Expanding populations, increased leisure time, greater mobility, and changing social attitudes are just a few reasons why the demand for parks and outdoor recreation services is increasing now and is expected to increase in the future. Park professionals are needed to meet this demand. The park management curriculum at South Dakota State University is designed to help interested students develop into parks and outdoor recreation professionals.
Preparation For the Major
Admission to the park management program is open to high school graduates and college transfer students. No requirements, other than those expected of all applicants to South Dakota State University, are demanded of students entering the major. Students generally have a strong interest in natural resources and in working with people.
Course Requirements
The park management curriculum id designed to involve the student in a variety of courses ranging from landscape design to community recreation to soil and water mechanics. The major blocks of courses are in parks and outdoor recreation, horticulture, landscape and planning, communications skills, and business administration.
Core undergraduate courses are parks and society, outdoor recreation resource management, interpretation, park operation and facility management, commercial recreation areas, forest ecology and management, and advanced park management. These core courses are intended to relate the other courses in the curriculum to the student's career objectives in park management.
A unique aspect of the park management curriculum is a two-summer work experience for a park or outdoor recreation agency that is required of all students. Such experience helps students decide which phase of park management they are most interested in and also permits employers to learn about the abilities of students majoring in park management. The department helps students find seasonal positions.
A general breakdown of the park management curriculum includes the following:
Parks and outdoor recreation: parks and society, outdoor recreation resource management, interpretation, park operation and facility management, commercial recreation areas, forest ecology and management, advanced park management, community recreation, seminar, and fitness and lifetime activities.
Horticulture and forestry: general horticulture, dendrology, woody plants, horticulture elective (arboricculture or herbaceous plants), and turf management.
Landscape and planning: landscape design, planning public grounds, and city planning.
Communications: freshman composition, fundamentals of speech, junior composition, public speaking, and advanced exposition (technical communications).
Social science: introduction to sociology, general psychology, public administration, and state and local government.
Physical sciences: general chemistry, algebra, soils, introduction to physics, and geology.
Biological sciences: introduction to biology, horticulture insects or plant pathology and soil and water mechanics.
Economics and business administration: (select 9 credits)principles of accounting I * II, business law I & II, organizational theory and management concepts, public finance, statistical methods, and marketing.
Humanities: (select 6 credits)
Students must select either of the following: 2 summers of work experience in parks or outdoor recreation, or 1 summer of work experience and 1 summer of a professional internship.
Career Opportunities
A wide variety of park and outdoor recreation oriented professions awaits the graduate. Park management graduates may work with federal agencies such as the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and Army Corps of Engineers; state and regional agencies such as park and recreation divisions or departments found within all the states; local agencies such as municipal or county park and recreation departments; or private agencies such as campground and tourism enterprises.
These positions include: park range, park director or assistant, park and recreation director or assistant, district park manager, outdoor recreation specialist or planner, park and recreation planner, campground area director or resort manager, park naturalist, and interpretive specialist.
Faculty advisers in the Department and in the he Placement Office help graduating seniors find employment in their areas of interest. the broad range of employment opportunities available to graduates and the work experience acquired prior to graduation are key factors in the fine placement record of the park management program at SDSU.
Department Highlights
Students are encouraged to participate in many extracurricular activities available at SDSU, epecially the Park Management Club. The Club is an excellent way for students to get to know one another and their profession. The club sponsors featured speakers, social affairs, field trips, and conferences.
More Information
For more information, contact the Department of Horticulture, Forestry, Landscape and Parks, Northern Plains Biostress Laboratory, Box 2140A, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007. HFLP@MG.SDSTATE.EDU. Call (605) 688-4712 or fax us at (605) 688-4452.