USM To Offer Certification in Sustainable Tourism
August 13, 2010
Beginning this fall, USM will offer a course of study leading to a University Consortium Certificate in Sustainable Tourism.
“This is an exciting new certificate program that will offer our students a solid academic background in an increasingly popular field of study and the opportunity to become certified through a nationally recognized accrediting body,” said USM Professor of Recreation and Leisure Studies David Jones.
The certification will be available through a collaboration with The International Ecotourism Society, described as the premier professional organization in the field of sustainable tourism. The only other university consortium members include The University of Utah, West Virginia University, the University of Minnesota, North Carolina State University and California Polytechnic University.
The certificate program will include nine hours of coursework; one study abroad course; and a 400-hour internship that includes a capstone project. The program, said Jones, will not require additional faculty or development of new courses because it builds on an existing minor in nature tourism, giving students the option of earning a professional certification.
Jones defines sustainable, or nature, tourism as tourism focused on conserving the natural environment and promoting the well being of local people. It has the potential, he believes, to become an increasingly important sector of the tourism industry here in Maine and elsewhere.
For more information, please contact Jones at 780-4587, dbjones@usm.maine.edu.
