Graduate Programs | Penn State College of Health and Human Development

Graduate Programs—Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management

The Penn State Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management strives to transform human health through actively engaging people in recreation, park, tourism, and leisure, both locally and throughout the world.

M.S. Program

M.S. graduates have expertise in specific aspect(s) of the field. They understand and can critically analyze research and be effective communicators to various audiences. They can engage in a research team and implement research as demonstrated in a thesis.

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Ph.D. Program

Ph.D. graduates have breadth and depth of expertise in theoretical and methodological approaches. They understand and can critically analyze research and be effective communicators to various audiences. They have a substantive level of expertise in their focus area and can independently lead a research project that makes a unique contribution to the field.

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Funding

Through graduate assistantships in both M.S. and Ph.D. programs, Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management offers some of the most fiscally competitive assistantships in the nation among like-discipline programs, including a tuition waiver and health insurance subsidy.

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Train with Experts

Students in Penn State’s Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management graduate program have a truly unique opportunity to work with world-renowned researchers and faculty members in an active research environment.

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Leading research and training in:

Park and Protected Area Management
Experiential Education
Sport Participation
Travel and Tourism
Community Recreation, Health and Well-Being
Environmental Education

The Penn State Difference

Rigorous training in empirical scientific methods and a strong preparation for both applied and theoretically engaged work
Access to cutting edge technologies and active, externally funded field and laboratory projects
Dual-title Ph.D. degree options available in Transdisciplinary Research on Environment and Society (TREES) and Social Data Analytics (SODA).
Concentrations and minors in areas such as Human Development and Family Studies, among others
Excellent opportunities for competitive funding

Apply to be considered for fall admittance and for the best opportunities for funding.

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Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management - RPTM