The Outdoor Leadership and Education (OLED) minor will provide students with the chance to explore a career in the Outdoor Education and Adventure Education.
It will equip student with the foundation in the skills, abilities and knowledge required to enjoy playing and working in the great outdoors. Students of this minor will find themselves scaling rock walls, kayaking down the Shenandoah River, learning ecology and natural history, as well as developing teaching and leadership skills. The OLED minor supports a variety of professional work in such fields as K-12 education, outdoor recreation, environmental education, youth and adult leadership, and guiding/outfitting companies, not-for-profit and private camps, resorts, spas and wellness centers, state and national parks, and therapeutic programs.
The OLED program at SU is committed to giving students hands on, practical work experience by partnering with the Shenandoah Outdoor & Adventure Recreation (SOAR) program and Shenandoah Salvage Company. SOAR trains students to be outdoor trip leaders while the Salvage Company taught them to be Sustainability Educators. OLED minors have the opportunity to graduate with a multiple years of relevant work experience, training, and skills on their resumes. OLED is also interdisciplinary in nature by including Environmental Studies, Psychology, and Management classes to make student more competitive after graduation.
The OLED program has given me the opportunity to learn about not only myself, but also the world around me. I can now appropriately enjoy and contribute to nature while helping others do the same. This program has given me purpose and the tools to fulfill it and I would encourage anyone to find that purpose as well.”
—Katie Spain | Interdisciplinary Studies in Outdoor Management major, ’18
Shenandoah’s 195-acre Cool Spring River Campus is a dedicated place where students and faculty can roll up their sleeves and collaborate.
Explore the Cool Spring River Campus
Learn More About This Program
Shenandoah University’s College of Arts & Sciences is your direct connection to a classic, broad-based education to satisfy both your intellectual curiosity and career goals. With a 10:1 student-faculty ratio, small classes and individualized learning opportunities, we put students at the center of all our decisions and events.
We blend the liberal arts with pre-professional courses and hands-on learning to prepare you for careers in the natural sciences, the social sciences and the humanities. You’ll learn through small, engaging classes and relationships with faculty mentors; hone your skills to solve problems; and learn to use creativity and critical thinking to make informed decisions.
Minor in This Program
Declaring a Minor
Shenandoah students work with their Academic Advisor to declare a minor. Academic Advisors will continue to work with students to ensure that they fulfill all of the requirements to complete the minor.
Incoming students should not indicate their intended minor on their Shenandoah application. Applications are for intended majors only.
Classes
Courses Required for the Outdoor Leadership and Education Minor
| OLED 101 Foundations of OLE | 3 | An introduction to adventure and group development theory. We’ll also explore career opportunities in outdoor and environmental education. |
| ES/ELAB 105 Field Natural History + Lab or BIO/BIOL 321 Ecology + Lab | 4 | |
| GEOG 201 Human Geography or ES/ELAB 421 Community & Regional Studies + Lab | 3 or 4 | |
| OLED 225 Introduction to Outdoor Pursuits | 4 | Students will get the opportunity to try out a variety of outdoor activities and develop the skills they need to pursue these activities in their own time. |
| OLED 375 Adventure Theory and Programming | 3 | This class builds on 101 and 225 to give students the foundations to become outdoor instructors. |
| One course from the list of recommended electives listed below | ||
| BA 303 Legal Environment of Business | 3 | |
| BA 360 Introduction to Marketing | 3 | |
| BA 429 Leadership and Cultural Change | 3 | |
| ENG 315 Nature Writing in America | 3 | |
| ES/ELAB 242 Freshwater Ecology + Lab | 4 | |
| ES/ELAB 340 Environmental Education | 4 | |
| GEO/GELB Physical Geology + Lab | 4 | |
| MCOM 205 Introduction to Public Relations | 3 | |
| PSY 322 Adolescent Development | 3 | |
| PSY 324 The Adult Years and the Aging Process | 3 | |
| PSY 220 Child Development | 3 | |
| PSY 101 General Psychology | 3 | |
| ES 401 Internship | 2-4 | |
| Total 19-23 | ||
Additional Program Requirement for Graduation with OLED Minor Wilderness First Aid (WFA) is a nationally recognized standard in wilderness medicine education. WFA certification courses train individuals to respond to emergency situations that may be encountered in remote settings such as backcountry and wilderness areas. Students are encouraged to complete an approved WFA course at their earliest opportunity, and they will be required to hold current WFA certification at the time of graduation. Certification is valid for three years. In some instances, students may arrange for transfer credit.
Learning support services are available to all students in every course at Shenandoah. Free peer tutoring with a student who has previously succeeded in the course is available for any course across the university. The Writing Center is available for every stage of the writing process from thesis development to proofreading and bibliography assistance. The Math Enrichment Center is available for math and science assistance. Professors and Academic Advisors across the university also have office hours and open door policies to ensure Shenandoah students succeed academically.
Faculty
Imagine participating in interesting conversations led by engaging professors who’ve already done what you dream of doing. You’ll be in a small class — the average class size is approximately 12 students — with professors who know your name, care about your success and provide advice as you pursue your academic and career goals.