Outdoor Adventure Leadership (APB)

With this 3-year (96 credits) academic program, students majoring in Outdoor Adventure Leadership are preparing for future careers in outdoor leadership, outdoor skills instruction, and guiding for non-profit and commercial adventure tourism companies, wilderness travels outfitters, state and national park rangers, youth developmental programs, summer camp leadership, and outdoor recreation programs.

Outdoor adventure leaders help others practice safe outdoor leisure activities, recreate through outdoor adventure tourism, reconnect with nature, develop youth leadership skills, develop healthy social skills, and enjoy summer camp experiences. Students majoring in Outdoor Adventure Leadership engage in outdoor activities such as backpacking, rock climbing, canoeing, ropes courses, and mountaineering to systematically learn four broad sets of skills. First, they learn the professional and technical skills to operate competently and safely in demanding outdoor environments. Second, they learn how to teach various outdoor-related lessons that aim to the development of new skills, knowledge or values. Third, they learn how to develop, frame, facilitate and process adventure experiences so that their future clients and students grow personally and professionally. And fourth, they also learn to interpret and teach about the various natural environments they will encounter when teaching in the great outdoors.

Students enrolled in the Outdoor Adventure Leadership program take a variety of courses that cover adventure programming history, philosophy, ethics, theory, leadership group behavior and management, group processing and facilitation, experiential pedagogy, wilderness first aid, risk management, legal issues, and program administration.

In their second year, all students in Outdoor Adventure Leadership participate in a 15-credit Fall Immersion Semester, which involves wilderness backpacking and canoe camping expeditions lasting 4 to 15 days. They also have the option of spending a semester in the Outdoor Education program in Norway at the University of South-Eastern Norway in Bø to study friluftsliv (Outdoor Life). Outdoor Adventure Leadership students can also take courses with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) that will count toward the completion of their degree in Outdoor Adventure Leadership.

Additionally, students are required to complete a minimum of 75 days of documented outdoor adventure leadership prior to their clinical placement in our Adventure Education Clinical course (AP 3890). This leadership/instruction experience must occur after the student’s formal matriculation into the Outdoor Adventure Leadership program. Some of this experience is gained through work at the PSU Outdoor Center’s Outdoor Experiences, CALE (Community Adventure Learning Experiences), and/or Outdoor Orientation programs while most is accrued through summer jobs in outdoor programs.

Many of the field-based courses require additional cost for transportation, food, permits, supplies or equipment rental. To meet these expenses, most field-based courses have fees attached to them. Students can expect to pay between $925 and $2,150 in additional course fees to complete the Outdoor Adventure Leadership major. The range in cost depends on what optional courses students choose to take throughout their studies in Outdoor Adventure Leadership. In addition, students are expected to provide basic personal outdoor clothing and equipment. The program will provide group, technical, technological, and safety gear. Students are also able to rent outdoor equipment for FREE at the Outdoor Center, which is managed by the Outdoor Adventure Leadership program.

Converting to a Bachelor of Science in Adventure Education

Students in the Outdoor Adventure Leadership program can convert their Applied Bachelor’s Degree to a Bachelor of Science in Adventure Education by simply adding one more year (2 semesters) of study in Adventure Education.

Program Mission

The mission of the Outdoor Adventure Leadership program is to provide an environmentally sustainable, academically comprehensive, and technically proficient education for future adventure educators. In addition, the program embraces the University motto Ut Prosim (That I may serve) by actively seeking and providing services to the campus and regional community.

Note for Student Athletes: Because field-based courses may occur on weekends, the schedule of student athletes majoring in Outdoor Adventure Leadership needs to be carefully planned and may disallow participation in some athletic events and/or affect their availability for working during some weekends.

Course Title Credits
AP 2010Foundations of Adventure Education3
AP 2210Adventure Education Teaching Theories and Methods3
AP 2300Rock Climbing Fundamentals3
AP 2400Canoe Paddling Fundamentals3
AP 2500Natural History and Ecology for Adventure Educators3
AP 3101Immersion Wilderness Expedition (TECO)4
AP 3201Immersion Human-Nature Relationship3
AP 3301Immersion Adventure Leadership and Group Management4
AP 3401Immersion Wilderness First Responder4
AP 3320Adventure Education Philosophy and Theory (WRCO)3
AP 3500Adventure Processing and Facilitation3
AP 3510Outdoor Skills Clinical1
AP 3890Adventure Education Clinical1-3
AP 4600Risk Management in Adventure Education3
Choose one Fall course from:3
Lead Rock Climbing
Whitewater Kayaking
Chose one Spring course from:3
Adapted Adventure Programming
Alpine Mountaineering
Complete one Mathematics course of your choosing (QRCO)3-4
Electives10-12
General Education
EN 1400Composition4
IS 1115Tackling a Wicked Problem4
MAMathematics Foundations3-4
CTDICreative Thought Direction4
PPDIPast and Present Direction4
SIDIScientific Inquiry Direction 4
SSDISelf and Society Direction4
IS 4220Signature Project (INCO,INCP)4
Total Credits96

Check all course descriptions for prerequisites before planning your course schedule. The course sequence, below, is suggested but not required.

To complete the applied bachelor’s degree in 3 years, you must successfully complete a minimum of 15 credits each semester or have a plan to make up credits over the course of the 3 years.  For example, if you take 14 credits one semester, you need to take 16 credits in another semester.  Credits completed must count toward your program requirements (major, option, minor, certificate, general education or free electives).

Plan of Study Grid
Year One
FallCredits
EN 1400 Composition 4
IS 1115 Tackling a Wicked Problem 4
AP 2010 Foundations of Adventure Education 3
AP 2300 Rock Climbing Fundamentals 3
AP 2400 Canoe Paddling Fundamentals 3
 Credits17
Spring
AP 2210 Adventure Education Teaching Theories and Methods 3
AP 2500 Natural History and Ecology for Adventure Educators 3
Directions (choose from CTDI, PPDI, SIDI, SSDI) 4
MAMathematics Foundations 3-4
Elective 1 1
 Credits14-15
Year Two
Fall
AP 3101 Immersion Wilderness Expedition (TECO) 4
AP 3201 Immersion Human-Nature Relationship 3
AP 3301 Immersion Adventure Leadership and Group Management 4
AP 3401 Immersion Wilderness First Responder 4
 Credits15
Spring
AP 3500 Adventure Processing and Facilitation 3
AP 3510 Outdoor Skills Clinical 1
Directions (choose from CTDI, PPDI, SIDI, SSDI) 4
Directions (choose from CTDI, PPDI, SIDI, SSDI) 4
Elective 4
 Credits16
Year Three
Fall
AP 3310
Lead Rock Climbing
or Whitewater Kayaking
or Special Topics in Adventure Education
3
AP 3320 Adventure Education Philosophy and Theory (WRCO) 3
MA@ 3
Directions (choose from CTDI, PPDI, SIDI, SSDI) 4
INCPIntegrated Capstone 4
 Credits17
Spring
AP 3710
Adapted Adventure Programming
or Alpine Mountaineering
or Special Topics in Adventure Education
3
AP 4600 Risk Management in Adventure Education 3
AP 3890 Adventure Education Clinical 1-3
Electives 4
Elective 4
 Credits15-17
 Total Credits96
1

If Mathematics Foundation is 3 credits.

The Outdoor Adventure Leadership program focuses on safety, challenge, leadership and professional growth. Through a combination of classroom work, clinical experiences, and field experiences, Outdoor Adventure Leadership students also explore theories, philosophy, history, ethics, and risk management related to outdoor adventure programming. Specific learning outcomes include but are not limited to:

  1. Display professional competence in the following outdoor skills: backcountry camping, navigation, leave no trace practices, top rope rock climbing, and canoe paddling.
  2. Demonstrate effective leadership skills that include professional ethics, vision, communication, decision making, flexible leadership, and tolerance for adversity.
  3. Demonstrate effective teaching skills for a variety of outdoor related lessons.
  4. Demonstrate a basic level of ecological literacy in natural environment encounter during the curriculum.
  5. Demonstrate backcountry emergency skills at the level of a Wilderness First Responder.
  6. Demonstrate competent facilitation skills including assessment of client groups, planning and conducting adventure based learning experiences and promoting transference of learning.

Graduates pursue careers in outdoor adventure leadership programs, state and national parks, outdoor guiding outfitters, summer camp leadership, and outdoor recreation programs. Examples of alumni employment include but are not limited to these organizations:

Recreation

  • College and University Outdoor Recreation Programs
  • Town and City Youth and Adult Recreation Centers
  • US Military Base Recreation Programs
  • US Forest Service Recreation Programs
  • Outdoor Activities Guiding Companies
  • Adventure Tourism Industry

Developmental

  • Cooperate Adventure-based Training & Development Programs
  • Youth Development Programs
  • The YMCA
  • The Boy Scouts of America
  • The Girl Scouts of America
  • Faith-based Outdoor Adventure-based Programs