Ski Industry Business and Instruction (minor)
The Ski Industry Business and Instruction minor is designed to give you the diverse skills needed for employment and success in the ski industry. Faculty will provide you with a true hands-on learning experience and environment through a strategic partnership with Beech Mountain Ski Resort.
The program incorporates an outdoor recreation management foundation with professional business practices and industry certifications, within a liberal arts education.
What You'll Study
This program brings together instruction from expert faculty both in the world of outdoor recreation management and business. You’ll be enrolled in outdoor recreation courses such as Risk Management in Outdoor Recreation, Contemporary Issues in the Ski Industry, and Outdoor Teaching and Facilitation. Not only will you learn about the outdoors, but you’ll also be able to enjoy them with year-round elective courses in winter adaptive adventure recreation, skiing/snowboarding, and mountain biking.
As you progress through the program, you’ll become eligible to earn certificates that will give you a unique advantage upon graduation. Students can enroll in the PSIA-AASI Ski/Snowboard Instructor Level 1 Certification, PSIA-AASI Adaptive Instructor Level 1 Certification Prep courses, and Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC) for the National Ski Patrol.
You will complement your Ski Industry Business and Instruction minor with business courses such as accounting, principles of marketing, human resources, and business law.
Brigham Classroom at Beech Mountain Resort
Located in the Beech Mountain Resort Lodge, the classroom is the onsite home for academic programs in Outdoor Recreation Management and Ski Industry Business and Instruction as well as a training base for the college’s ski and snowboard team. The classroom is named for the late Dr. Thomas Brigham, in honor of his legacy within the ski industry. Known as “The Father of Southern Skiing,” Brigham played a significant role in the development of Beech Mountain and Sugar Mountain Resorts in North Carolina and Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia.
Behind the scenes of the outdoor recreation industry
During the spring semester, students minoring in Ski Industry Business and Instruction head west to experience first-hand the ins and outs of ski resort management, meet with leaders in the industry, and attend the highly anticipated Outdoor Retailer Show.
After Graduation
Career opportunities:
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Ski resort management and administration
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Ski/snowboard instructor
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Ski patrol
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Resort operations (snowmaking and lift maintenance)
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Marketing and sales
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Human resources
Places where Lees-McRae alumni have worked:
- Beech Mountain
- Sugar Mountain
- Copper Mountain
- Telluride
- Deer Valley
- Snowbird
- Whitefish
Meet the Faculty
Katie Wall, EdD
Program Coordinator of Wilderness Medicine and Rescue
Program Coordinator of Outdoor Recreation Management
Director of the Truist Leadership Initiative
Associate Professor