Adventure Education
Bachelor of Science
A degree in Adventure Education from Plymouth State University will teach you how to use the Great Outdoors to expose children, adults and at-risk populations to challenging adventures, personal growth and self-discovery.
Surrounded by New Hampshire’s rivers, lakes and mountains, you will have the opportunity to explore skills in wilderness expedition, ropes courses, whitewater kayaking, rock climbing, mountaineering, backpacking, and winter camping.
Plymouth State students, faculty, and staff live life in the Great Outdoors. Campus participants recently placed in the top 10 in Outdoor Nation’s Campus Challenge. Up here, adventure is just minutes away.
The Adventure Education program focuses on safety, challenge, leadership and professional growth. Through a combination of classroom work, internships and field experiences, Adventure Education students also explore the theories, philosophy, history, ethics, and risk management related to Adventure Education.
Graduates pursue careers in outdoor/adventure leadership, outdoor/adventure education, state and national park outdoor education, therapeutic adventure, environmental education and recreation.
Degree Requirements |
Credits |
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| AP 2010 | Foundations of Adventure Education | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| AP 2210 | Adventure Education Teaching Theories and Methods | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| AP 2300 | Rock Climbing Fundamentals | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| AP 2400 | Canoe Paddling Fundamentals | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| AP 2500 | Natural History and Ecology for Adventure Educators | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| AP 3320 | Adventure Education Philosophy and Theory (WRCO) | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| AP 3500 | Adventure Processing and Facilitation | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| AP 3510 | Outdoor Skills Clinical | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| AP 4200 | Teaching Assistantship in Adventure Education | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| AP 4600 | Risk Management in Adventure Education | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Complete the Fall Immersion Semester: | 15 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Adventure Education Activity – complete one of the following: | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Adventure Education Capstone – complete (C) or (D): | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| PE 3565 | Measurement and Assessment in Physical Education (QRCO) (WRCO) | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Education: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| EN 1200 | Composition | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| IS 1111 | The First Year Seminar: Critical Thinking and the Nature of Inquiry | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MA | Mathematics Foundations | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CTDI | Creative Thought Directions | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| PPDI | Past and Present Directions | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SIDI | Scientific Inquiry Directions | 6-8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SSDI | Self and Society Directions | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DICO | Diversity Connection | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| GACO | Global Awareness Connection | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| INCO | Integration Connection | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| WECO | Wellness Connection | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electives | 20-18 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Immersion courses are offered fall semesters only. AP 3880 requires a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00. AP 4880 requires a minimum grade of C in AP 4200. AP 4880 must be taken before the semester immediately prior to graduation. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The wilderness expedition experiences taken at the National Outdoor Leadership School may satisfy some of the following PSU courses. All courses will be evaluated for course content prior to enrollment. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Credit may be awarded only once for either PSU courses or NOLS courses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Students who complete a Bachelor of Science in Adventure Education are able to:
- Display professional competence in the following outdoor skills: backcountry camping, navigation, leave no trace practices, top rope rock climbing, and canoe paddling.
- Demonstrate effective leadership skills that include professional ethic, vision, communication, decision making, flexible leadership, and tolerance for adversity.
- Demonstrate effective teaching skills for a variety of outdoor related lessons.
- Demonstrate the ability to write quality lesson plans.
- Demonstrate a basic level of ecological literacy in natural environment encounter during the curriculum.
- Practice professional standards of risk management.
- Demonstrate backcountry emergency skills at the level of a Wilderness First Responder.
- Demonstrate competent facilitation skills including assessment of client groups, planning and conducting adventure based learning experiences and promoting transference of learning.
- Demonstrate the ability of conducting program outcome assessment.
- Describe and demonstrate risk management administrative practices appropriate to an entry level position in Adventure Education.
- Display understanding of professional standards of risk management.
- Is able to perform satisfactory work during an internship in Adventure Education.
- Is able to find and maintain work in Adventure Education or related field.
