Nature and Outdoor Recreation Programming

Turn a lifestyle into a career!

Eastern Oregon University is excited to offer a new major concentration in Nature and Outdoor Recreation Programming! Prepare yourself for a fulfilling career in the growing fields of outdoor recreation and health promotion. There is an increasing demand for trained professionals who will guide, coach, and motivate individuals and communities to improve health outcomes utilizing diverse natural settings and recreational experiences.

Flexible degree options

The NORP concentration can be taken on campus or online culminating in a wilderness-oriented two-week summer field studies program. The concentration is a unique blend of leadership training, theory-based management, and technical skill-based elements that provides students with exceptionally well-rounded and marketable career skill sets. 

The 14-day wilderness field studies program (OUT 430) will allow students to gain valuable experience in a primarily outdoor setting and provide the necessary integration of theory and practice. The course will be divided into four segments. The first involves 3 days of on-campus instruction and pre-expedition planning. The second segment involves hiking into the Eagle Cap Wilderness and spending 5 days at a base camp location along the Minam River. At this location students will engage in daily activities and lessons in the area. Following the base camp experience, the third segment involves students hiking down the Minam River to the put-in for the Grande Ronde River. From here the field experience transitions to a 4-day whitewater rafting trip. For the final segment students return to the EOU campus for expedition clean-up, debrief, and closing course work. Students will spend a total of eleven days in the field.

Eastern Oregon is a recreation wonderland.

If you are looking for a school that integrates high-quality programs, small class sizes, affordability, and tremendous outdoor recreation amenities – then EOU is the school for you. Here are just a few of the countless recreational jewels that surround campus:

• ‎361,446 acres: Eagle Cap Wilderness Area – largest designated wilderness area in Oregon.
• 7,993 feet: Hells Canyon – deepest gorge in North America.
• 7,100 feet: Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort – highest base elevation of any ski area in the state.
• 12: World-class whitewater and “Wild and Scenic” rivers in Eastern Oregon.
• 3,669 acres: Mount Emily Recreation Area – 15 minutes to dozen of miles of mountain bike and hiking trails.
• 3: Stellar local crags with hundreds of sport and trad routes under an hour’s drive from campus.