abroad
There are opportunities for Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ to earn credits through study abroad programs led by PTRM faculty to Zambia, Botswana, Costa Rica, and more! These transformative global experiences address complex topics that relate to management of protected areas, conservation, and local communities.
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Recreation Planning
This course is designed to develop the skills needed to participate and eventually lead recreation planning processes in an era of turbulence. The class centers around a REAL planning project where Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ are tasked with creating a management plan for a recreation area around Missoula, beginning with initial site visits and culminating with presentations of their final plans to managers.
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Capstone
All PTRM seniors participate in a capstone project over a semester where Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ work in groups and address a real-world issue in partnership with PTRM professionals. Students are involved in hands-on field work, professional development, and an overnight trip to . Students produce a report and give a presentation of the project to the professional partners. The projects serve the local and state professionals’ needs and provide an opportunity for Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ to apply the skills of their PTRM curriculum and gain experience for their careers.
PTRM First-Year Seminar
This introductory seminar introduces PTRM Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ to professionals in the field and includes an overnight trip to and the surrounding area! Students get to know other Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ and faculty in their major and are introduced to strategies for their success as a new university student.
Study Abroad
There are opportunities for Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ to earn credits through study abroad programs led by PTRM faculty to Zambia, Botswana, Costa Rica, and more! These transformative global experiences address complex topics that relate to management of protected areas, conservation, and local communities.
Recreation Planning
This course is designed to develop the skills needed to participate and eventually lead recreation planning processes in an era of turbulence. The class centers around a REAL planning project where Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ are tasked with creating a management plan for a recreation area around Missoula, beginning with initial site visits and culminating with presentations of their final plans to managers.
Capstone
All PTRM seniors participate in a capstone project over a semester where Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ work in groups and address a real-world issue in partnership with PTRM professionals. Students are involved in hands-on field work, professional development, and an overnight trip to . Students produce a report and give a presentation of the project to the professional partners. The projects serve the local and state professionals’ needs and provide an opportunity for Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ to apply the skills of their PTRM curriculum and gain experience for their careers.
Study Abroad
Costa Rica Study Abroad
This two-week study abroad course taught by PTRM instructors and a highly qualified local team in Costa Rica provides Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ with unique space to study the global evolution of protected areas and wildlife management and conservation models within a holistic management framework.
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Advising
Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor through Navigate. Watch the helpful video where you can see how the system works. Then, click on the Navigate for Students button at the bottom of the page. If the office hours listed won’t work for you, please email your advisor directly to see what other days/time might work.
Charlie McPherson>
Forestry Advisor, W.A. Franke College of Forestry & Conservation
charlie.mcpherson@umontana.edu
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