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Graduates in Adventure Education are prepared for professional positions with a variety of outdoor programs, educational and non-profit organizations, and year-round camps. Your involvement in the major, academic performance, attendance at professional conferences, conversations with Adventure Education faculty, and Internship placement will reveal many possibilities. A sample of full-time employment opportunities, and one seasonal job (as noted), posted in spring 2007 includes…

• Assistant Coordinator of Outdoor Leadership: San Juan College, Farmington, NM. Salary $28,000-$32,000.

• Backcountry Instructors for at-risk youth in therapeutic wilderness setting: Montrose, CO. Salary $21,550-$23,660.

• Outdoor Youth Counselor/Teacher: Eckerd Youth Alternatives (wilderness therapy), locations in FL, GA, TN, RI, VT and NH. Salary $23,600.

• Field Instructor: Blackwater Outdoor Experiences (wilderness therapy), Midlothian, VA. Salary not posted.

• Program Director: Soltreks (wilderness therapy): Two Harbors, MN. Salary not posted.

• Outdoor Orientation Program Coordinator: Pacific University, west of Portland, OR. Salary not posted.

• Outdoor Adventure Assistant: University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT. Salary commensurate with experience.

• Paddling/Outdoor Programs Coordinator: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. Salary $3,000 per month minimum.

• Lead Challenge Course Facilitator: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. Salary commensurate with experience.

• Assistant Director of Teambuilding and Professional Development: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. Salary commensurate with experience.

• Coordinator of Outdoor Programs: Alaska Pacific University, AK. Salary $29,000-$32,000.

• Assistant Experiential Education Coordinator: John Hopkins University, MD. Salary not posted.

• Assistant Director, Outdoor Adventure: University of Houston, TX. Salary $34,000-$47,000.

• Executive Director: Challenge Learning Center, Mountain View, CA. Salary not posted.

• Ropes Course Counselor: Helen Ross McNabb Center, Dandridge, TN. Salary $24,131.

• Outdoor Education Instructor: Chadwick School, Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA. Seasonal, September to November, 2007. Salary $100-$180 per day.

As evidenced by the above job listings, the Adventure Education degree program prepares students for full-time professional positions, although some graduates choose to piece together a variety of seasonal positions their first year or two. By contrast, the program does not focus on preparing guides, partly because this kind of work is not financially sustainable for most people, but also because adventure education more broadly prepares students to use adventure programming for character development and education, rather than just mastery of technical skills.

A February, 2007, position announcement from the American Alpine Institute, in Bellingham, WA, advertises for Instructor/Guide positions. Work is for the summer, at $90 per day. Lead climbing experience of 5.10 is required, but a college education is not. Thus, students interested in guiding are advised to gain experience and preparation other than in a college degree program.