• Student Handbook (Word)
• Internship Requirements (Word)
• Capstone Internship Manual (Word)

Recommended Books

• Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
• Miles from Nowhere by Barbara Savage
• Down the River by Edward Abbey
• Encounters with the Archdruid by John McPhee
• Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harrer
• Return to Tibet by Heinrich Harrer
• Endurance by Caroline Alexander
• Our Southern Highlanders by Horace Kephart
• The Wild East by Margaret Lynn Brown
• Mountain Fever by Tom Alexander

Useful  Organizations

Wilderness Education Association (WEA). The PRM Program is accredited through the WEA. Steward courses are organized each year where you can gain national certification through either an 8- or 16-day expedition-style course held in a wilderness type area locally or in the Tetons. The focus of the course is on leadership, judgment, and decision making; the modes of travel are backpacking, rock climbing, and canoeing or, spring mountaineering out west. The local course usually begins the Tuesday after May graduation—early enough that it won’t interfere with summer school or summer work. Another short course (WEA workshop certificate) offered as part of the PRM 420: "Outdoor Leadership Course" is held each spring semester. The Tetons course is usually held the first two weeks of June, alternative years with the local course.

The National Ski Patrol (NSP). The PRM Program also is accredited through the National Ski Patrol. Completing the NSP’s Outdoor Emergency Care Certificate through PRM 256 will qualify you to train with the Ski Patrol at Cataloochee or Sapphire Valley Ski Resorts. This qualification also is regarded as being the equivalent of a Wilderness First Responder (WFR), the First Aid qualification currently regarded as the standard in the outdoor profession for outdoor leaders. The certification can be maintained by attending the annual updates provided by the National Ski Patrol throughout the country. Courses also are offered in professional rescuer CPR each year for students wishing to become involved with the ski patrol.

(Photo credit Todd Murdock)

Study Abroad

You may be able to study abroad for around the same cost as studying at Western. We have a special agreement with the Galway Mayo Institute of Technology in Ireland and have had international exchanges for a few years now. Studying in Ireland would require a year commitment and is best done early. Study abroad is a great experience! Ask for further details.

PRM Club

The PRM Club is part of SGA at WCU and receives funding to help with club expenses. Being a member of the club enables you to get to know other PRM students who, besides helping you to make friends on campus, broaden your network of professional contacts for when you have graduated. 
Read more about the PRM Club