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Mountain Recreation Management, B.S. | Degree Requirements & Courses
- Adventure Leadership
- Natural Resource GIS Mapping and Planning
- Ski Resort and Snowsport Management
Mountain Recreation Management at Lyndon
Live, work, and learn in the outdoors.
Lyndon’s Mountain Recreation Management Department’s mission is to create and maintain a caring environment in which to prepare leaders who are intellectually capable and competent in the management of recreation resources and in the delivery of leisure services. Students in these programs benefit from a professional core supported by a broad-based liberal arts foundation, which helps to improve critical thinking and communication skills.
The Adventure Leadership concentration provides immersion in field experiences (climbing, paddling, backpacking, mountaineering, ice climbing, backcountry skiing/riding, challenge course facilitation) while taking academic courses in program planning, research and evaluation, risk management, and management that culminates in the expedition.
The Ski Resort and Snowsport Management concentration has trained generations of students to be leaders in the winter-sport industry. Lyndon’s was the first four-year program of its kind in the nation and remains a key player to this day.
Experiential learning is supported by internships and expeditions, allowing students the opportunity to apply classroom learning to real-world situations. Our expeditions have gone to Kilimanjaro in Africa, the volcano Pico de Orizaba in Mexico, mountaineering in Ecuador and to the Sierra Nevada, multi-sport (mountain biking, canyoneering, climbing) in Utah, and backcountry skiing in Utah and Newfoundland.
Program Goals
The Recreation program was created in 1972 by a group of public and private sector executives to prepare professionals for careers in park management and resort planning and development. Core values of preparing students with great attitudes and strong work ethics to steward socially and environmentally-responsible endeavors, remain true today.
The program goals of the Mountain Recreation Management Department bond the three concentrations of Adventure Leadership, Natural Resource GIS Mapping and Planning, and Ski Resort and Snowsport Management across a core curriculum. Students who graduate from the program will have:
- strong written and verbal communication skills
- an understanding of leisure needs and behaviors of diverse populations
- an environmental awareness and appreciation
- sound resource management skills
- an ability to think logically and critically
- knowledge through applied experiences and problem solving
- individual, group, and organizational leadership skills
- the ability to design, conduct, and analyze research
- a commitment to community service
- an appreciation for the importance of a sound work ethic
A Hands-On Education
Want to live, work, and learn in the outdoors? Want the kind of real-world experience that places your resume at the top of the stack? Our students graduate with an average of over 1,000 hours hands-on experience in diverse operations. You have the potential to work hard, gain experience, and show future employers that you have what it takes to succeed.
Internship and Practicum Sites
Here are just some of the sites that have hosted student interns in the Mountain Recreation Management program.
- Burke Mountain, Vermont
- Smugglers’ Notch, Vermont
- Jay Peak Resort, Vermont
- Stowe Resort, Vermont
- Cranmore, New Hampshire
- Ragged Mountain, New Hampshire
- Gunstock Mountain Resort, New Hampshire
- Mount Washington Resort, New Hampshire
- Alyeska Resort, Alaska
- Heavenly Mountain Resort, California
- Sugarbowl, California
- Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico
- Deer Valley Resort, Utah
- Canyons Resort, Utah
Our Alumni Network
With over 500 alums employed in the public and private sector in every aspect of the recreation industry, Lyndon grads provide a powerful network for those who wish to follow in some interesting footsteps.
Established over 35 years ago by Vermont State Parks Director Ed Koenneman and Sno-Engineering President Jim Branch, Lyndon State was in a perfect position to provide a training ground for summer park leaders and winter ski area employees. The program evolved to prepare recreation professionals for community, therapeutic, natural resource, and adventure-based recreation positions.
It’s said that one may change careers five or more times in a lifespan. We believe that the combination of liberal arts and core/concentration theory and practice provide transferable skill sets for many careers. We treasure our alums as good citizens and partners in advocating quality of life through positive leisure and recreation experiences.
