Sustainable Parks, Recreation and Tourism at Michigan State University

Programme overview

The major prepares students for professional roles managing and enjoying the outdoors, including public parks, forests and protected areas, nonprofit lands such as camps, and commercial outdoor businesses. It covers natural-resource-based recreation and tourism with a sustainability focus.

Faculty: College of Agriculture and Natural Resources | Study mode: full-time | Location: East Lansing, MI, United States

What you will study

All senior-level courses include a hands-on project in which students work with field professionals.

Career pathways

Alumni work as park rangers, kayak guides, activities directors, mountain operations assistants and front desk agents, at employers such as the U.S. National Park Service, Boyne Resorts and Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

University-wide first-year admission (all majors): admission is competitive with no minimum requirements and MSU is test optional (SAT/ACT not required). Recommended college-preparatory curriculum: 4 years English, 3 years mathematics (2 algebra, 1 geometry), 3 years social studies, 2 years science, 2 years of a single foreign language. Reviewed on high school performance, curriculum strength, grade trends, class rank, and optional test scores. Fall 2026 enrolled middle 50%: GPA 3.5-4.0, ACT 25-31, SAT 1100-1320. Early action deadline Nov 1 for maximum scholarship consideration. International applicants whose first language is not English: IELTS 6.5 (provisional 6.0), TOEFL iBT 79 with no subscore below 17 for tests taken before Jan 21 2026 (provisional 60-78), or Duolingo English Test 110 (provisional 95-105).

Requirements published at program group level.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Most first-year students enter in the fall semester. Admission to other semesters may be limited or not available at all.

Transfer applicants can apply for fall (August start), spring (January start) and summer (May start) semesters. International transfer students are not eligible for summer admission.

First-year early action deadline is Nov. 1 (non-binding), with an admission decision by Jan. 15 and the acceptance fee due by May 1. Regular admission has a Feb. 1 priority deadline (decision by Mar. 31) and a final application deadline of Apr. 1, with rolling decisions after Feb. 1. MSU is test optional: applicants may apply without an ACT or SAT score.

The first-year application fee is $75 (or an application fee waiver if eligible). First-year applicants can apply through the MSU application or the Coalition application with Scoir. The application for fall 2027 opens in August.

International first-year applicants have the same deadlines: early action Nov. 1, priority Feb. 1, final Apr. 1, acceptance fee by May 1.

Transfer application deadlines: fall April 1, spring open until capacity is reached, summer March 1. International transfer applicants for fall have a March 1 deadline and must pay the acceptance fee by April 1.

Apply through the official page: https://admissions.msu.edu/apply/first-year

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