Recreation Management and Tourism

Our recreation program not only helps strengthen your connection to the natural world, it also equips you with the latest innovations in technology and provides hands-on field experience in recreation and business—allowing you to acquire a sufficient business foundation to enter a variety of starting positions for many commercial recreation corporations. Plus, you’ll still have plenty of opportunities for incredible recreational internships and balanced outdoor class experience and classroom learning, which means you’ll be competitive in a variety of entry-level positions in the recreation services, tourism, and hospitality industries! You will have a range of career paths to pursue once you’ve obtained your bachelor’s degree from Mount Marty including:

• State and federal parks
• Local and city parks and recreation
• Game and fish management
• Outdoor recreation management
• Community recreation management
• Exercise and Wellness Equipment/Facilities
• Theme park management
• Cruise Lines
• Casinos
• Private commercial recreation companies
• Youth centers

• Hands on experience. Students have volunteered for the Special Olympics, Ability Building Services, City Parks and Recreation Department, and even the Lewis and Clark State Park.
• Small class sizes. Our low student to faculty ratio allows for a more personal and hands-on learning environment.
• Vast internship opportunities. There is an abundance of local opportunities in various branches of the field.
• Federal, state, city, and private recreation right here in Yankton! Students get to truly enjoy the recreation opportunities Yankton has to offer while pursuing their degrees and get a taste for what their options will be after graduation.
• Expert faculty. Learn from instructors who are active in the recreation and tourism fields.

Students studying Recreation Management at MMU have an abundance of internship opportunities to choose from!

• State game, fish and parks departments
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• National parks
• Community recreation
• Retail recreation
• Recreation travel companies
• Fitness industry

Dr. Erin Riibe
Associate Professor of Recreation Management

Major Course Requirements

• REC 100 Introduction to Recreation Management and Tourism
• REC 212 Biking and Hiking
• REC 214 Skiing
• REC 222 Community Recreation and Tourism
• REC 224 Park Planning, Management, and Maintenance 
• REC 341 Camping/Outdoor Recreation
• REC 344 Commercial Recreation and Tourism
• REC 382 Adaptive Recreation
• REC 485 Internship (minimum of three credits)

Related Course Requirements

• ACC 120 Accounting I
• BUS 125 Introduction to Business
• BUS 225 Principles of Marketing
• BUS 231 Principles of Management
• BUS 335 Human Resource Management
• BUS 372 Legal Environment of Business
• CIS 125 Basic Skills in Information Technology
• PED 217 First Aid & CPR

Choose one of the following courses:

• BUS 215 Business Communication
• ENG 369 Advanced Composition

Many of our Recreation Managment students also obtain a major in Business Administration. This double major combination, which can also be completed in four years, allows for students to fully prepare for both of the major aspects of the Recreation Management field.