Outdoor Leadership - Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer (AAOT)

Description

The Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer with a focus in outdoor leadership prepares students to transfer to a baccalaureate institution. Outdoor leadership includes careers in outdoor recreation, outdoor education, wilderness therapy, and tourism and leisure enterprises.

The Outdoor Leadership program is grounded in the principles of lifelong learning, environmental stewardship, personal growth, and leadership. The program emphasizes experiential methodologies to combine theory and practice in a strong, field-based curriculum. Students will develop current and accepted skills and will understand comprehensive knowledge and standards. Highly skilled and knowledgeable faculty exemplify the highest level of standards, integrity, and ethics. 

The College offers two other options: Associate of Science with an outdoor leadership emphasis, designed for transfer to OSU-Cascades; Outdoor Leadership One-Year Certificate of Completion,  designed for those who want a career and technical education award.   

Statewide General Education Student Learning Outcomes

Please see the General Education page for statewide general education student learning outcomes.

Entrance Requirements

While this program has no formal entrance requirements, individual courses may have prerequisites which must be met before enrollment.

Course Requirements

Course Title Credits
General Education/Foundational
Health:
Choose 3 credits 13
Mathematics:
Choose one course4
Oral Communication:
Choose one course3-4
Writing:
WR 121ZComposition I4
WR 122ZComposition II4
or WR 227Z Technical Writing
General Education/Discipline studies
Cultural Literacy:
One course from the following categories must be designated as cultural literacy on the Discipline Studies list (credits count once).
Arts and Letters:
Choose three courses from at least two prefixes9-12
Social Science:
Choose four courses from at least two prefixes12-16
Science/Math/Computer Science:
Choose four courses from at least two prefixes including at least three laboratory courses in biological and/or physical science12-20
Electives
Choose any course numbered 100 or above that brings the total credits to 90 quarter hours. This may include up to 12 credits of Career and Technical Education courses designated by COCC as acceptable. 239
Resource Interpretation
Introduction to Outdoor Leadership
Technical Skills for Outdoor Leadership
Seminar in Outdoor Leadership
Psychology of Risk and Adventure
Wilderness Advanced First Aid
Outdoor Living Skills
Facilitating Group Experiences
Outdoor Recreation Leadership
Co-op Work Experience-OL
Alpine Climbing
Canoe Program Instruction and Guiding
Mountain Bike Guiding and Trail Stewardship
Teaching Rock Climbing
Whitewater Raft Guiding
Total Credits90-106
1

HHPA activity courses (1 credit each) are not to be duplicated.

2

Elective courses must be numbered 100 or above and can be any combination of general electives, Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses (12 credits maximum) or CWE/HHPA activity courses (15 credits maximum).

Advising Notes

The Outdoor Leadership (OL) program is a cohort program where students complete courses each term with a single peer group. Before taking OL courses, students should complete as much of their general education requirements as possible.

Students begin introductory/fundamental OL courses courses in Fall term. This is a particularly special time as students attend courses in an outdoor classroom daily for the entire term and complete two five-day expeditions during the term. After Fall term, students complete prescribed courses in Winter and Spring terms. During Winter term, students work on advanced theory and application courses and gain more extensive understanding about the practices of professional outdoor leaders. Students complete another five-day expedition during Winter term. In Spring term, students complete advanced skills courses aimed at developing practice of professional standards within specific activities.

First-year completion requirements for enrollment into second-year include: completion of the OL-prefix courses (OL 271 Facilitating Group ExperiencesOL 273 Outdoor Recreation LeadershipOL 280 Co-op Work Experience-OL) with a grade of C or higher; completion of a minimum of 36 college credits made up, in part, by the above courses and appropriate prerequisites. See advisor for details.

Performance Standards

  • Academic Requirements:
    • Students must have a 2.0 cumulative GPA to earn a COCC certificate or degree.
    • All courses in the program must be completed with a grade of C or higher.

Sample Plan

Sample Plan Grid
First TermCredits
Health (3 credits with HHP or HHPA prefix)3
Mathematics:4
Oral Communication:3-4
WR 121ZComposition I4
 Credits14-15
Second Term
Discipline Studies Arts and Letters3-4
Discipline Studies Science/Math/Computer Science3-5
Discipline Studies Science/Math/Computer Science3-5
Discipline Studies Social Science3-4
WR 122Z
Composition II
or Technical Writing
4
 Credits16-22
Third Term
Discipline Studies Arts and Letters3-4
Discipline Studies Arts and Letters3-4
Discipline Studies Science/Math/Computer Science3-5
Discipline Studies Social Science3-4
Discipline Studies Social Science3-4
 Credits15-21
Fourth Term
Elective (recommend OL 111)3
Elective (recommend OL 171)2
Elective (recommend OL 255)5
Elective (recommend OL 253)3
 Credits13
Fifth Term
Discipline Studies Social Science3-4
Elective (recommend OL 207)2
Elective (recommend OL 271)5
Elective (recommend OL 273)5
 Credits15-16
Sixth Term
Discipline Studies Science/Math/Computer Science3-5
Electives (recommend two of the following):6
Alpine Climbing
Canoe Program Instruction and Guiding
Mountain Bike Guiding and Trail Stewardship
Teaching Rock Climbing
Whitewater Raft Guiding
Elective (recommend OL 244)3
Elective (recommend OL 280)2
Elective (recommend FOR 255)3
 Credits17-19
 Total Credits90-106

Outside of
expected

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