B.S. in Recreation & Tourism Management

SDSU Bachelor of Science in Recreation and Tourism Management Curriculum

Students choosing the undergraduate major in Recreation and Tourism Management are first admitted to the pre-RTM major for their first two years of university work. During these two years, students should complete general education courses and the 24-unit lower division preparation for the major courses. These prerequisite/preparation for the major courses may not be taken CR/NC; the minimum grade in each class is C. In addition, students must have completed a minimum of 60 transferable semester units. To complete the major, students must fulfill the degree requirements for the major described in the catalog in effect at the time they are accepted into SDSU (assuming continuous enrollment.) Supplemental admissions criteria must be met before students may declare an upper division major and be eligible for upper division courses.

Preparation for the Major

• RTM 284 – Supervised Field Work (3)
• GEOG 102 – Principles of Cultural Geography (3)
• HTM 219 - Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism Professions (3)
• PSY 101 - Introductory Psychology (3)
• RTM 290 - Quantitative and Qualitative Literacy in Tourism (3) or MIS 180 - Principles of Information Systems (3)
• ECON 101 - Principles of Economics (3)
• HTM 201 - Introduction to Hospitality and Tourism Management (3)
• HTM 223 - Hospitality Managerial Accounting and Controls (3)

NOTE: The following requirements are subject to change. Please consult your emphasis advisor prior to planning your classes. Not all classes are offered every semester

A minimum GPA of 2.3 is required to get into upper division. Use the online GPA calculator to figure out grades needed to achieve your desired GPA.   

If you do not meet this requirement, you must meet with Nikki Loseff, Director of The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation Student Center for Professional Development, to inquire about our formal exception policy.

All RTM Majors are required to complete 125 hours of Supervised Field Work (RTM 284).

The supervised field work consists of 125 hours’ experience in recreation leadership. Observation and participation in community recreation leadership. Practical experience in a variety of recreational settings. Eight hours per week at an agency.

• Complete hours any time before starting upper division classes.
• Work part-time during school or full-time during summer and breaks.
• Work in any hospitality job, but we encourage you to work in your area of emphasis that you will be studying. Examples are:
• SDSU catering
• SDSU Viejas Arena
• SDSU Student Union
• Hotel front desk
• Hotel food and beverage
• Restaurant host
• Restaurant server

Please note: Retail is not considered hospitality experience. If you are unsure that your job fulfills this requirement or need assistance in finding employment, please set up a meeting with the intership coordinator for RTM, KJ [email protected].

KJ LeCesne, RTM Internship Coordinator will host at least one pre-internship meeting a semester. Students should plan to attend that meeting and/or meet directly, with KJ, the semester prior to enrolling in an internship class to discuss options. Appointments can be made by emailing KJ at [email protected] or through EAB Navigate.

Once you have completed requirements 1-3, you must be signed into upper division by Ms. Corinne Youngholm.

Recereation and Tourism Management (Minimum 54 units required)

• RTM 301 - Service Leadership Development (3)
• RTM 304 – Leisure and Tourism (3)
• RTM 360 - Recreation and Tourism Management (3)
• RTM 404 – Cross-Cultural Perspectives of Tourism (3)
• RTM 470 – Global Travel and Tourism Management (3)
• RTM 487 – Environmental and Cultural Interpretation (3)
• RTM 498 - Internship in Recreation and Tourism Management 6-12 (12)
• RTM 396W - Writing in Recreation Settings (3)

• RTM 305 - Wilderness and the Leisure Experience (3)
• RTM 351 - Recreation Therapy and Special Populations (3)
• RTM 475 - Commercial Recreation and Attractions Management (3)
• RTM 483 - Outdoor Education and Camp Administration (3)
• RTM 485 - Outdoor Recreation Planning and Policy (3)
• RTM 489 - Outdoor Leadership and Adventure Programming (3)

• RTM 340 - Conduct of Recreational Sports (3)
• RTM 477 - Sustainable Tourism Planning (3)
• RTM 484 - Directed Leadership (3)
• RTM 496 - Experimental Topics (1-4)
• ANTH 402 - Dynamics of Biocultural Diversity (3)
• BIOL 315 - Ecology and Human Impacts on the Environment (3)
• BIOL 327 - Conservation of Wildlife (3)
• GEOG 370 - Conservation Science and Policy (3)
• GEOG 570 - Environmental Conservation Practice (3)
• GEOG 572 - Land Use Analysis (3)
• GEOG 575 - Geography of Recreational Land Use (3)
• GEOL 301 - Geology of National Parks and Monuments (3)
• HTM 330 - Event and Meeting Industry (3)
• HTM 351 - Identities and Organizations in Hospitality, Recreation, and Tourism Management (3)
• OCEAN 320 - Oceans of Change (3)
• PHIL 332 - Environmental Ethics (3) also listed as SUSTN 332 - Environmental Ethics (3)
• REL S 376 - Nature, Spirituality, Ecology (D) (3)

Internship in Recreation and Tourism Management (6 or 12 units classes): Twenty off-campus hours required per week for 6-unit program, or 40 off-campus hours required per week for 12-unit programs. Prerequisites: Consent of instructor or department chair, completion of all required lower division recreation courses, and completion of both Standard or Multimedia First Aid certificate and CPR certificate by end of semester. For a six unit internship: 250 hours of professional work experience in recreation and tourism management. For a 12 unit internship: 500 hours required Credit for course requires completion of ePortfolio. Maximum credit 12 units.

The L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality & Tourism Management is passionate in providing international experiences for our students. Outdoor Resource students not required but are highly encouraged to study abroad. It’s an AMAZING experience. Study abroad for a year, a semester, a summer, or a faculty lead trip. There are lots of options.

• International Field Trip;
• International Internship;
• International Student Exchange;
• CSU Study Abroad Program; or
• International Professional Engagement.

Scholarships are available for International Experience. The International Experience should meet the student learning outcomes of the emphasis in sustainable tourism management.