This Recreation and Outdoor Education comprehensive emphasis allows students to complete the B.A. in ROE with the Outdoor Education emphasis and the Master in Environmental Management (MEM) at Western in five years. In addition to requirements listed below, students must
- become a certified Wilderness First Responder (WFR), and
- complete at least 100 hours of certification-based or skill-based courses (not including WFR, Project Wet, Project Wild, or other certifications associated with required courses).
Students who declare this emphasis must maintain degree progress as suggested in the degree plan and receive approval from the MEM Program Director to apply for provisional admission to the graduate program between August 1st and February 1st.
Provisional Admission Requirements
- Complete a minimum of 66 credits hours;
- Hold a 3.0 cumulative GPA and a 3.25 GPA within the major;
- Earn a B or above in two social science, two natural science, and one statistics course;
- Fulfill the undergraduate internship requirement with a B or above, and provide a positive letter from the project sponsor;
- Three letters of recommendation, including at least one professional reference and at least one academic reference from the student’s major;
- Statement of Purpose to the MEM Application Committee outlining early career goals and potential ideas for the master’s project.
At this point, if any aspect of a student’s performance is found to be insufficient, the MEM Director may reject a 3+2 student from the MEM program, in which case the student will need to find a new emphasis or minor in order to complete the undergraduate degree. Having met the criteria above and upon completed 91 credits (see “Major Map” at www.western.edu/3_2), the School of Graduate Studies will designate students “MEM candidates with provisional acceptance.” Upon completion of the final 24 credits (18 graduate credits + 6 undergraduate credits) of the Western B.A. in Year 4 of this plan, the School of Graduate Studies will designate students as “MEM degree seeking students.” Students who choose to leave the MEM program before Year 5 of the 3+2 program will be required to complete the requirements of the Recreation, Outdoor Environmental Education, or Outdoor Leadership emphasis, making them eligible for an undergraduate degree.
Program Requirements
A minimum of 78 credits is required for the B.A. The following is required for the Comprehensive Program with Five-Year Master in Environmental Management, in addition to
- becoming a certified Wilderness First Responder (WFR), and
- completing at least 100 hours of certification-based or skill-based courses (not including WFR, Project Wet, Project Wild, or other certifications associated with required courses):
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ROE Core Courses | ||
| ROE 182 | Introduction to Recreation and Outdoor Education | 3 |
| ROE 189 | Principles of Outdoor Education | 3 |
| ROE 230 | Interpretation of Natural and Cultural History | 3 |
| ROE 235 | Foundations of Teaching Environmental Education | 3 |
| ROE 240 | Alternative Programming | 3 |
| ROE 283 | Leadership and Facilitation | 3 |
| ROE 351 | Inquiry into Sustainability | 3 |
| ROE 391 | Experiential Education Theory and Pedagogy | 3 |
| ROE 398 | Program Planning (with laboratory) | 3 |
| ROE 490 | Recreation Philosophy and Ethics | 3 |
| ROE 491 | Senior Seminar | 3 |
| ROE 499 | Internship in Recreation and Outdoor Education | 6-9 |
| Required Supporting Courses | ||
| ENVS 100 | Introduction to Environment and Sustainability (GT-HI1) | 3 |
| ENVS 200 | Writing the Environment | 3 |
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Outdoor Pursuits Education - Water w/ Lab | ||
| Outdoor Pursuits Education - Snow Based w/Lab | ||
| Outdoor Pursuits Education - Land Based | ||
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Food Policy & Politics | ||
| Global Environmental Policy | ||
| Water Policy and Politics | ||
| Seminar in Water Topics | ||
| Entrepreneurship and Commercial Recreation | ||
| Human Development and Counseling for Outdoor Educators | ||
| Facilities and Administration | ||
| Leadership and Administration | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Statistics for Business and Economics | ||
| Statistical Thinking (GT-MA1) | ||
| Probability and Statistics (GT-MA1) | ||
| Questionnaires and Survey Methods | ||
| Total Credits | 60-63 | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core MEM Requirements: | ||
| ENVS 602 | Headwaters Conference | 1 |
| ENVS 605 | The Field of Environmental Management | 2 |
| ENVS 607 | Approaches in Conservation and Sustainability | 3 |
| ENVS 608 | Environmental Politics & Policy | 3 |
| ENVS 611 | Environmental Project Development and Management | 5 |
| ENVS 623 | Studies in Environmental Management | 1 |
| One of the following: | 3 | |
| Quantitative Methods in Environmental Management | ||
| Qualitative Methods in Environmental Management | ||
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Upon successful completion of the prescribed courses listed above, University defined General Education, and elective requirements totaling 120 credits (with 40 at the 300-level or higher), students are eligible for their B.A. conferral. Students electing to complete MEM must follow the balance of their declared emphasis curriculum.
For a full description of the required Graduate coursework, please see the appropriate MEM program in the Western Graduate Catalog.
Capstone Course Requirement
The following courses in the Recreation & Outdoor Education Major fulfill the capstone course requirement: ROE 490 Recreation Philosophy and Ethics/ROE 491 Senior Seminar
Western Watershed General Education Requirements
Students must complete all Western Watershed General Education requirements to graduate.
Graduation Requirements
Undergraduate programs require a minimum of 120 semester credits for graduation. Of those 120 credits, 40 credits must be in upper-division courses (those marked 300 and above). Fifteen of these 40 upper-division credits must be earned in courses that are part of the standard or comprehensive major program being pursued.
Students are expected to review all graduation requirements, which can be found in the Western Undergraduate Catalog: Graduation Requirements.
Sample Plan
Degree Plans are for planning purposes. They reflect a suggested plan to complete the degree in a projected timeframe per program of study.
“Western Watershed Course(s)” refers to a course from the Tributaries area of the Western Watershed program. These courses should be chosen in consultation with the student’s advisor.
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| ENG 102 | Writing and Rhetoric I (GT-CO1) | 3 |
| ENVS 100 | Introduction to Environment and Sustainability (GT-HI1) | 3 |
| ROE 182 | Introduction to Recreation and Outdoor Education *ROE 182 fulfills the Life Skills (Wellness) WWGE Requirement for Nonmajors | 3 |
| ROE 189 | Principles of Outdoor Education | 3 |
| WWGE 101/102/103/104 | Headwaters: Studies in...(select one) | 2 |
| Western Watershed | Non-specific Western Watershed Courses **Watershed GE courses should fulfill Inquiry and Expression requirements. Courses may be selected from courses offered in the Scientific Inquiry, Humanistic Inquiry, Further Inquiry and Creative Expression Tributaries. | 3 |
| Credits | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENG 103 | Writing and Rhetoric II (GT-CO2) | 3 |
| ENVS 200 | Writing the Environment | 3 |
| MATH 140 | College Algebra (GT-MA1) **The Watershed GE Mathematics requirement may be fulfilled be completing a minimum of 3 credits from among the following MATH courses: MATH 105, MATH 113, MATH 140, MATH 151 or MATH 213 | 3 |
| Western Watershed | Non-specific Western Watershed Courses | 4 |
| ROE 283 | Leadership and Facilitation #ROE 189 fulfills a WWGE Braided Streams course in the Experiential Learning area | 3 |
| ROE 295 | Outdoor Pursuits Education - Snow Based w/Lab 1 | 3 |
| Credits | 19 | |
| Summer | ||
| ROE 293 | Outdoor Pursuits Education - Water w/ Lab 1 | 3 |
| **Summer courses count towards a student’s GPA, Academic Standing, and follow summer tuition fee structure. | ||
| Credits | 3 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall | ||
| ROE 235 | Foundations of Teaching Environmental Education | 3 |
| ROE 296 | Outdoor Pursuits Education - Land Based (offered before the start of the regular semester) ** ROE 296 fulfills a WWGE Braided Streams requirement in the Experiential Learning area | 3 |
| ROE 351 | Inquiry into Sustainability | 3 |
| Western Watershed | Non-specific Western Watershed Courses | 7 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| ROE 230 | Interpretation of Natural and Cultural History | 3 |
| ROE 240 | Alternative Programming | 3 |
| Western Watershed | Non-specific Western Watershed Courses | 6 |
| MATH 113 |
Statistical Thinking (GT-MA1) or Probability and Statistics (GT-MA1) or Statistics for Business and Economics or Questionnaires and Survey Methods |
3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Summer | ||
| ROE 499 | Internship in Recreation and Outdoor Education | 3 |
| **Summer courses count towards a student’s GPA, Academic Standing, and follow summer tuition fee structure. | ||
| 66 credits completed: Submit 3+2 application materials by July 1 | ||
| Credits | 3 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall | ||
| One of the following: | 3 | |
| Food Policy & Politics | ||
| Global Environmental Policy | ||
| Water Policy and Politics | ||
| Seminar in Water Topics | ||
| Entrepreneurship and Commercial Recreation | ||
| Human Development and Counseling for Outdoor Educators | ||
| Facilities and Administration | ||
| Leadership and Administration | ||
| Electives | Upper Division Minor, 2nd Major or Certificate Course (or ROE 499 if not already taken) | 12 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ROE 391 | Experiential Education Theory and Pedagogy | 3 |
| ROE 490 | Recreation Philosophy and Ethics | 3 |
| ROE 491 | Senior Seminar | 3 |
| WWGE 301/302/303/304 | Delta Studies in...(select one) | 1 |
| Elective | Western Watershed, Minor, 2nd Major or Certificate Courses | 6 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall | ||
| ENVS 602 | Headwaters Conference | 1 |
| ENVS 605 | The Field of Environmental Management | 2 |
| ENVS 607 | Approaches in Conservation and Sustainability | 3 |
| ENVS 608 | Environmental Politics & Policy | 3 |
| One of the following (not yet taken): | 3 | |
| Food Policy & Politics | ||
| Global Environmental Policy | ||
| Water Policy and Politics | ||
| Seminar in Water Topics | ||
| Entrepreneurship and Commercial Recreation | ||
| Human Development and Counseling for Outdoor Educators | ||
| Facilities and Administration | ||
| Leadership and Administration | ||
| Credits | 12 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENVS 611 | Environmental Project Development and Management | 5 |
| ENVS 612 or ENVS 614 |
Quantitative Methods in Environmental Management or Qualitative Methods in Environmental Management |
3 |
| ENVS 623 | Studies in Environmental Management | 1 |
| Elective | Elective course | 3 |
| Wilderness First Responder | WFR All Recreation and Outdoor Education majors must obtain a medical competency prior to graduation. Recreation emphasis majors must take a Red Cross Emergency Response First Aid course or equivalent. Students with an emphasis in Outdoor Environmental Education, Outdoor Leadership, or Recreation and Outdoor Education Major: Comprehensive Program with Five-Year Master in Environmental Management must obtain certification as a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) or higher certification. | |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 128 | |
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Choose two of the following: ROE 293 Outdoor Pursuits Education - Water w/ Lab, ROE 295 Outdoor Pursuits Education - Snow Based w/Lab, ROE 296 Outdoor Pursuits Education - Land Based
Western is committed to doing our part to provide each student a clear path to graduation. This four‐year degree plan is a sample map for fulfilling requirements in the major and General Education. The pathway that you take to your degree may differ somewhat from this illustration, depending on where you start and the detours and side trips you may take along the way. You are responsible for ensuring your overall, upper division, and major‐specific credits as well as GPA requirements are fulfilled for graduation.