FdSc Countryside Recreation & Tourism

Recreation and tourism provide a vital and growing contribution to the rural economy. Our countryside is put to many, often competing, uses. The challenge of providing countryside that meets the needs of tourism, recreation, conservation and rural business is the driving force behind this course. The Countryside Recreation and Tourism foundation degree is similar to the countryside management foundation degree but with extra tourism modules.

If you would like to acquire the skills and knowledge needed to manage the countryside as a sustainable recreational resource then this is the course for you. Foundation degrees, as well as being good qualifications in themselves, also provide an entry route onto a full honours degree for those who do not have the initial entry requirements.

Key features

• Vocational 2 year course with work experience
• Specialisation in recreation and tourism
• Option of progression onto honours degree
• Year 1 HND modules / year 2 BSc modules
• Summer work experience
• Skills development
• Continuous assessment as well as examinations
• Study tours and visits
• Realism and relevance
• Knowledgeable, enthusiastic and supportive staff

Content and Structure

This course has been designed to provide you with the skills and knowledge to enter a career in countryside recreation or tourism. The course therefore focuses on the management of the countryside for recreation and tourism.

Year 1
The first year of study is made up of HND modules - the tourism industry; tourism in practice (tour); countryside recreation; rural communities; geology and geomorphology; ecology; countryside organisations; landscape history; information technology.

Work Experience
On Foundation Degree courses such as this you are required to undertake a period of work experience of at least 6 weeks in the summer between year 1 and year 2. For this course the work needs to be related to tourism or countryside recreation and will be for an organisation such as a local authority countryside service, the National Trust, the Countryside Council for Wales or a national park.

Year 2
The second year of study is made up of BSc modules - managing rural tourism; visitor management; international tourism development; international tourism in practice (foreign study tour); community development; countryside planning; forestry and woodland management; wildlife management; human impact on the environment; planning and development control; statistics and research methods.

Progression to BSc (Hons)

Upon successful completion of the Foundation Degree, students may progress into the third year of one of our countryside related (Hons.) degree courses.

Assessment

Each module will have an element of coursework. This may involve making presentations, writing reports or examining case studies. The emphasis throughout the course will be on relevance to the practical management of countryside issues. Examples of course work may include:

• Producing a management plan for a recreation site
• Writing case studies about different sectors of the tourism industry
• Developing a sustainable tourism strategy for an area
• Developing a marketing plan for a tourism site
• Carrying out a community audit