Recreation Services Management (B.S.)
Recreation Services Management faculty provide students with knowledge and skills needed for entry into the work force.
- Qualified, experienced faculty
- Career specialization
- Exciting internship placements
- Leadership skill development
- Small class size
The Recreation Services Management degree program can prepare you for a variety of career paths. Input from the program's Advisory Council, which is comprised of expert practitioners in the Pocono region, ensures that the changing needs in our contemporary work force are reflected in the program's curriculum.
Recreation Services Management professionals work with people of all ages, backgrounds, and needs. To succeed in this dynamic field one should enjoy working with people, have excellent organization and planning skills, possess initiative, and understand the importance of high quality service.
All About RSM at ESU
What do students learn to do?
Recreation Services Management graduates are able to apply leadership and managerial skills learned in the classroom to identify problems, resolve conflicts, manage decisions, and resolve issues in the hospitality and tourism industry.
Careers in the recreation profession are refreshingly human-focused. They are face to face, person to person. Careers in recreation bring people together. We connect people in the real world, not in a virtual one. Graduates manage and provide recreation opportunities to people that are satisfying and enjoyable. Where does this happen? The following categories identify possible work settings:
- Commercial recreation and event planning– This career option occurs in the for profit sector. Employment opportunities exist at Disneyworld, special event companies, ski areas, theme parks, stadiums, resorts, and wedding venues.
- Community recreation – Agencies such as the YMCA, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and government recreation are examples of this career path.
- Outdoor recreation – A career path in outdoor recreation is for the person who wants to provide people opportunities to value and enjoy the natural environment and protect our natural resources. Careers with state parks, national parks, and nature centers that provide interpretive services are a few examples of work settings for an outdoor recreation professional.
No matter where you work, you will be creating and managing meaningful recreation experiences for others. You will need a wide range of knowledge and skill sets to be a skilled employee in this dynamic field. And the good news is your development can start when you decide to major in Recreation Services Management. How?
- Students are treated as individuals, not a number.
- Your academic preparation will include class assignments that connect you to local professionals working in the Pocono region.
- Experienced faculty will guide your professional development. They have distinguished themselves professionally at the local, state and national levels.
- ESU’s location in the Pocono Mountains region provides employment opportunities in the field.
- Students complete interesting and challenging internships. Examples include: Disneyworld (FL), Shenandoah National Park (VA), and Children’s Specialized Hospital (NJ). Internships are applied learning opportunities in the workforce.
- Leadership and team building skills are emphasized and developed.
Earn Credly digital credentials as you complete the RSM major.
ESU has partnered with Credly, the digital credential platform leader best known for
verifying skills and knowledge earned through specific coursework. Credly makes talent
more visible and opportunity more accessible for those who earn the proficiencies.
- Complete specific curriculum in areas of expertise as part of earning your degree.
- Earn electronic badges from Credly, endorsing your knowledge in these specific areas.
- Use your badge on electronic resumes, job applications and job posting sites to get a competitive advantage.
- Two Credly badges may be earned as you complete the major.
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Most Credly badges are earned through a mix of required courses and particular electives. Contact the department chair for information on the courses required for each credential.
- Commercial Recreation Services Management
- Outdoor Recreation & Environmental Education
Career Opportunities
Over the years the recreation profession has become increasingly specialized. As a result, the degree program in Recreation Services Management provides students with the opportunity to select a specialty area best suited to their career interests.
Therefore, in addition to the basic core curriculum in recreation, students may select a career specialty area in:
- Commercial Recreation and Event Planning
- Outdoor Recreation and Park Management
Below is a sampling of positions held by the graduates of our program in these career specialty areas:
- Commercial Recreation and Event Planning Settings
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- Event Planner, Montauk Yacht Club, Montauk, NY
- Director of Event Services, David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, PA
- Public Relations Director, Dorney Park, Allentown, PA
- Activity Director, Disney Cruise Lines, Orlando, FL
- Recreation Director, Marriott's Marco Island Resort, FL
- Global Sales Manager, Hamilton Park Conference Center, Florham Park, NJ
- General Manager, Yachtsman Resort, Myrtle Beach,SC
- General Manager, Cannon Mountain Ski Resort, Franconia, NH
- Event Planner, Cescaphe Event Group, Philadelphia, PA
- Senior Event Planner, Walt Disney World, Orlando, FL
- Operations Manager, SeaWorld, Orlando, FL
- Digital Marketing Coordinator, Mountain Creek Resort, NJ
- Children's Ski School Supervisor, Park City Mountain Resort, Park City, UT
- General Manager, Great Bear Golf Club, Bushkill, PA
- Outdoor Exploration Camp Manager, Mt. Snow, VT
- Outdoor Recreation and Park Management Settings
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- Historical Interpreter, Grey Towers National Historic Site, Milford, PA
- Interpretive Park Ranger, Lowell Historical Park, Lowell, MA
- Superintendent, Swartswood State Park, Swartswood, NJ
- Environmental Educator, Monroe County Conservation District, Bartonsville, PA
- Park Manager, Hickory Run State Park, White Haven, PA
- Outdoor Adventure Leader, San Francisco, CA
- Park Ranger, Independence National Park, Philadelphia, PA
- Assistant Park Manager, Hickory Run State Park, White Haven, PA
- Interpretive Park Ranger, Everglades National Park, FL
- National Park Ranger, Olympic National Park, WA
Hands-on Learning
East Stroudsburg University is conveniently located in the heart of the Pocono Mountain Region, with more than 600 hotels, four water park resorts, six major ski areas, year-round festivals, and events, two National Parks, and nine state parks covering a total of 105,537 acres. Students have abundant opportunities to part take in various sectors of the Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism industry.
Specialized Facilities
Smith Travel Research (STR) SHARE Center
Provides large volumes of hotel and tourism data, in-depth resources and training materials for students. SHARE Center also provides global industry articles, publication, webinars for students, and newsletters.
Surface Hub 2S
An all-in-one 50-inch conferencing system is a digital whiteboard, meetings platform and collaborative computing device. Allow coalition on course projects, case studies, senior seminars, and further develop a collaborative culture. Guest speakers will be able to meet with our class through this technology to better interact with our students.
Virtual Reality System
The HTC Virtual Reality system provides students the understanding of the emerging technology in the hospitality, recreation and tourism industry, enriching students understanding how VR videos are filmed, produced, and delivered.
Operations and Lodging Management Simulation Software
The software allows students to master the details of running a hotel that meets customer demands in Front Desk operation, staffing, housekeeping, and much more. Students will learn hands-on experience on how to balance the many needs of a well-run hotel.
Experiential Learning Laboratory
This laboratory is a fully functional student-run restaurant. Students are exposed to all aspects of kitchen and dining operations including cooking & baking, haute cuisine and wine pairing, restaurant point of sale operations. Students learn beverage management, hosting/serving, and dining room leadership including financial management and cost controls.
Toast
Toast is a highly flexible cloud-based point of sale system built exclusively for small and mid-sized restaurants and other food service operations. It is consistently rated a best in class software package. Students gain real-world experience using Toast system as part of the restaurant operations classes. Toast manages guest ordering, kitchen/dining room communication, payments, and back-of house, front-of-house, and guest-facing technologies. Students in other classes also use the Toast system to learn revenue management, data analytics, cost controls including loss prevention, payroll, and inventory management.
Experienced Faculty
ESU's RSM faculty are dedicated and experienced Parks and Recreation professionals. Faculty members work closely with our students to ensure that they succeed in the industry.
Learn more about ESU and the Recreation Services Management major.
Contact Us
Contact Information
- Campus Address
- Gessner Science Hall
- Phone:
- (570) 422-3511
- Fax:
- (570) 422-3198 (Fax)
- Title of Department Leader
- Department Chair
- Name
- Stanley Li-Ming Chiang
- E:
- lchiang@esu.edu
- Phone:
- (570) 422-3624
