Hands-on experience in your field

Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management students gain real-world experience through internship. Under the guidance of experienced professionals and mentors in the field, students network and apply course learnings to their career paths.

What is internship?

Successful completion of the capstone internship is required for each student seeking a Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management in the options of community, commercial and outdoor recreation management.

The capstone internship is a culminating experience in which students continue to learn, develop and practice their skills, knowledge and abilities related to the program objectives.

For most students, internship is a full-time academic load for one semester (or summer session). Internship is:

• 12 credits
• 12 consecutive weeks
• 35-40 hours per week

Students qualify and apply for internship when they have satisfied the pre-internship requirements:

• Achieved seventh-semester standing having earned at least 89 credits toward graduation
• Completed 300 hours of pre-internship work hours
• Completed the pre-internship course (RPTM 394) and programming in Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management (RPTM 456) with a “C” or better
• Have a current Adult CPR and First Aid Certification at the time of the internship

Once approved for internship, students must enroll in RPTM 495A and pay full tuition for 12 credits.

Under special circumstances, a student may apply to satisfy the internship requirement over two semesters or capstone project. If approved, the student may satisfy the 12 credits in two contiguous semesters of six credits each. A third option, if approved, allows students to complete classes and a capstone project under the supervision of a faculty member in lieu of the on-site experience.

The workplace is your classroom

While students learn firsthand in the field, they are also enrolled in a concurrent internship course, RPTM 495A. 

RPTM 495A serves as the academic component of the internship connecting classroom theory to practice. The course includes:

• Assignments including an agency special project, professional development assignment, and mid-semester and final reflections.
• The instructor advising and monitoring learning from a distance through communication and feedback on assignments.  
• The Instructor serving as a coach, guiding students through new professional situations and providing insights and advice through formal and informal communication with students.

Current students

Current students can view internship information at the RPTM iSite.

Guest Activities Practicum

Carnival Cruise Line

Within this experience, students apply operational and programmatic aspects of activity and leadership while delving into the management strategies of guest services. Students spend a week during the semester on a cruise, learning firsthand from industry professionals.

The practicum is designed to increase students' understanding and appreciation of the guest experience, the issues related to delivering recreation services in commercial recreation settings, principles of tourism, management strategies, and the factors affecting guest services.

This experience focuses on problem solving while encouraging a high level of interaction among participating students, faculty and industry partners. Students have the opportunity to actively engage with customers while assisting professional staff in running programs, events and working with guests.

The course includes an embedded travel component in which students and faculty visit guest experiences-focused commercial recreation, such as a resort or cruise ship, and then work with industry partners on a designated project with student recommendations that might be implemented on site. The course includes course fees for travel.

Upon completion of the course and practicum, student groups create and pitch program ideas to Carnival Cruise Line executives.

Typically offered during the fall semester, the Guest Activities Practicum course number is RPTM 345 and is three credits.

Outdoor Recreation Consortium

Smoky Mountains

The Outdoor Recreation Consortium provides students with hands-on exposure to outdoor recreation resources management in a National Park setting. It is designed to increase students' understanding and appreciation of outdoor recreation resources, the agencies managing those resources, the management strategies used, and the factors affecting management.

During the consortium, guest speakers from the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and other public and private organizations provide information regarding current practices and opportunities.

Students also observe state-of-the-art environmental and visitor management practices under the guidance of the National Park Service and faculty from several leading universities. 

Course Objectives include:​

• Foster active, hands-on learning experiences by involving students directly in the day-to-day management and planning aspects of resource administration.
• Encourage collaborative problem-solving projects which address real-life issues in or around Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
• Provide an environment in which a diverse array of experiences, speakers, and situations will be encountered reflecting the complex and interrelated issues involved in outdoor recreation management and tourism development.
• Identify and learn about the relationship between tourism, park visitation, and natural resource management.
• Examine employment opportunities in related fields.

Typically offered during the spring semester, the Outdoor Recreation Consortium course number is RPTM 335 and is three credits.