Overview

Recreation, parks and tourism administration faculty will teach you how to design, plan, co-create, execute and manage events and experiences for individuals, communities and the global society.

The Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration program at California Polytechnic State University will equip you with the knowledge to design, plan and manage experiences across all sectors of the experience industry in California and around the world.

The department has earned a national reputation of distinction and excellence and was recently ranked third in the nation by College Factual. The program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Related Professions.

Learn By Doing

This major allows you to learn to design, create, execute, and manage structured experiences in a variety of real-life settings. Through the program’s 1,000 hours experience requirement and the culminating internship, you will be immersed in the real-world experience industry applications from your first year in the program to graduation. This allows you to network and design experiences with various industry organizations including George P. Johnson Experience Marketing, Visit SLOCAL, Special Olympics and the San Francisco Giants.

Career

Recreation, parks and tourism administration students pursue careers as event planners, destination management specialists, hospitality managers, sport supervisors, sales and marketing directors, outdoor recreation planners, recreation business owners, travel trade managers, tourism marketing directors, park and recreation directors, and customer and employee experience design specialists.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Sport Management

Parks and Outdoor Recreation

Community Relations and Sports-Based Youth Development

Facilitation and Teambuilding

Sport Marketing and the Fan Experience

Leadership in Outdoor Experiences

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 48 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-09-18 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-12-02 00:00:00

Language

English

Duolingo English Test

115

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IELTS

6.5

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Credits

180 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

San Luis Obispo, United States

Disciplines

Hospitality Management Tourism & Leisure View 365 other Bachelors in Tourism & Leisure in United States

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Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

Duolingo English Test

115

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

Coursework: They look at the college-prep coursework you have taken during high school, including the courses you have in progress or planned during 12th grade

GPA: For the purposes of your application, they'll consider your 9th-11th grade weighted GPA
Extracurricular Activities and Work Experience: Cal Poly takes activities such as work experience, internships, volunteer programs and extracurricular activities into consideration

Make sure you have a copy of your transcripts, current and planned class schedules, household annual income and social security number (if available).

There is a $70 application fee per campus at the time you apply, unless you qualify for an application fee waiver

English proficiency exam results

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

28359 USD / year

≈ 28359 USD / year
Out-of-State

28359 USD / year

≈ 28359 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

15039 USD / year

≈ 15039 USD / year

Living costs

San Luis Obispo

United States

1100 - 1800 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Bachelor's scholarship opportunities for Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

About

Overview

Learn By Doing

Career

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Living costs

San Luis Obispo

Funding

Need help with your student visa?

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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