Only a handful of programs anywhere in the U.S. take adventure sports’ curricula to advanced levels. We’re one of them.
In fact, the intellectual and physical adventure we call expeditionary studies is distinct for that very reason. Whether you focus on climbing, paddling, or skiing, or pursue advanced-level classes in all three, the expeditionary studies curriculum develops your skills and thinking. This occurs from your first introductory classes — Outdoor Living Skills among them — to your upper-level classes, where you might find yourself paddling in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, rock climbing in Joshua Tree, or skiing on Mt. Hood. When you’ve completed the requirements for the B.S. in Expeditionary Studies, you’ll be skilled enough to work in the wide world of outdoor activities.
If you dream of adventure and have the desire to learn what it takes, if you want to know how to lead others in their adventures, discover things about yourself as you push your body and mind to ever-increasing limits, and if you accept the challenge of pursuing these goals in majestic settings, then expeditionary studies is an academic program that can take you on your desired path.
The degree integrates study of such topics as the history of exploration, environmental ethics, and environmental justice, with experiences in leadership, planning, and risk management, to name a few. And always, you’ll be spending huge amounts of time advancing your skills in paddling, climbing, or skiing. In fact, the classes in those areas have more time in the field classroom than in the traditional classroom.
Masters Degree in Expeditionary Studies
Everyone working in the outdoors understands that there are two requirements for advancing in the profession: experience and knowledge. The challenge for working professionals is to find a way to enhance those essentials while working as guides, leaders, and facilitators.
Our limited-residency Master of Science in Expeditionary Studies addresses that challenge by requiring limited time on campus. Of the eleven courses in the program, six are fully online, allowing you to live anywhere while completing these requirements. Just two courses require making arrangements to work with EXP faculty as teachers and leaders in our local courses as well as our off-campus courses. These two courses will require no more than a total of four, non-consecutive weeks in residence. The final courses are independently led expeditions, scheduled to fit around your schedule.