Outdoor Business and Innovation Minor
Aimee Vlachos, Ed.D., CPRP
Program Director, Outdoor Business and Innovation
avlachos@une.edu
Mission
The College of Business at the University of New England is a caring and collaborative community that offers a student-centered and technology-driven education. Emphasizing experiential learning, our ecosystem equips graduates with essential skills and knowledge for successful careers through industry-focused programs that promote innovation, teamwork, ethical leadership, a global perspective, and social responsibility.
Program Description
This program will prepare graduates for a career in outdoor industries. With a grounding in business and entrepreneurship, students will develop a systems approach to outdoor recreation services and products. The program's course of study emphasizes corporate responsibility and environmental stewardship. Students in the program will work closely with industry partners through internships and project-based learning.
Program Goals
This program will:
- Prepare graduates to become leaders in an expanding industry with a growing need for a skilled workforce.
- Develop graduates to be critical thinkers with an innovative mindset.
- Develop graduates with an understanding of resilient and sustainable economic development and foundational knowledge of environmental issues and policy.
- Develop graduates with in-depth knowledge of outdoor recreation industry user needs.
Curricular Requirements
| Program Required Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| OBI 345 – Sustainability & Eco-Tourism | 3 |
| OBI 350 – Outdoor Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| OBI 401 – Seminar in Outdoor Business (capstone) | 3 |
| OBI 495 – Internship (with approved OBI focus) | 3 |
| Total Credits | 12 |
| Select One (1) of the Following Business Focus Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| BUMG 301 – Organizational Behavior | 3 |
| BUMG 303 – Management of Non-Profit Orgnaizations | 3 |
| BUMG 313 – Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| Total Credits | 3 |
| Select One (1) of the Following Environmental Issues Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| ENV 200 – Society, Population, and Environment | 3 |
| ENV 208 – Climate Change | 3 |
| ENV 220 – Conservation and Preservation | 3 |
| MAF 200 – Introduction to Marine Pollution | 3 |
| Total Credits | 3 |
| Minimum Total Required Credits | 18 |
|---|
Please note: While some courses can fulfill both core and program requirements, the credits earned do not count twice towards the minimum total required credits for the degree.
Academic and Technical Standards
Learning Outcomes
- Apply fundamental concepts of management, accounting, and economics to outdoor business and innovation.
- Apply the product design and development process from market and product research, to ideation, to prototyping and developing finished products for the outdoor activity market.
- Navigate the relationships between the outdoor recreation industry and local/state/national stakeholders.
- Integrate issues of economic development, public health and wellness, conservation, and stewardship within the outdoor recreation industry.
- Apply foundational outdoor recreation skills to build understanding of the user needs within the industry.