B.S. in Recreation & Tourism Management

SDSU Bachelor of Science in Recreation and Tourism Management Curriculum

The Sustainable Tourism Management Emphasis focuses on developing skills to plan, organize, assess, and manage sustainable tourism. It incorporates international learning experiences to explore tools and strategies to minimize negative and maximize positive economic, socio-cultural and environmental impacts of tourism. Sustainable tourism is the fastest growing segment of the world’s largest industry.

Preparation for the Major

Required:

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

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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.

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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].

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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.

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

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Recereation and Tourism Management (Minimum 54 units required)

Required (33 units):

• RTM 301- Service Leadership Development (3)
• RTM 304 – Leisure and Tourism (3)
• RTM 360 - Recreation and Tourism Management (3)
• RTM 396W - Writing in Recreation Settings (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 Systems 6-12 (12)

Electives 9 units selected from:

• RTM 305 - Wilderness and the Leisure Experience (3)
• RTM 475 - Commercial Recreation and Attractions Management (3)
• RTM 477 - Sustainable Tourism Planning (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)
• HTM 495 - Innovation in the Experience Economy (3)

Electives 12 units selected from:

• RTM 340 - Conduct of Recreational Sports (3)
• RTM 351 - Recreation Therapy and Special Populations (3)
• RTM 484 - Directed Leadership (3)
• RTM 496 - Experimental Topics (3)
• ANTH 353 - Sustainability and Culture (3) also listed as SUSTN 353 - Sustainability and Culture (3)
• BIOL 315 - Ecology and Human Impacts on the Environment (3)
• BIOL 327 - Conservation of Wildlife (3)
• ECON 455 - Environmental Economics (3)
• ECON 456 - Economics of Natural Resources (3)
• GEOG 370 - Conservation Science and Policy (3)
• GEOG 409 - Global Climate Change (3)
• GEOG 570 - Environmental Conservation Practice (3)
• HTM 330 - Event and Meeting Industry (3)
• HTM 370 - Tribal Gaming: Cultural and Political Context (3)
• HTM 435 - Sporting Events and Festival Management (3)
• HTM 495 - Innovation in the Experience Economy (3)
• OCEAN 320 - Oceans of Change (3)
• PHIL 332 - Environmental Ethics (3) also listed as SUSTN 332 - Environmental Ethics (3)
• POL S 334 - Politics of the Environment (3) also listed as SUSTN 334 - Politics of the Environment (3)
• REL S 376 - Nature, Spirituality, Ecology (D) (3)
• or other upper division courses may be substituted with approval of the advisor

Not all classes are offered every semesterBack to Top

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.

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The L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality & Tourism Management is passionate in providing international experiences for our students. Sustainable Tourism students are required 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. To meet this requirement, Sustainable Tourism Management Emphasis must complete one of the following with the pre-approved and written consent of the undergraduate adviser: 

• 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.

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