BS in Parks, Recreation, Sport and Tourism

Degree Program Description

The field of parks, recreation, sport, and tourism is a multi-billion-dollar industry that encompasses essential environmental and social issues such as conservation, community building, human development, health and well-being, and the quality of life. The Parks, Recreation, Sport, and Tourism program provides students with opportunities to develop knowledge and skills for designing, managing, and evaluating various leisure services across a variety of user groups. The undergraduate degree program is comprehensive yet tailored to meet the needs of students based on current job requirements and professional trends, including leadership, communication, problem solving, and economics. All our areas of emphasis are accredited with eligibility to sit for the Certified Park and Recreation Professional certification. A wide range of careers in Parks, Recreation, Sport and Tourism include outdoor educator, park manager,  park ranger, natural resource manager, backcountry guide, visitor services specialists, recreation supervisor, facility manager, health and wellness coordinator, golf course manager, park planner, equipment manager, aquatics coordinator, customer relations specialists, coach, game-day operations manager, compliance  officer, fundraising coordinator, sales manger, marketing specalits, tourism coordinator, ecotourism guide, tour operator, and sustainable tourism consultant.

Major Program Requirements

Students earning a Bachelor of Science in Parks, Recreation, Sport and Tourism are required to complete all University general education, University graduation, and degree requirements, including selected foundational courses which fulfill University general education requirements.

Students majoring in Parks, Recreation, Sport and Tourism may select one of the following emphasis areas:

• Natural Resources Recreation Management
• Recreation Administration
• Sport Management
• Tourism Development

A student may earn a second emphasis by using the emphasis core requirements of one towards professional electives in the other (see emphasis area pages for additional details).

Students in Parks, Recreation, Sport and Tourism are required to earn a C- or better in all Parks, Recreation, Sport and Tourism core, internship, and emphasis area courses. 

Students are admissible to transfer into this program with a 2.0 term GPA and 2.0 cumulative GPA. You are directly admissible into the program when you meet the University admissions requirements.

If you are planning to transfer courses (including AP credit) and would like to information on how they apply to a degree program(s), you can email CAFNRadvising@missouri.edu for general recommendations.

Foundational Courses		15
MATH 1050	Quantitative Reasoning	3
or MATH 1100	College Algebra
STAT 1200	Introductory Statistical Reasoning	3
or ABM 2123	Quantitative Applications in Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
or ABM 2225	Statistical Analysis
or ESC_PS 4170	Introduction to Applied Statistics
or STAT 2500	Introduction to Probability and Statistics I
PSYCH 1000	General Psychology	3
SOCIOL 1000	Introduction to Sociology	3
AGSC_COM 2220	Verbal Communication in Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources	3
or COMMUN 1200	Public Speaking
Parks, Recreation, Sport and Tourism Core*		23
PRST 1010	Introduction to Sport, Recreation, and Tourism	3
PRST 1011	Academic Planning and Career Orientation in Parks, Recreation, Sport and Tourism	1
PRST 2281	Business of Sport and Recreation	3
PRST 2750	Methods in Research and Evaluation	3
PRST 3210	Personnel Management and Leadership	3
PRST 3215W	Program and Event Development - Writing Intensive	4
PRST 4150	Contemporary Issues in Sport	3
or PRST 4250	Parks, Health and Wellness
PRST 4208	Administration and Organizational Behavior	3
Internship*		10-13
PRST 3189	Pre-Internship and Career Development Seminar	1
PRST 4940	Parks, Recreation, Sport and Tourism Internship	9-12
Business and Communication Core		12
ABM 1041	Applied Microeconomics	3
or ECONOM 1014	Principles of Microeconomics
or ECONOM 1015	Principles of Macroeconomics
or ABM 1042	Applied Macroeconomics
ACCTCY 2010	Introduction to Accounting	3
or ACCTCY 2026	Accounting I
or ACCTCY 2036	Accounting I
or ACCTCY 2136H	Honors Accounting I
or FINPLN 2183	Personal and Family Finance
ABM 3224	New Products Marketing	3
or ABM 3224W	New Products Marketing - Writing Intensive
or ABM 3223	Relationship Selling: Creating Value for Customers
or MRKTNG 3000	Principles of Marketing
AGSC_COM 3240	Communicating on the Web	3
or COMMUN 2100	Media Communication in Society
or ENGLSH 2030	Professional Writing
or THEATR 1400	Acting for Non-Majors
or JOURN 1050	Public Relations and Image Management for Non-Majors
or JOURN 1300W	Fundamentals of Written Journalism and Strategic Communication - Writing Intensive
Emphasis Area Requirements*		30-33
Emphasis areas require professional electives. See each emphasis area page for approved electives. At least 9 credit hours must be from PRST courses.

*

Minimum grade of C- in all courses required.

Accelerated BS in Parks, Recreation, Sport and Tourism to MS in Natural Resources with Emphasis in Parks, Recreation, Sport and Tourism

The accelerated option will allow students to earn a bachelors and masters degree within five years. Eligible students must be working towards a BS degree in Parks, Recreation, Sport and Tourism with a 3.5 GPA or higher. Accepted undergraduate students can take 15 hours of graduate level courses that will count toward both the undergraduate and the graduate degrees. Once the student has completed 120 credit hours, the corresponding bachelor’s degree will be conferred and they will become graduate students in the MS program to complete the remaining 18 hours of graduate credit. A minimum of 15 credit hours must be from courses at the 8000 level or above.

Students will still need to complete their capstone internship as part of the 105 undergraduate credits; the internship cannot be used to fulfill the MS project requirement.

Total credits required for graduation must be at least 138 total credit hours:

• Total undergraduate credit hours: 105
• Total dual enrollment credit hours: 15
• Total graduate credit hours: 21

First Year (as Provisional Graduate Student)		15
ESC_PS 7170	Introduction to Applied Statistics	3
PRST 7208	Administration and Organizational Behavior	3
Choose three courses from the following list
PRST 7100	Ethics and Diversity	3
PRST 7150	Contemporary Issues in Sport	3
PRST 7250	Parks, Health and Wellness	3
PRST 7260	Sustainable Tourism	3
PRST 7333	Park and Sport Facility Operations	3
PRST 7340	Recreation Land Management	3
PRST 7357	Domestic and International Tourism: Resources, Market, and Impacts	3
Second Year (as Graduate Student)		21
NAT_R 9087	Graduate Seminar in Natural Resources	2
PRST 8400	Constructs of Leisure	3
PRST 8430	Social and Behavioral Research Methods	3
PRST 8089	Research Project	7
8000-level course		6

Non-Thesis Option

Accelerated students will complete a professional project. The topic and general methods are approved by the student’s graduate committee. The completed project is then defended in an oral exam administered by that committee. The final oral exam also may address discipline-specific knowledge.

Application Process

Students must apply before and be admitted to the accelerated program before reaching 90 credit hours. Applying to the accelerated program is a two-step process:

Step 1: Graduate School Application. Students are required to submit a Graduate School Application for admission.

Step 2: Dual Enrollment From/Approval. Students are to meet with their academic advisor and/or the PRST Graduate Emphasis Area Coordinator (EAC) to confirm eligibility and complete the Dual Enrollment Form. This step will allow students to begin their graduate level requirements while completing the undergraduate program. 

Important Notes: completion of the dual enrollment form and approval does not guarantee admission to the Graduate School. Both steps in the application process must be submitted by October 1st for consideration.  

Semester Plan

Below is a sample plan of study, semester by semester. A student's actual plan may vary based on course choices where options are available.

First Year
Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits
ENGLSH 1000	3	MATH 1050 or 1100	3
AGSC_COM 2220 or COMMUN 1200	3	SOCIOL 1000	3
PRST 1010	3	Missouri State Law Requirement	3
PRST 1011	1	Emphasis Area Course	3
Humanities & Fine Arts	3	PRST 2281	3
Biological, Physical, or Mathematical Science	3
	16		15
Second Year
Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits
PSYCH 1000	3	PRST 3215W	4
STAT 1200, ABM 2123, or ESC_PS 4170	3	ABM 1041 or ECONOM 1014	3
AGSC_COM 3240, COMMUN 2100, ENGLSH 2030, or THEATR 1400	3	Biological, Physical, or Mathematical Science with Lab	3-4
PRST 2750	3	Emphasis Area Course	3
General Elective	3	PRST 3210	3
	15		16-17
Third Year
Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits
ACCTCY 2010, 2026, 2036, or FINPLN 2183	3	ABM 3224, 3224W, MRKTNG 3000, or ABM 3223	3
Emphasis Area Course	3	PRST 4150 or 4250	3
Professional Elective	3	Emphasis Area Course	3
Professional Elective	3	Professional Elective	3
Biological, Physical, or Mathematical Science	3	General Elective	3
	15		15
Fourth Year
Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits
PRST 4208	3	PRST 4940	12
PRST 3189	1
Emphasis Area Course	3
Professional Elective	3
Professional Elective	3
Professional Elective	3
	16		12
Total Credits: 120-121