Outdoor Recreation

Graphic of mountain with the faces of lots of people in various outdoor recreation fields

According to the Wyoming Business Council, the second largest industry in Wyoming is tourism, which brought in $2.9 billion dollars to Wyoming's economy in 2002.

Western Wyoming Community College (Western) now offers a new outdoor recreation associate degree and wilderness skills certificate in Fall 2023 to support this demand. This degree and certificate will provide you with practical knowledge and skills to use in the outdoor recreation sector. 

The outdoor recreation degree can be completed in two years as a full-time student.  In the program, students will learn the necessary skills to teach, facilitate, plan, and lead others on outdoor recreation experiences. The program is hands-on, applying knowledge from the classroom to the field. Coursework for the degree is diverse with classes ranging from Wilderness First Aid & Survival, Leave No Trace Certification & Land Stewardship, to Public Speaking and Applied Risk Management.  

The wilderness skills certificate can be completed in just a semester and a half with 23 credits. The certificate will provide students with the ability to plan safe outdoor experience in the backcountry, facilitate educational groups, and manage risk in various outdoor settings . Part of the coursework includes training in 'Wilderness First Aid' and 'Leave No Trace'.