Study location	Ireland, ATU Mayo
Type	Undergraduate, full-time
Nominal duration	4 years (240 ECTS)
Study language	English
Awards	BA (Hons) (Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Outdoor and Environmental Education (Common Entry))
Course code	0125/0017

Tuition fee	€12,000 per year

Entry qualification

High school / secondary education (or higher) Qualifications must meet the equivalent of the Irish Leaving Cert level 5 NFQ The entry qualification documents are accepted in the following languages: English. This includes a suitable transcript from your school. If this is not the case, you will need official translations along with verified copies of the original. If your Documents are not in English, please upload a translated version You must take the original entry qualification documents along with you when you finally go to the university.

Language requirements	English Accepted proof of proficiency: FCE or CAE, IELTS 5.5+, TOEFL 69+ or Duolingo English Test 90+ More Information

More information	gmit.ie/..ronmental-education-common-entry

Overview

This Common Entry degree offers three award options, which are determined by the electives you choose. The Award Options are:

Outdoor Education
Outdoor Education and Therapeutic Applications
Geography and Outdoor Education

What is Outdoor Education?

Outdoor education involves learning outdoors, challenge, personal growth, journeys in nature, reflection and adventure. It is widely recognised as having a therapeutic, educational, developmental, and social effect on participants and for fostering general wellbeing and a connection with the natural world.

Outdoor learning experiences are utilised within many sectors in Ireland, such as schools, social care organisations, community development, youth services and adventure tourism. Outdoor Education students at ATU gain an in depth understanding of the varied role of outdoor learning and develop experience in designing, running and facilitating educational programmes. Through fieldtrips, expeditions and lectures, students explore and examine Irish landscape, heritage and ecology and realise the potential of adventure tourism, green exercise and nature therapy. Graduates will be empowered to promote careful use and management of an increasingly threatened natural world and to educate others in wise use and sustainable practice.

These degrees offer a unique blend of academic learning and adventure sports training.

Students explore outdoor education’s therapeutic, developmental, and educational aspects, while also studying Ireland’s natural and cultural landscape, health, fitness, group facilitation, recreation management, teaching, and psychology.

Students have the option of degree in Outdoor Education or depending on specialist modules chosen, to receive a degree in Outdoor Education with Therapeutic Application or Geography and Outdoor Education. Students select their specialist modules during Semester 1 in year 1.

Each week includes adventure sports practicals in Mayo’s mountains and coastline, leading to National Governing Body Adventure Sports leadership qualifications.

Career opportunities

ATU’s Outdoor Education programmes meet the demand for professionals in outdoor education centers, forest schools, nature kindergartens, adventure therapy, environmental education, eco-tourism, and outdoor recreation and resource management.

There are endless employment opportunities within educational and environmental organisations, social services, sporting governing bodies, Sports Partnerships, Coillte, National Parks, and youth services as facilitators, development officers and managers. Forest schools, green exercise and nature therapy are significant growth areas. Graduates are often employed in the area of Rural Development, Countryside Recreation, Trail Design and Eco/Rural tourism.

Graduates have also embarked on careers as entrepreneurs, joined uniformed services and completed a wide range of postgraduate programmes. Graduates will find employment as facilitators, youth development officers, outdoor instructors, coaches, managers and field studies officers, as well as in the below fields:

• Nature Conservation and Environmental Education
• Youth and social services
• Sports coaching, guiding and instruction
• Outdoor activity managers
• Sports Partnerships and NGBs for Sport
• Countryside Recreation Management
• Rural Development and Trail Design
• Eco tourism
• Nature Therapy and green/blue exercise
• Wellbeing and personal development
• Expedition Planning
• Teaching and Education
• Research