Outdoor Adventure Education

Outdoor adventure education is a discipline concerned with using natural and adventurous environments as contexts for learning, personal development, and the growth of environmental awareness. It draws on education, psychology, and ecology to understand how experiences in nature, from rock climbing and kayaking to navigation and expedition, can develop physical confidence, resilience, teamwork, and a deeper relationship with the natural world. The field has grown significantly as schools, youth organisations, and mental health services have recognised the value of outdoor and experiential learning.

At the University of St Mark and St John, your classroom will be Dartmoor National Park, the rivers, and stunning surfing beaches of the South West coast. You will learn through extensive fieldwork with highly experienced tutors, developing both the technical outdoor skills and the educational and facilitation knowledge needed to enable others to learn in nature. The programme covers outdoor leadership, environmental education, adventure therapy, and the theory of outdoor and experiential learning, preparing you for professional work in outdoor education settings.

The programme runs over three years full-time.

Graduates of outdoor adventure education programmes work as outdoor education instructors, forest school leaders, adventure therapy practitioners, expedition leaders, environmental educators, and youth workers in outdoor settings. They work with schools, youth organisations, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, outdoor activity centres, mental health services, and environmental charities. The qualifications and practical skills the degree develops are also valued in broader education and community development contexts.

Some graduates go on to postgraduate study in outdoor education, therapeutic practice, or environmental education.