-
Brent Bell
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR -
Nathan Fitch
SENIOR LECTURER -
Jennifer Frye
CLINICAL ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR -
Matthew Frye
CLINICAL ASSISTANT PROFESSOR -
Jill Gravink
CLINICAL ASSISTANT PROFESSOR -
Sean McLaughlin
LECTURER -
Pamela McPhee
CLINICAL ASSISTANT PROFESSOR -
Jayson Seaman
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
Recreation Management and Policy Major: Program and Event Management Option (B.S.)
Recreation Management and Policy Major: Program and Event Management Option (B.S.)

The Program and Event Management program at UNH is designed to prepare students for careers in event planning, tourism, and community recreation and sport. The Department of Recreation Management and Policy has been accredited with the Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Related Professions since the early 1980s, and is nationally-known for its Therapeutic Recreation and Outdoor Leadership and Management programs.
What is program and event management?
Whether you see yourself organizing music festivals, running a sports program or leading bicycle tours across Europe, UNH’s program and events management degree will prepare you for a career in this growing area of recreation. You’ll gain the planning, administrative and leadership skills to work in a diverse array of recreation and event management organizations. You’ll also study key concepts in marketing, leadership and public policy in relation to recreation services.
Why study program and event management at UNH?
Hands-on learning is an important component of the program and event management option at UNH. Along with traditional classroom learning, you’ll study with professionals in the field and participate in a full-time internship. You’ll also have opportunities to conduct research with UNH faculty. You’ll be able to connect with fellow students through the Recreation Society, a student organization promoting education, community service and networking opportunities for recreation management and policy students on campus.
Potential careers
- Adventure recreation manager
- Executive director for nonprofit organization
- Festival and event planner
- Mountain and Ski Resort manager
- Municipal recreation director
- Recreational sport manager
- Resort recreation director
- State or national park manager
- Tourism manager
- Youth program director
Contact
Hewitt Hall, 4 Library Way
Durham, NH 03824
Phone: (603) 862-2391
Curriculum & Requirements
This option prepares students for managerial positions in commercial, public, and nonprofit organizations that provide recreation and leisure services. Curriculum design emphasizes the effective and efficient planning, delivery, and evaluation of leisure-based programs, services, and enterprises. Applied experience is a component of most courses, in addition to a required practicum and the 10-16 week full-time internship under professional supervision. Depending upon the RMP electives and the career support emphasis or minor chosen, students may expect to find employment in a broad range of settings. Recent graduates have found employment in the areas of conference and event planning, municipal park and recreation services, recreational sports, commercial and entrepreneurial recreation businesses, youth-serving agencies, resorts, camps, and natural resource management positions in state and federal agencies.
Core Requirements
All majors must complete a core curriculum of seven courses.
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
RMP 490 | Recreation & Tourism in Society 1 | 4 |
RMP 501 | Recreation Services for Individuals with Disabilities | 4 |
RMP 557 | Program and Event Design | 4 |
RMP 563 | Recreation Management and Policy Practicum | 2 |
RMP 654 | Professional Development and Ethics | 2 |
RMP 724 | Grantsmanship, Evaluation, and Research | 4 |
RMP 764 | Internship 2 | 10-16 |
1 | RMP majors cannot count RMP 490 Recreation & Tourism in Society toward the University Social Sciences requirement. |
2 | TR Students must complete a 14-16 credit hour internship |
Program and Event Management Option - Course Requirements:
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
RMP 559 | Program and Event Marketing | 4 |
RMP 661 | Recreation and Event Leadership | 4 |
RMP 663 | Recreation and Event Management | 4 |
RMP 772 | Law and Public Policy in Leisure Services | 4 |
Statistics - select one of the following: | 4 | |
PSYC 402 | Statistics in Psychology | |
SOC 402 | Statistics | |
MATH 439 | Statistical Discovery for Everyone | |
ADMN 510 | Business Statistics | |
RMP Electives - select three of the following: 1 | 12 | |
RMP 511 | Issues of Wilderness and Nature in American Society | |
RMP/OUT 515 | History of Outdoor Pursuits in North America | |
RMP 560 | Recreational Sport Management | |
RMP 593 | Special Topics (as offered) | |
RMP 603 | New Hampshire Ski Industry Management | |
RMP 668 | Youth Culture and Programs | |
RMP 670 | Venue Management Design & Operations | |
RMP 680 | Festival and Event Planning | |
RMP 711 | Recreation Resource Management | |
RMP 750 | Advocacy, Aging, and Active Living | |
RMP #775 | Entrepreneurial and Commercial Recreation | |
Minor or Emphasis requirement | 18-20 | |
Students complete 18-20 credits of either a Minor or emphasis area of courses approved by their advisor or faculty mentor. | ||
Total Credits | 80-88 |
1 | RMP courses completed to fulfill the elective course requirement may not be used to fulfill the emphasis area requirement; unless prior approval from the student's academic advisor is granted. |
Professional Internship
A supervised internship (RMP 764) is required of all majors and serves as their major capstone requirement. The internship is designed to create a bridge between theory and practical application. Students, working with their advisers and the internship coordinator, select an appropriate setting based on their professional and career interests. They must register for a 10-16 credit full-time internship that ranges from 10 to 16 weeks and is under the supervision of a qualified professional. Specific requirements are identified in the Internship Manual available from the Department of Recreation Management and Policy.
Explore Program Details
The mission of the Program and Event Management Option in the Department of Recreation Management and Policy is to provide professional learning and development opportunities for UNH students interested in working with a diverse array of community-based recreation and leisure programs, special events, facilities, and organizations through classroom teaching, lab, field, and service-learning experiences. Program and Event Management faculty and students seek to improve management and administrative practice in the recreation and leisure services field through research, engaged scholarship, and professional service throughout the country and world, with a special focus on the state of New Hampshire and the New England region.