Outdoor Leadership and Education Certificate

Dream of helping others learn and explore the outdoors? This certificate is for you.

Guiding hikers up a mountain. Leading a 20-mile biking expedition. Teaching tourists how to scuba dive. You'll be better prepared to lead these types of activites and take on a career in outdoor recreation and adventure education. Open to students in any major, the outdoor leadership and education certificate program focuses on learning theories and trends in outdoor recreation and education. Plus you'll get to try out a variety of outdoor activities that appeal to your adventurous side!

Want more?  In addition to earning the outdoor leadership and education certificate, you can major in recreation, tourism and nonprofit leadership

Student backpacking in the Grand Canyon

Interested in the Outdoor Leadership and Education Certificate?

Contact us directly at:

Recreation, Tourism and Nonprofit Leadership
WRC 203
Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0241

Phone: 319-273-2694
Email: rtnl@uni.edu

Testimonials

Courtney Johnson (MA '25, outdoor graduate assistant)

The skills you develop in the classroom (risk management, planning, logistics, grit, and more) can apply to almost any job you come around.

Jula Rees (Psychology major with outdoor certificate)

The different foundational classes you take teach you about outdoor recreation and different skill sets.... We learned how to plan and personalize trips.

Student paddling a paddle board on the UNI pond
Outdoor Leadership and Education Certificate

Courses

This certificate requires 15 semester hours of coursework and has various elective options to choose from. Below are just a few of the courses you might take while earning your certificate in outdoor leadership and education.

  • Foundations of Outdoor Recreation
  • Managing Recreation Impacts on the Natural Environment
  • History of Outdoor Recreation
  • Prevention and Care of Athletic Injuries
  • Backpacking
  • Canoeing
  • Rock Climbing
  • Winter Skills