Outdoor Leadership Major

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“While God’s glory is written all over his work, in the wilderness the letters are capitalized.” Roderick Nash

The Bachelor of Science in Outdoor Leadership prepares students for careers in or related to the outdoor industry. According to the Outdoor Industry Association, outdoor recreation generates $689 billion in consumer spending and 4.3 million direct jobs. Students will develop a strong, Bible-based foundation in their skills and leadership to prepare them for this vast industry. We accomplish this by taking CLASS outside to pursue these goals:

Character Formation
Leadership Development
Authentic Community
Skills Acquisition
Spiritual Transformation

Through these, students will develop their own theology of outdoor leadership in the context of a Christian worldview throughout the 4 year program. By choosing from a wide array of minors, students will gain knowledge and experience in an area of concentration depending on their career goals.

The Outdoor Leadership Major requires completion of the following 120 credits:
General Education (48 credit hours)
Outdoor Leadership Major Core (45 credit hours)
General Electives (27 credit hours - may be used to satisfy a minor)

Business and Leadership General Education Core (48 credit hours)

Arts and Humanities (9 credit hours)

Take one course from each of the following three academic disciplines:

Fine Arts (3 credit hours)

Choose one course from the following:

Literature (3 credit hours)

Choose one course from the following:

Philosophy (3 credit hours)

PHL-202 Introduction to Philosophy (3)

Biblical Studies (12 credit hours)

Take the following four courses (some courses are cross-listed and only one prefix needs to be taken):

BIB-111 Old Testament (3) OR
HIS-111 Old Testament (3)
BIB-114 New Testament (3) OR
HUM-114 New Testament (3)
PHL-315 World Religions and Systems of Belief (3)
THE-201 Introduction to Theology (3)

Communication (6 credit hours)

COM-103 Public Speaking (3)
ENG-102 English Composition (3) OR
ENG-105 Advanced English Composition (3)

Integrative Studies (3 credit hours)

* Please see the First-Year Integration (FYI) page for specific information about this required course.

INT-101 First-Year Integration (3)

Mathematics (3 credit hours)

Choose one of the following courses:

Science (3 credit hours)

SCI-230 Integrated Physical Science with Lab (3)

Social Sciences (12 credit hours)

Take each of the following four courses:

Outdoor Leadership Major (45 credit hours)

Outdoor Leadership Core (19 credit hours)

The Outdoor Leadership major requires completion of the following essential courses:

Leadership Studies Core (12 credit hours)

Required Core (9 credit hours)

Elective Core (3 credit hours)

Choose one course from the following:

Required Electives (14 credit hours)

Choose 14 credits from the following:

Concentration or General Electives (27 credit hours)

Although not required, it is strongly encouraged that students complete a minor to complement the Outdoor Leadership Major. The areas of concentration listed below are typical of the fields in which one may seek employment in the outdoor industry. By completing one of the minors associated with an area of concentration, students will gain a competitive advantage in their field of interest.

Business & Camp Management - Business or Management  Minor
Naturalist - Biology Minor
Outdoor Education - Education  or Youth Ministry  Minor
Outdoor Journalism - Communication or English Minor
Outdoor Marketing - Public Relations  or Digital Media  Minor
Outdoor Ministry - Theology or Intercultural Ministry  Minor
Outdoor Sports - Coaching  or Kinesiology  Minor
Wilderness Therapy - Psychology Minor

Graduation Requirements for Bachelor of Science in Outdoor Leadership

The faculty recommends students in the B.S. in Outdoor Leadership to the Board of Trustees as candidates for graduation when they have completed the following requirements.

Completion of a total of 120 credits, including all general education, electives, and major core requirements.
A letter grade of D or better and a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better in all CCU coursework, and a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher for all Outdoor Leadership major program courses.
Completion of 180 hours of ministry/community service and 180 chapel credits. Transfer students are required to complete 45 hours of ministry/community service and 45 chapel credits each year of attendance at CCU. For further details on ministry/community service, see the Life Directions Center (LDC) section of this catalog. For further details on chapel credits, see the Student Life section of this catalog.
Meet the CCU Residency requirements .
Acceptable performance on exit exams, as required by the faculty.
Formal and timely application for graduation by the date specified by the University Registrar.
No outstanding financial obligation to the University.