Bachelor of Outdoor Leadership

Overview

Launch an exciting career in the great outdoors, with Victoria University's Bachelor of Outdoor Leadership.

This unique degree is designed to meet the needs of the outdoor-education and recreation sectors, helping you create a rewarding lifelong career.

You'll learn to apply your on-campus study through a range of activities in our outdoor labs. This practical experience combined with your knowledge of the natural environment, group leadership and planning will open up diverse career possibilities in adventure tourism, environmental education, outdoor recreation, nature tourism and more.

We offer an exceptional opportunity to gain career experience through a paid internship with The Outdoor Education Group. This internship has been designed to work in tandem with your study, so you can apply best-practice theory to real situations.

Throughout the Bachelor of Outdoor Leadership program, the main themes will be explored through adventure-based activities such as:

*bushwalking

*canoeing

*cycling

*white-water rafting

*alpine activities

*rock-climbing.

Join VU for one of the most adrenaline-packed degrees in Australia

Learning Outcome

On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

*Integrate knowledge and skills related to Outdoor Education, Recreation and Adventure Sports to become a leader in their area of expertise;

*Develop evidence based practice in Outdoor Education, Recreation and Adventure Sports to support a diverse range of individual, group, community and stakeholder needs;

*Demonstrate skill specific knowledge and technique in a broad range of outdoor adventure activities to use as a platform for the development of meta-skills related to Outdoor Education, Recreation and Adventure Sports;

*Exhibit knowledge related to the natural and cultural history, land management, hydrology, geology, and ecology directly relevant to selected natural environments and outdoor experiences;

*Synthesise information gathered from outdoor leadership research to develop knowledge and understanding of professional identity and practice; and,

*Evaluate a diverse range of policies and procedures to enable the safe delivery and implementation of field based programs related to Outdoor Education, Recreation and Adventure Sports.

Course structure

To attain the Bachelor of Outdoor Leadership, students will be required to complete 288 credit points consisting of:

*96 credit points of First Year Core units

*96 credit points of Professional Core units

Plus one of the following: Option A:

*96 credit points of SMAOLI Outdoor Leadership Industry Internship Major studies

OR Option B:

*96 credit points of Major studies from the approved list

OR Option C:

*96 credit points of Minor studies from the approved list

Careers

The Bachelor of Outdoor Leadership offers several career pathways:

*camp program manager

*environmental educator

*outdoor educator

*outdoor adventure guide, instructor or facilitator

*park ranger

*teaching (with additional Master of Teaching (Secondary Education))

*business owner

*eco and adventure tourism.

The nature-based outdoor economy offers many career opportunities. An industry-based report Outdoors Victoria and Sport and Recreation Victoria – Victoria’s nature based outdoor economy, indicates this industry is worth $7.4 billion annually to Victoria’s economy, employing 71,000 full-time jobs.

On graduation, you may continue on to our Master of Teaching (Secondary) to become a registered teacher.