Ken Otter, Professor and Chair
Philip Mullins, Associate Professor
Lauren Harding, Assistant Professor
Jennifer Wigglesworth, Assistant Professor
John Shultis, Adjunct Professor
Pamela Wright, Adjunct Professor
Website: www.unbc.ca/outdoor-recreation-tourism-management
Tourism has become the largest industry and employer in the world. One of the most important and fastest growing sectors in tourism is nature-based tourism, which comprises attractions, activities and experiences involving interaction with natural and cultural resources (e.g., ecotourism, adventure tourism, indigenous tourism). This degree examines the various components of the nature-based tourism system, giving emphasis to the entrepreneurial perspectives and sustainability issues in the industry. Reflecting the interdisciplinarity of the field, and related career directions, students select from the following Areas of Specialization: marketing and entrepreneurship, outdoor education and leadership, communities and tourism, or environment and society.
Major in Nature-Based Tourism Management (BA)
Area of Specialization - Marketing and Entrepreneurship
Area of Specialization - Outdoor Education and Leadership
Area of Specialization - Communities and Tourism
Area of Specialization - Environment and Society
BA Nature-Based Tourism Management (BA) (Diploma Completion)
Major in Nature-Based Tourism Management (BA Honours)
Minor in Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Management
Major in Nature-Based Tourism Management
Students must complete a minimum of 120 credit hours through (a) the common degree requirements, (b) the requirements of an Area of Specialization and (c) elective credit hours in any subject.
Common Degree Requirements
Lower-Division Requirement
100 Level
| Introductory Ecology | |
| Introduction to Canadian Business | |
| Microeconomics | |
| Introduction to Planning | |
| Foundations of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism |
One of the following:
| Introduction to Environmental Citizenship | |
| Environmental Perspectives | |
| The Aboriginal Peoples of Canada | |
| Planet Earth | |
| Earth from Above |
200 Level
| Introduction to Marketing | |
| Statistics for Business and the Social Sciences | |
| or | Basic Statistics |
| Environmental Perspectives | |
| or | An Introduction to Environmental History |
| or | Global Environmental Change |
| or | Global Environmental Change: Sustainability |
| The Practice of Conservation | |
| Sustainable Outdoor Recreation and Tourism | |
| Ecotourism and Adventure Tourism | |
| Outdoor Skills and Leadership | |
| Recreation and Leisure Programming |
Upper-Division Requirement
300 Level
| Entrepreneurship | |
| Indigenous Environmental Philosophy | |
| or | Aboriginal Perspectives on Land and Resource Management |
| Recreation and Tourism Impacts | |
| Land Relations and Communities in Recreation and Tourism | |
| Outdoor, Environmental, and Experiential Education | |
| Field School |
400 Level
Nine credit hours from the following:
| Protected Area Planning and Management | |
| Conservation Area Design and Management | |
| The Culture of Adventure | |
| Leadership Praxis | |
| Critical Approaches to Outdoor Recreation Activities | |
| Field School II | |
| Internship | |
| Special Topics | |
| Independent Study |
**Note: Students should note that some senior-level ORTM classes are offered in alternating years.
Area of Specialization
Students must choose one of the following Areas of Specialization. Courses used to fulfill common degree requirements above may not be used to satisfy an Area of Specialization requirement.
- Marketing and Entrepreneurship
- Outdoor Education and Leadership
- Communities and Tourism
- Environment and Society
Marketing and Entrepreneurship
| Financial Accounting | |
| Services Marketing | |
| or | Marketing Communication |
Two of the following:
| Marketing Communication | |
| Behavioural Marketing | |
| Internet Marketing | |
| International Marketing | |
| Marketing Strategy |
Two of the following:
| Organizational Behaviour | |
| Introduction to Business Law | |
| Introduction to International Business | |
| Marketing Research | |
| Environmental Economics and Environmental Policy | |
| Rural Community Economic Development (CED) | |
| Northern Communities |
Outdoor Education and Leadership
| Introduction to Education | |
| Education Theory and Practice | |
| Introduction to Environmental Citizenship | |
| Leadership Praxis | |
| Critical Approaches to Outdoor Recreation Activities |
One of the following:
| Landscapes, Place and Culture | |
| Field School | |
| Ethnobotany | |
| Topics in Environmental History | |
| Field Applications in Resource Management |
Communities and Tourism
| The Aboriginal Peoples of Canada | |
| or | Global History of Indigenous People |
| Introduction to Traditional Environmental Knowledge | |
| or | Social Geography |
One of the following:
| Land and Indigenous Reconciliation Studio | |
| Rural Community Economic Development (CED) | |
| Environmental Perspectives | |
| Contemporary Challenges Facing Aboriginal Communities | |
| Political Ecology: Environmental Knowledge and Decision-Making | |
| Critical Development Geographies | |
| Community-Based Research |
Two of the following:
| Ethnobotany | |
| Sustainable Communities: Structure and Sociology | |
| Indigenous Planning Studio | |
| Indigenous Geographies of Climate Resilience | |
| Environmental Justice | |
| Northern Communities | |
| Geographies of Culture, Rights and Power | |
| History of Indigenous People of Canada | |
| Contemporary Circumpolar North | |
| Peoples and Cultures of the Circumpolar World 1 | |
| Community Development | |
| Gender and Cultural Studies: An Introduction |
One of the following:
| ** | Land Relations and Communities in Recreation and Tourism |
| ** | Leadership Praxis |
Environment and Society
| Environment and Society | |
| Land and Indigenous Reconciliation Studio | |
| Environmental Perspectives | |
| Introduction to Environmental Citizenship |
One of the following:
| Introduction to GIS | |
| Cartography and Geomatics |
One of the following:
| Community Engagement and Inclusion Studio | |
| Public Engagement for Sustainability | |
| Society, Policy and Administration |
Two of the following:
| Landscapes, Place and Culture | |
| Sustainable Communities: Structure and Sociology | |
| Gender, Environment and Sustainability | |
| Political Ecology: Environmental Knowledge and Decision-Making | |
| Environmental Justice | |
| Northern Communities | |
| Topics in Environmental History |
**Note: Students should note that some senior-level ORTM classes are offered in alternating years.
Course Prerequisites
Students should review all proposed course selections in advance to make sure course prerequisites are taken where needed.
Electives
Electives at any level in any subject sufficient to ensure completion of a minimum of 120 credit hours.
Major in Nature-Based Tourism Management (Diploma Completion)
This 60-credit-hour program of study is available only to students with a 2-year diploma.
Degree requirements: Two-year Diploma in Environmental Studies, Natural Resources, Tourism, Sport or Recreation Studies, Commerce, Geography, or equivalent, with a minimum Cumulative GPA of 2.00, plus (a) 42 credit hours of required courses; (b) 18 credit hours in an Area of Specialization; and (c) elective credit hours in any subject as necessary to ensure completion of a minimum of 60 credit hours (minimum 30 upper-division credit hours) at ÂÜÀòÉäÇø.
Curriculum
Lower-Division Requirement (21 credit hours)
| Introductory Ecology | |
| Introduction to Canadian Business | |
| Microeconomics | |
| Foundations of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism | |
| Sustainable Outdoor Recreation and Tourism | |
| Outdoor Skills and Leadership | |
| Recreation and Leisure Programming |
Upper-Division Requirement (21 credit hours)
| Indigenous Environmental Policy | |
| or | Aboriginal Perspectives on Land and Resource Management |
| Recreation and Tourism Impacts | |
| Field School |
Twelve credit hours of the following:
| Protected Area Planning and Management | |
| Land Relations and Communities in Recreation and Tourism | |
| Outdoor, Environmental, and Experiential Education | |
| Conservation Area Design and Management | |
| The Culture of Adventure | |
| Leadership Praxis | |
| Critical Approaches to Outdoor Recreation Activities | |
| Field School II | |
| Internship | |
| Special Topics |
*Note: Some senior-level ORTM classes are offered in alternating years.
Area of Specialization
Students must choose one of the following Areas of Specialization. Courses used to fulfill common degree requirements above may not be used to satisfy an Area of Specialization requirement.
- Marketing and Entrepreneurship
- Outdoor Education and Leadership
- Communities and Tourism
- Environment and Society
Marketing and Entrepreneurship
| Financial Accounting | |
| Services Marketing | |
| or | Marketing Communication |
Two of the following:
| Marketing Communication | |
| Behavioural Marketing | |
| Internet Marketing | |
| International Marketing | |
| Marketing Strategy |
Two of the following:
| Organizational Behaviour | |
| Introduction to Business Law | |
| Introduction to International Business | |
| Marketing Research | |
| Environmental Economics and Environmental Policy | |
| Rural Community Economic Development (CED) | |
| Northern Communities |
Outdoor Education and Leadership
| Introduction to Education | |
| Education Theory and Practice | |
| Introduction to Environmental Citizenship | |
| Leadership Praxis | |
| Critical Approaches to Outdoor Recreation Activities |
One of the following:
| Landscapes, Place and Culture | |
| Field School | |
| Ethnobotany | |
| Topics in Environmental History | |
| Field Applications in Resource Management |
Communities and Tourism
| The Aboriginal Peoples of Canada | |
| or | Global History of Indigenous People |
| Introduction to Traditional Environmental Knowledge | |
| or | Social Geography |
One of the following:
| Land and Indigenous Reconciliation Studio | |
| Rural Community Economic Development (CED) | |
| Environmental Perspectives | |
| Contemporary Challenges Facing Aboriginal Communities | |
| Political Ecology: Environmental Knowledge and Decision-Making | |
| Critical Development Geographies | |
| Community-Based Research |
Two of the following:
| Ethnobotany | |
| Sustainable Communities: Structure and Sociology | |
| Indigenous Planning Studio | |
| Indigenous Geographies of Climate Resilience | |
| Environmental Justice | |
| Northern Communities | |
| Geographies of Culture, Rights and Power | |
| History of Indigenous People of Canada | |
| Contemporary Circumpolar North | |
| Peoples and Cultures of the Circumpolar World 1 | |
| Community Development | |
| Gender and Cultural Studies: An Introduction |
One of the following:
| ** | Land Relations and Communities in Recreation and Tourism |
| ** | Leadership Praxis |
Environment and Society
| Environment and Society | |
| Land and Indigenous Reconciliation Studio | |
| Environmental Perspectives | |
| Introduction to Environmental Citizenship |
One of the following:
| Introduction to GIS | |
| Cartography and Geomatics |
One of the following:
| Community Engagement and Inclusion Studio | |
| Public Engagement for Sustainability | |
| Society, Policy and Administration |
Two of the following:
| Landscapes, Place and Culture | |
| Sustainable Communities: Structure and Sociology | |
| Gender, Environment and Sustainability | |
| Political Ecology: Environmental Knowledge and Decision-Making | |
| Environmental Justice | |
| Northern Communities | |
| Topics in Environmental History |
**Note: Students should note that some senior-level ORTM classes are offered in alternating years.
Course Prerequisites
Students should review all proposed course selections in advance to make sure course prerequisites are taken where needed.
Electives and Academic Breadth
Students take electives at any level in any subject sufficient to ensure the completion of a minimum of 120 credit hours. This includes taking any additional credit hours necessary to meet the Academic Breadth requirement of the University (see Academic Regulation on Academic Breadth).
BA Honours – Nature-Based Tourism Management
The Honours in Nature-Based Tourism Management offers students a higher level of education and substantial research experience for proceeding to postgraduate studies.
To enter the Honours Program, students must have completed 60 credit hours and obtained a minimum Cumulative GPA of 3.33. Attaining the minimum requirement does not guarantee entry into the Honours Program, which is at the discretion of the Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Management Program. Maintenance of a Cumulative GPA of 3.33 is required to remain in the Honours Program.
Honours students must complete the degree requirements for the BA in Nature-Based Tourism Management. In addition, each student must also complete an additional 6 credit hours in the form of an undergraduate thesis (NRES 430-6) under the supervision of a faculty member.
Note: Students are responsible to find their own undergraduate thesis research supervisor. Faculty members are under no obligation to supervise Honours students.
Minor in Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Management
The minor in Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Management is designed to afford students an opportunity to gain foundational knowledge in tourism and recreation while pursuing another major. The minor requires students to take a total of 18 credit hours. The minor has three required courses basic to the field of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Management (9 credit hours) and a set of elective courses (minimum of 9 credit hours). A maximum of two courses (6 credit hours) used to fulfill program requirements for a major (or another minor) may also be used to fulfill requirements for this minor.
Required Courses
| Foundations of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism | |
| Recreation and Tourism Impacts |
One of the following:
| Sustainable Outdoor Recreation and Tourism | |
| Ecotourism and Adventure Tourism | |
| Outdoor Skills and Leadership | |
| Recreation and Leisure Programming |
Elective Courses
Nine credit hours from the following list, with a minimum of 6 credit hours at the 400 level:
| ORTM 305-3 | Protected Area Planning and Management |
| ORTM 307-3 | Land Relations and Communities in Recreation and Tourism |
| ORTM 332-3 | Outdoor, Environmental, and Experiential Education |
| ORTM 401-3 | The Culture of Adventure |
| ORTM 405-3 | Leadership Praxis |
| ORTM 409-3 | Critical Approaches to Outdoor Recreation Activities |
Updated: July 3, 2024