Parks and Recreation Management: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries

Program Overview

Prepares students to lead and manage public and private recreational environments with a focus on sustainability, community engagement, and operational excellence. This program equips learners with the strategic, administrative, and leadership skills needed to design, implement, and oversee programs and facilities that serve diverse populations.

• Recreational Program Planning and Development: Focuses on designing inclusive, accessible, and impactful leisure activities that meet community needs across age groups and cultural backgrounds.
• Facility Management and Operations: Covers the technical and logistical aspects of maintaining parks, recreation centers, and outdoor spaces, including safety standards, maintenance scheduling, and resource allocation.
• Community Engagement and Outreach: Emphasizes strategies for building partnerships, fostering public participation, and promoting equity in access to recreational opportunities.
• Leisure and Tourism Integration: Explores the intersection of recreation services with local tourism initiatives, event planning, and economic development strategies.
• Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability: Integrates principles of conservation, green infrastructure, and climate-resilient planning into the management of natural and urban recreational spaces.
• Public Policy and Governance in Recreation: Examines regulatory frameworks, funding models, and ethical decision-making processes that shape the delivery of public recreation services.
• Leadership and Organizational Management: Develops competencies in team leadership, conflict resolution, budgeting, and performance evaluation within nonprofit and public sector recreation organizations.