PRT 500

CONCEPTUAL FOUNDATIONS

Course Description

 Exploration of the conceptual foundations of leisure, recreation, sport, play, and work, the history of ideas in the field, and the relationships of these ideas to contemporary professional and social problems. 

Learning Objectives

• Explain the implications of the profession’s historical foundation on contemporary professional and social problems. 

• Describe the conceptual frameworks associated with leisure, recreation, tourism, and sport. 

• Describe the theoretical foundations associated with leisure, recreation, tourism, and sport. 

• Discuss the various contemporary trends and issues in leisure, recreation, tourism, and sport. 

• Appreciate the importance of leisure and recreation in our lives. 

• Exhibit good communication and writing skills, and sound methods of thinking and analysis. 

PRT 503

ADVANCED FISCAL MANAGEMENT

Course Description

 This course is intended to provide students with advanced concepts of financial management as applied to the unique industries of parks, recreation, tourism, and sport management. Emphasis will be placed on understanding how the receipt, disbursement, and utilization of funds can foster sustainability within these types of organizations. Additionally, this course will focus on developing the skills necessary to apply ethical financial analysis principles through financial risk management. 

Learning Objectives

Learn advanced financial theories as related to parks, recreation, tourism, and sport management organizations 

• Apply analytical techniques and principles of budgeting to enable sustainability 

• Discuss and apply current financial practices as they relate to the generation, consumption, and disbursement of funds 

• Discuss and apply ethical financial analysis to the current economic situations within parks, recreation, tourism, and sport management organizations 

PRT 504

DATA MANAGEMENT

Course Description

 This course is intended to provide professional masters students with an introduction to fundamental data analytic procedures and techniques used in program evaluation in parks, recreation, sport, and tourism settings. 

The course places emphasis on the rationale for using specific data management and analysis procedures and interpretation of results for decision making. 

Learning Objectives

• Describe the logic behind and steps involved in program evaluation. 

• Describe the importance of data in evaluation and explain how data can be used in evaluation. 

• Formulate meaningful evaluation objectives to guide data collection and analysis. 

• Conduct basic descriptive and inferential statistical procedures as a part of program evaluation. 

• Choose appropriate methods of displaying data analysis results. 6. Use appropriate terminology to interpret and communicate results from data analysis. 

PRT 505

GIS AND SPATIAL ANALYSIS

Course Description

 Spatial reasoning and GIS are increasingly important tools for evaluation and research in many fields of study, including parks, recreation, tourism and sport (PRTS). This course is intended to provide masters-level students with the opportunity to increase their ability of spatial reasoning and develop basic skills of handling, evaluating and analyzing spatial data in common geographic information systems (GIS) platforms. Through this experience students would be able to enhance understanding of conceptual foundations of PRTS fields from the spatial perspective, to make more informed spatial decisions in planning and management of PRTS resources and services, and to be intelligent users of spatial data and GIS tools for research and evaluation.  

Learning Objectives

• Define geographic information science, GIS and GPS and articulate their relevance to the PRTS fields. 

• Describe and explain the basic concepts and typology of spatial reasoning and spatial analysis 

• Identify spatial data sources and acquire data relevant to the field of PRTS 

• Collect and integrate spatial data from various data sources (field collection, Internet, etc.) 

• Perform basic operations in GIS (ArcGIS), digital earth software (Google Earth) and widely accessible GPS units (Garmin). 

• Formulate meaningful spatial questions and implement a conceptual model to solve the questions in the GIS environment 

• Communicate spatial analysis results effectively with peers via different media
  

PRT 506

ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR AND LEADERSHIP

Course Description

 This course will focus on the organization and administration of public, private and not‐for‐profit sport, park, tourism and recreation (SPTR) agencies. The primary unit of analysis in this class is the SPTR organiation and the environment in which it operates. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the structural, human, political, and cultural factors that impact organizational efficiency and effectiveness – specifically focusing on these environments. 

Learning Objectives

• Exhibit an understanding of the environment in which sport, park, tourism and recreation (SPTR) organizations operate. 

• Identify and describe key principles related to effective administrative practice, such as planning, resource acquisition, positioning, and personnel & volunteer leadership. 

• Demonstrate knowledge and application of relevant theory, research, and practice related to key aspects of organizational behavior in SPTR organizations. 

• Recognize organizational behavior challenges and demonstrate intervention techniques used for recruiting and managing staff and employees. 

• Demonstrate the ability to evaluate critical factors contributing to organizational leadership in SPTR organizations. 

PRT 507

STRATEGIC MARKETING MANAGEMENT

Course Description

This course examines the theoretical underpinnings and practical applications of marketing and promotion strategies for recreation, participant sport, and spectator sport. Covers key marketing concepts and strategies using case studies. There is significant discussion on marketing activation and leveraging strategies and developing a marketing plan.  

Learning Objectives

• Define and apply key sport/rec. marketing concepts 

• Understand the theories that underline sport/rec. marketing processes 

• Understand how to create and apply a sport/rec. marketing plan 

• Evaluate sport/rec. marketing strategies and tactics 

• Identify future trends and challenges in marketing and how they can associate with current 

• Sport/rec. marketing practices 

PRT 508

RISK MANAGEMENT

Course Description

Risk Management for parks, recreation, tourism, and sport organizations with an emphasis on ethical managerial strategies. Students will learn how legal concepts relate to specific managerial functions and how a knowledge of law and its impact on functions of recreation environments can help build a more efficient and successful operation that better serves the needs of its constituents and protects its ability to provide products and services. Students will also learn how effective strategies for risk management in parks, recreation, tourism and sport organizations can facilitate active-healthy lifestyles and sustainable communities. 

Learning Objectives

• Summarize principals of risk management within the context of basic management functions such as governance, human resource management, and organizational operations. 

• Identify and describe policies and practices for managing program and service risks. Emphasis on employee selection & qualifications, supervision issues, training considerations, safety and security issues, appropriate documentation. 

• Advanced analysis of policies and practices for managing recreation facility, built environments, trails & open space risks such as maintenance/inspection issues, OSHA guidelines and compliance, and contract negotiation and management. 

• Identify and describe policies for managing human resource risks (e.g., constitutional law issues, EEO, OSHA, discrimination, fair labor standards, working conditions) 

• Discussion how effective strategies for risk management in parks, recreation, tourism and sport organizations can facilitate active-healthy lifestyles and sustainable communities. 

• Critically evaluate the risks inherent in a selected parks, recreation, sport or tourism operations and discuss strategies for managing risks