Outdoor Leadership (AAS)

The Outdoor & Community Recreation Education (OCRE) program at Weber State University offers students the opportunity to develop the skills, abilities, and knowledge necessary for a career in the outdoor recreation industry. The expressed goal of the OCRE program is to prepare students to effectively utilize and leverage the recreation industry to promote personal growth, health and wellness, and economic and environmental sustainability. Upon completion of the program, students may pursue front-line and leadership positions in: outdoor retail, outdoor education and/or adventure centers; guiding/outfitting companies; not-for-profit and private camps; resorts, spas and wellness centers; state and national parks; campus recreation; therapeutic programs; youth development programs; municipal parks and recreation departments; and public and private education. 

• Prerequisite: Before beginning this program, a student must see the department advisor in Swenson.
• Grade Requirements:  A cumulative GPA of 2.75 and a grade of B- or better in required major courses. Students will receive the final grade they have earned in each course. If a grade in a major course does not meet the minimum requirement for graduation, the student may retake the course once. In special circumstances, by the judgment of the department chair, the student may petition to the Outdoor & Community Recreation committee, as appropriate, to graduate with the lower grade
• Credit Hour Requirements: A minimum of 63 credit hours is required for an associate of applied science degree; 45 of these credits are major requirements.
• Program Code: 5061AAS
• CIPC: 310601

Advisement

Students must follow the Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation Advisement procedures. Contact the department advisor located in the Swenson building (also refer to the Department Advisor Referral List).

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Admission Requirements

Declare your program of study (see Program of Study (Major/Minor) Declaration). Sign a Program of Study Contract with the Health, Physical Education and Recreation department. Contact the department advisor.

General Education

Refer to Degree Requirements for Associate of Applied Science requirements.

Program Learning Outcomes

• 1. Students will identify how to effectively integrate educational components and situational variables to make and implement quality decisions in outdoor settings.
• 2. Students will demonstrate proficiency in specific outdoor skills that are essential to individual and group sustainability in the backcountry.
• 3. Students will demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities to design, implement, and prepare outdoor expedition trips a minimum of 7 days long.
• 4. Students will demonstrate the ability to accurately self-assess as well as those essential skills concerning or involving relationships between people; the ability to effectively implement a decision.
• 5. Students will demonstrate a structured approach to managing actual risk, emotional risk, and perceived risk through risk assessment, utilization of management and instructional resources, and development and execution of emergency protocols.
• 6. Students will comprehend and identify foundational concepts that embody ecological and cultural literacy along with the cooperative planning and management skills needed to ensure the preservation of resources, through personal connections, for past, present, and future generations.
• 7. Students will identify foundational theories and practices related to teaching, processing, and transference in outdoor/adventure settings.