PRM Assessment and Accreditation
NAU’s BS in Parks and Recreation Management Accreditation Standards, Learning Outcomes and Emphases Choices
This program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Related Professions (COAPRT) and is a member of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA)
Accreditation Standards
Accreditation Standard: Foundations 7.01 Accordion Closed
- 7.01a: Students will be able to identify the nature and scope of relevant park, recreation, tourism or related professions and their associated industries.
- 7.01b: Students will demonstrate a familiarity of varied professional communication styles and approaches.
- 7.01b: Students will demonstrate a familiarity with varied applicable technologies related to the recreation profession.
- 7.01b: Students will be able to identify, translate, interpret, and apply evidence-informed research into professional practice and techniques.
- 7.01b/c: Students will demonstrate competence in research and evaluation skills in Parks and Recreation Management.
- 7.01c: Students will demonstrate critical thought on the history of Parks and Recreation Management.
- 7.01c: Students will be able to articulate the values found in core philosophical concepts as they relate to Parks and Recreation Management.
Accreditation Standard: Provisions Of Services and Experiences 7.02 Accordion Closed
- 7.02 Students will be able to assess need and develop targeted recreation and leisure experiences.
- 7.02 Students will practice leadership and facilitation skills.
- 7.02 Students will demonstrate and apply knowledge of human rights in recreation and leisure design.
- 7.02 Students will develop and practice cultural humility in recreation and leisure services in communities.
- 7.02 Students will demonstrate an understanding of how culture influences recreation and leisure services in communities.
- 7.02 Students will assess the importance of ethics in recreation leadership.
Accreditation Standard: Management and Administration 7.03 Accordion Closed
- 7.03 Students will learn and apply a variety of strategic management techniques as related to human resources and administration of recreation service sectors.
- 7.03 Students will learn the differences and organizational structures among recreation service sectors.
- 7.03 Students will learn funding structures, financing, and budgeting systems common to recreation service sectors.
- 7.03 Students will develop a functional knowledge of basic facilities and operations among recreation service sectors.
- 7.03 Students will learn and apply various approaches to supervision of people, spaces, and places in recreation service sectors.
- 7.03 Students will demonstrate techniques for community engagement and public relations.
Accreditation Standard: Professional Internship 7.04 Accordion Closed
- 7.04 Students will establish life-long learning skills for career development within the field of parks, recreation, tourism, and related professions.
- 7.04 Students will learn about and apply diverse and innovative adaptive ways of engaging with professional practice.
- 7.04 Students will obtain professional skills and job specific experiences related to the Parks and Recreation Management profession.
- 7.04 Students will develop and expand their affiliation and networking skills with professionals in the field.
- 7.04 Students will learn about and engage in advocacy and justice.
- 7.04 Students will articulate the importance of parks, recreation, tourism and related professions for people and places.
- 7.04 Student readiness for internship, competencies within 7.01-7.03
Important Information Regarding Degree Mills
Please watch this important video regarding degree and accreditation mills. According to the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), “Degree mills and accreditation mills mislead and harm. In the United States, degrees and certificates from mills may not be acknowledged by other institutions when students seek to transfer or go to graduate school. Employers may not acknowledge degrees and certificates from degree mills when providing tuition assistance for continuing education. “Accreditation” from an accreditation mill can mislead students and the public about the quality of an institution. In the presence of degree mills and accreditation mills, students may spend a good deal of money and receive neither an education nor a usable credential.” Read more on CHEA’s website.
Parks & Recreation Management Emphases
Community, Commercial & Tourism Emphasis Accordion Closed
Required: (18 credits)
GSP 276 – Planning For Sustainable Tourism
Description: Issues and methods in planning for tourism development from a sustainability perspective.
OR
PRM 300 – Ecotourism
Description: Course will introduce students to the history, concepts, principles, marketing, planning and management of ecotourism activities and development which promote cultural and environmental awareness and local economic benefits with an emphasis on non-western cultures.
PRM 325 – Special Event Planning
Description: Introduces special event planning processes and techniques. Emphasizes creating, organizing, identifying sponsors, marketing, and implementing large community events.
PRM 423 – Recreation Facility and Area Planning
Description: Planning, design, and operation of recreation facilities and adjoining areas.
ACC 255 – Principals of Accounting
Description: Introduces theory and practice in the preparation, analysis, and interpretation of general purpose financial statements for external users. Letter grade only.
HA 365 – Hospitality Marketing
Description: Marketing objectives and strategies related to consumer demands, marketing planning, and selling methodologies for the hospitality industry. Letter grade only.
OR
MKT 303 – Concepts in Marketing
Description: Surveys marketing concepts and practices, including customer value, the marketing mix, and the environment within which marketing operates. (Note: If you’re enrolled in a BSACCY, BSBA, or MBA program with The W.A. Franke College of Business, you cannot take this course for credit.) Letter grade only.
Select 3 additional credit hours from the following:
HS 200 Healthy Lifestyles
HS 306 Methods for Comm Health Promo
HA 210 Guest Service Management
HA 384 Destination Development
HA 401 Resort Operations
POS 224 Public Administration
POS 325 Public Personnel Administration
Students within this emphasis will have the ability to:
- Create, organize, identify sponsors, market, implement and evaluate large community events
- Describe the fundamental concepts and principles of ecotourism and sustainable development as it relates to transportation, lodging and cultural impacts.
- Use accounting and budgeting practices to prepare, analyze and interpret financial statements
- Respond to budgetary constraints while achieving the positive guest outcomes
- Develop, use and evaluate appropriate and effective strategies to address cultural differences, values and expectations in the planning and implementation of recreation programming.
- Plan, design and operate recreation facilities and adjoining areas to increase tourism, commercial, and community benefits
- Design programming in a manner that best promotes cultural and environmental awareness.
Park Protection Emphasis Accordion Closed
Required: (18 credits)
PRM 216 – Wilderness First Responder
Description: Eighty-hour national curriculum leading to certification as a wilderness first responder. Specific skills and techniques for outdoor emergencies in backcountry and remote settings. 40 hrs. lecture total; 40 hrs. skill application total.
PRM 310 – Park Protection I
Description: Detailed instruction in the fundamentals of park law enforcement.
PRM 311 – Park Protection II
Description: Provides additional instruction in the fundamentals of park law enforcement.
PRM 401 – Natural Resources Protection
Description: This course introduces Federal regulations which provide protection of America’s natural resources. Evolution and applicability of environmental laws regulating consumptive and non-consumptive uses of plants, wildlife and fish are discussed.
Students within this emphasis will have the ability to:
- Make critical decisions related to injury and illness prevention, assessment, treatment and evacuation of patient(s), through application of wilderness first responder training, in response to medical and outdoor emergencies, while in wilderness and other remote backcountry settings.
- Articulate the functions of park operations, management and protection in the United States in terms of its historical roots, structure, and contemporary issues.
- Analyze and evaluate Federal regulations protecting America’s natural resources
- Examination of the evolution of environmental laws regulating the consumptive and non-consumptive uses of plants, wildlife and fish
- Apply the basic precepts of criminal law, authority and jurisdiction in the protection of state and national parks
- Acquire knowledge, skills, and abilities in law enforcement tactics (e.g., firearms, physical control techniques, emergency vehicle operations)
Outdoor Education & Leadership Emphasis Accordion Closed
Required: (18 credits)
PRM 216 – Wilderness First Responder
Description: Eighty-hour national curriculum leading to certification as a wilderness first responder. Specific skills and techniques for outdoor emergencies in backcountry and remote settings. 40 hrs. lecture total; 40 hrs. skill application total.
PRM 331 – Outdoor Leadership
Description: Introduction to applied topics in risk assessment, travel group management, backcountry travel and living skills. Includes required field weekend and six-day backpacking trip.
PRM 352 – Experiential Process In Outdoor Recreation
Description: Instruction in applied outdoor experiential learning methodologies, including: lesson-planning, presentation skills, student success strategies and learning styles.
PRM 411 – Leave-no-trace Master Educator Certification
Description: Meets national standards for LNT Master Educator Certification. Students learn to teach minimum impact outdoor ethics and lead Leave-No-Trace Trainer courses and Awareness Workshops.
PRM 431 – Outdoor Leadership and Expedition Planning
Description: Further develops practices in outdoor leadership, risk assessment, travel group management, backcountry travel and living skills. Introduces planning for the implementation of a multi-week field expedition.
PRM 452 – Outdoor Recreation Program Assessment
Description: Reviews outdoor recreation programs through in-depth case studies, off-campus visitations and analysis of commercial, non-profit, government and educational entities.
Students within this emphasis will have the ability to:
- Make critical decisions related to injury and illness prevention, assessment, treatment and evacuation of patient(s), through application of wilderness first responder training, in response to medical and outdoor emergencies, while in wilderness and other remote backcountry settings.
- Implement the basic hard and soft skills necessary to competently lead others in outdoor environments of the Southwest with a focus on canyon terrain.
- Develop experiential curriculum lesson plans and effectively deliver to a pre-determined audience in a wilderness environment.
- Lead Leave No Trace Trainer Courses and Awareness Workshops within the standards of the Leave No Trace Master Educator certification
- Analyze an in-depth case study of an outdoor non-profit organization and/or for-profit company of their choosing.
- Students will have developed a personal signature leadership style that is situationally appropriate for effectively leading others in a backcountry setting.
Individualized Study Accordion Closed
Required: (18 credits)
The individualized emphasis is designed to allow students maximum flexibility in their pre-professional interests. An individualized emphasis of 18 credit hours is developed in cooperation with your PRM faculty advisor and reflects a thematic specialization. The courses used may include transfer courses or courses taken at NAU.
For transfer students, many times emphasis courses come from a previous associate or baccalaureate degree coursework.