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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.
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.
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:
Do you see yourself as a health and wellness coordinator, mountain guide, environmental educator, parks and recreation program manager, Forest Service recreation specialist, health education specialist, outfitter, youth camp administrator, wilderness therapist, or business owner to name a few? The Nature and Outdoor Recreation Programming degree concentration can be your ticket to an exciting career in the burgeoning and ever-increasingly integrated fields of health, wellness, and outdoor recreation.
HHP Core (24 credits)
Human Anatomy and Physiology, Foundations of Physical Activity and Health, Behavior Change Theory, Measurement and Evaluation, Capstone Project, and more.
Nature and Outdoor Recreation Programming (40 credits)
Introduction to Outdoor Recreation Management, Wilderness Survival, Wilderness First Responder, Outdoor Programming and Leadership, Rewilding – Nature and Health, Expedition Planning and Leadership, Program Planning and Evaluation, Environmental Exercise Physiology, Outdoor Adventure Leadership and Training, and Internship in Outdoor Recreation and Leadership.
Additional HHP Courses (12 credits)
Lifetime Wellness, Avalanche Fundamentals, Physical Activity in Disease Prevention, Summer Outdoor Recreation Internship, Principles of Management, and Leaders and Leadership Process.
Elective Courses (Choose One)
Legal Issues for Leaders, Human Resource Management, Small Group Communication, General Nutrition, Introduction to Community Health, and Cultural Competence in Health Education and Health Promotion.
Contact Michael Hatch, Outdoor Adventure Program Director at mhatch@eou.edu or call 541-962-3621.
Outdoor Adventure Program Located in Hoke 118 Rental Hours: M - F : 12-5pm (except closed on Wednesdays)
Phone: 541-962-3621 Email: outdoor@eou.edu