Outdoor Education and Leadership, AA

Program Description

The Outdoor Education & Leadership degree program is for the student interested in careers in outdoor education, environmental education, adventure programming, or conservation. This unique program combines wilderness expeditions and outdoor skills courses with natural history and a liberal arts curriculum. The program emphasizes leadership development and experience-based education. CWC’s Alpine Science Institute offers a range of courses that use non-motorized travel (hiking, skiing, mountain biking and whitewater rafting) to visit and learn about remote wilderness areas in and around the Wyoming Rockies.

The Outdoor Education & Leadership program is a 4-semester program for the student ready for college-level courses. A student who places into pre-college math or English courses may require a preparatory semester before beginning the four-semester program. Most majors choose to live at the Alpine Science Institute (ASI) near Lander, WY. In the foothills of the Wind River Mountains, ASI offers unparalleled opportunities for reflective solitude, outdoor adventure, and study of the natural world. The student pays an equipment fee which grants access to mountain bikes, snow bikes, cross country and downhill skis, snowboards, rafts, canoes, paddleboards, climbing and camping gear.


The student has the option to spend up to one full semester taking wilderness-based courses with the Nols. Nols offers educational expeditions at remote, pristine locations in the US and abroad. To receive college credit for Nols courses, students must enroll concurrently in the appropriate corresponding course at CWC. For example, CWC students taking a Nols semester course should be enrolled in G&R-2050, G&R-2031, and EDUC-2050. For more information on Nols, visit www.nols.edu or call 1-800-710-6657.

General Education Requirements

Writing Level I (WR1) 3 credits
Writing Level II (WR2) 3 credits
American & Wyoming Government (POLS 1000) 3 credits
ARTS 3 credits
HUM 3 credits
LSCI (in program)
MATH 3 credits
ORAL 3 credits
SOC 3 credits
UNST 1 credits

Program Requirements

Course Requirements

Course NumberTitleCredits
BIOL 1080Intro to Environmental Science

4 credits

EDUC 1055Introduction to Outdoor Education

3 credits

EDUC 2470Outdoor Education Practicum

4 credits

ORTM 1000Foundations of Recreation & Tourism

3 credits

ORTM 2800Outdoor Leadership

3 credits

 

HLED 2010Wilderness First Responder

4 credits

OR

HLED 2015Wilderness EMT

9 credits

OEAC 2031, G&R 2050,  and either EDUC 2050 -OR- EDUC 2045 together constitute the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) semester course and must be taken concurrently if CWC students are taking a NOLS Semester-length course.

In addition HLED 2010 or HLED 2015 may be taken concurrently for select NOLS semesters which include medical training.

Students must choose four (4) credits from the following list of Expedition Courses

Course NumberTitleCredits
EDUC 2015Outdoor Educator:

1 - 5 credits

EDUC 2045Outdoor Leadership Instructor

1 - 5 credits

EDUC 2050Outdoor Education & Leadership

1 - 5 credits

G&R 2032Winter Expedition:

1 - 5 credits

G&R 2033Rock Climbing:

1 - 5 credits

G&R 2034Water Expedition:

1 - 5 credits

G&R 2050Environmental Ethics & Management:

1 - 5 credits

OEAC 2020Mountaineering:

1 - 5 credits

OEAC 2030Wilderness Backpacking:

1 - 5 credits

OEAC 2031Combined Expeditions:

1 - 5 credits

OEAC 2031, G&R 2050,  and either EDUC 2050 -OR- EDUC 2045 together constitute the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) semester course and must be taken concurrently if CWC students are taking a NOLS Semester-length course.

In addition HLED 2010 or HLED 2015 may be taken concurrently for select NOLS semesters which include medical training.

Students must choose three (3) OEAC credits from the following list of approved courses

Course NumberTitleCredits
OEAC 1175Ice Climbing

1 credits

OEAC 1258Skiing and Snowboarding

1 credits

OEAC 1259Cross Country Skiing

1 credits

OEAC 1287Outdoor Rock Climbing

1 credits

OEAC 1288Mountain Biking

1 credits

OEAC 1297Whitewater Rafting and Rescue

1 credits

OEAC 1380Outdoor Multisport

1 - 3 credits

OEAC 1387Indoor Rock Climbing

1 credits

OEAC 2025Wilderness Navigation

1 credits

OEAC 2058Backcountry Skiing and Snowboarding

1 credits

OEAC 2088Alpine Climbing and Rescue

1 credits

Program Electives

Students must choose seven (7) additional credits from the OEAC courses above or from the following list of approved courses:

Course NumberTitleCredits
ANTH 1300Intro to Archaeology

3 credits

ANTH 2022Petroglyphs & Primitive Art

3 credits

ART 2145Digital Photography I

3 credits

ASTR 1050Survey of Astronomy

4 credits

ASTR 1070The Earth: Its Physical Environment

4 credits

ATSC 2000Introduction to Meteorology

4 credits

ATSC 2110Introduction to Climatology

4 credits

BIOL 1010General Biology I

4 credits

BIOL 1020Life Science

4 credits

BIOL 2002Global Ecology

3 credits

COMM 1005Intercultural Communication

3 credits

COMM 2130Human Relations

3 credits

COMM 4050Communication and Conflict

3 credits

CNSL 1310Personal Growth Group

1 credits

CNSL 2300Counseling for Helping Professional

3 credits

CNSL 2310Introduction to Group Counseling

3 credits

CNSL 2320Addictions Assessment

3 credits

CNSL 2330Counseling Diverse Populations

3 credits

CNSL 2340Theories of Counseling

3 credits

EDFD 2020Foundations of Education

3 credits

EDFD 2450Human Life Span Development

3 credits

EDUC 2015Outdoor Educator:

1 - 5 credits

EDUC 2045Outdoor Leadership Instructor

1 - 5 credits

EDUC 2050Outdoor Education & Leadership

1 - 5 credits

ENR 1005Trailbuilding I

1 - 3 credits

ENR 2005Trailbuilding 2

4 credits

ENR 2150NAI Certified Interpretive Guide

3 credits

ENR 2425Mountain Environments

4 credits

G&R 2032Winter Expedition:

1 - 5 credits

G&R 2033Rock Climbing:

1 - 5 credits

G&R 2034Water Expedition:

1 - 5 credits

G&R 2035River Rescue Certification

1 credits

G&R 2050Environmental Ethics & Management:

1 - 5 credits

GEOG 2110Techniques in Cartography

4 credits

GEOG 2135Applied GPS for GIS

3 credits

GEOG 2310Intro to Geographic Information Systems

4 credits

GEOL 1070The Earth: Its Physical Environment

4 credits

GEOL 1100Physical Geology

4 credits

GEOL 1200Historical Geology

4 credits

GEOL 1470Environmental Geology

4 credits

HIST 1270Indians of the Wind River

3 credits

HLED 2015Wilderness EMT

9 credits

NAIS 1005Intercultural Communication

3 credits

NAIS 1350American Indians in Contemporary Society

3 credits

NAIS 2000Indians of the Wind River

3 credits

NAIS 2290History of North American Indians

3 credits

OEAC 1400Avalanche Level 1

1 credits

OEAC 2020Mountaineering:

1 - 5 credits

OEAC 2030Wilderness Backpacking:

1 - 5 credits

OEAC 2031Combined Expeditions:

1 - 5 credits

OEAC 2400Avalanche Level 2

2 credits

ORTM 1100Bicycle Mechanic

3 credits

ORTM 2100Mountain Bike Skills Instructor 1

2 credits

PSYC 1250Human Potential Seminar

1 credits

PSYC 2210Drugs and Behavior

3 credits

ZOO 1200Human Biology

3 credits

ZOO 2015Human Anatomy

4 credits

OEAC 2031, G&R 2050,  and either EDUC 2050 -OR- EDUC 2045 together constitute the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) semester course and must be taken concurrently if CWC students are taking a NOLS Semester-length course.

In addition HLED 2010 or HLED 2015 may be taken concurrently for select NOLS semesters which include medical training.

Total Credit Hours: 60