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Are you looking for a way to add study abroad, service learning and sustainable economic development to your West Virginia University education? Then you should seriously consider pursuing a certificate in ecotourism, offered by the Recreation, Parks and Tourism Resources program in WVU’s Division of Forestry and Natural Resources.

Applicants for the certificate need to be juniors or seniors, and the program can be completed in one or two years. Only a select few applicants are accepted each semester, and applications are due by Dec. 1, 2008 for the fall semester.

“Ecotourism has become one of the fastest-growing segments of the overall tourism market, and this program will help us to prepare students for exciting jobs in the field,” said David Smaldone. Smaldone, an assistant professor of Recreation, Parks and Tourism Resources, acts as WVU’s Academic Consortium Advisor.

Ecotourism focuses on responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people. Ecotourism providers and professionals strive to minimize impact to the destination, build environmental and cultural awareness and respect among visitors, and provide financial benefits and empowerment for local host communities.

WVU is part of a consortium of institutions who offer the certificate program. The consortium currently consists of the International Ecotourism Society (TIES) and five member universities: WVU, North Carolina State, and California Polytechnic, University of Minnesota, and University of Utah . The certificate will be conferred by TIES, the largest and oldest organization in the world dedicated to generating and disseminating information about ecotourism.

TIES currently has members in more than 90 countries. The organization’s membership includes academics, consultants, conservation professionals and organizations, governments, architects, tour operators, lodge owners and managers, general development experts, and ecotourists.

“This consortium is the first of its kind in the world, and the partnership with TIES lends credibility to this certificate,” Smaldone said.
The certificate program follows a flexible and focused curriculum that includes 9 hours of course work, a 400-hour field internship focused on ecotourism, a study abroad experience, and participation in an internationally focused seminar conducted through TIES.

Smaldone notes that while the certificate program meshes well with the undergraduate Recreation, Parks and Tourism Resources curriculum, offered by the Davis College’s Division of Forestry and Natural Resources, it is open to all WVU students regardless of major.

“The certificate program offers students of all majors the opportunity to interact with different cultures and be exposed to new perspectives and beliefs,” Smaldone said. “Students will also gain knowledge of the interconnecting, complex and dynamic systems that make up the fields of tourism and sustainable development – it really intersects numerous fields, including recreation, business, anthropology, environmental planning, geography, and natural resources.”

For additional information on the program and application process, contact Smaldone at (304)293-2941×2443 or via e-mail at david.smaldone@mail.wvu.edu.