School of Life Sciences and Sustainability

College of Humanities and Sciences

Current StudentsGive

Outdoor Leadership Certificate

The Outdoor Leadership Certificate program prepares undergraduate students for work in a variety of professional outdoor experiential leadership positions.

The introductory course for this certificate is ENVS 260 Outdoor Leadership, which has a capacity of 30 students. Four additional courses are required to complete the certificate and can be taken in any order. Additionally, optional elective credits are available for students taking part in field experiences which involve considerable time leading, or training to lead, others in outdoors. Optional topics courses may also be offered periodically that will be associated with Outdoor Leadership Certificate.

For the full description of the program, visit VCU Bulletin. 

Program Requirements

All students will be required to complete 12 core credits:

  • ENVS 260. Outdoor Leadership (3 Hours)
  • ENVS 360. Outdoor Programming and Event Management (3 Hours)
  • ENVS 361. Outdoor Team Building & Facilitation (3 Hours)
  • ENVS 460. Wilderness First Responder (3 Hours )

Choose from 3-4 credits of optional electives:

  • ENVS 491. Topics in Environmental Studies (1-4 Hours)
  • ENVS 492. Independent Study (1-3 Hours)
  • ENVS 491. Student Outdoor Leadership Experiences. (3 Hours)
  • ENVS 461. Wilderness Policy and Practice. (3 Hours.)
  • ENVS 491 or 591.  Expedition Planning & Management (1-4 Hour)
  • ENVS 591. Swiftwater Safety. (1 Hour)

If you are interested in the certificate program, please fill out the following form. Students will be accepted on a rolling basis; there is no deadline for application.

Career Paths

The Outdoor Leadership Certificate prepares graduates for careers in numerous outdoor related fields. Alumni have gone on to work for outdoor education and recreation organizations, land and water based guiding companies, graduate studies at universities, national and state management agencies, and numerous private outdoor companies. The skills gained in this program are applicable to a variety of career fields and have also helped to propel alumni into leadership positions that are not specifically outdoor focused.