Outdoor Adventure Leadership
Explore the natural beauty of Northern Ontario while earning your degree.
This program is designed to assist individuals in becoming competent leaders in the outdoors. Students will develop sound theoretical knowledge in physical and health education and outdoor adventure leadership. Students have a choice to obtain a significant number of nationally recognized certifications.
Students in the program will partake in some of the foremost and longest-running outdoor adventure leadership training in Canada. Have an opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experiences and earn provincially or nationally recognized technical certifications in outdoor activities, such as canoe tripping, river rescue, and wilderness emergency first aid.
The learnings, techniques and theories of outdoor leadership, are easily transferable to any other context. Industries today are constantly requiring quality leadership; the adventure leadership discipline promotes this and creates opportunities for its students to be successful wherever they may end up after graduation. Students are well-rounded in their experiences and market-ready (and driven) upon graduation. Self-motivated, passionate and active students will excel in this program which offers many student-directed, and hands-on experiences.
Academic Advisor
Professor Jim Little
Telephone: (705) 675-1151 ext. 1205
Email: jlittle@laurentian.ca
Office: School of Education SE-205
Interesting Facts:
- Small and interactive class sizes for many courses; many courses have less than 30 students.
- Many practical/experiential courses (Wilderness Outdoor Living Skills, Canoe Tripping, Rock Climbing and Rescue, to name a few).
- Third-year intensive field camp experience with an opportunity for international travel and expeditions. Opportunity to obtain several internationally recognized certifications (Wilderness First Responder, River Rescue, Canoeing, etc.).
- Earn Canada’s first EcoHealth Promotion certificate within the program/school offerings.
OUSA Award for Teaching Excellence
The SGA/AGE is thrilled to announce Jim Little as a recipient of the 2025 OUSA Award for Teaching Excellence! This award celebrates educators who go above and beyond to inspire, engage, and empower students through learning and the development of critical skills. The SGA thanks Professor Little for his unwavering commitment to the success of our students and for making the learning experience so positive and impactful. This recognition is well deserved!
Ontario High School Applicants
Program Prerequisites:
- 1 grade 12 English U/M course;1 grade 12 U Biology or Exercise Science; 4 other grade 12 U/M courses
- A minimum overall average of 75% in the 6 best grade 12 U/M courses
Additional information for applicants who have completed Advanced Placement courses.
Additional information for applicants who have completed the International Baccalaureate.
Click here to view information regarding General Admission Requirements.
Applicants from outside an Ontario High School
Canadian High School Applicants from outside Ontario
Canadian Applicants
If you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, you must complete your application through the Ontario Universities Application Center (OUAC).
For detailed instructions on the application process, see the How to Apply: Canadian Undergraduate Applicants page.
Apply Now as a Domestic Applicant
International Applicants
If you’re an international applicant, you must fill out the International Application Form.
For detailed instructions on the application process, see the How to Apply: International Students page.
Apply Now as an International Applicant
The degree options listed below are for the upcoming academic year, not the current academic year. If you are a current student looking for which courses to take in order to complete your degree options from a previous academic year's curriculum, please consult with an academic advisor.
Degree Designation: Bachelor
Outdoor Adventure Leadership (120 credits)
Students must follow these regulations in order to meet graduation requirements.
This program focuses on outdoor leadership, guiding, and instructing in various environments including remote locations. Students have the opportunity to gain valuable experiences and provincially or nationally recognized technical certifications in outdoor activities, such as canoe tripping, white water, sea kayaking, rock climbing, and wilderness emergency first response.
Program of Study
First Year:
PHED 0199E Outdoor School I
PHED 0100E Outdoor Leadership Colloquium
PHED 1006E Exercise Science, Wellness and Health
PHED 2149E Introduction to Outdoor Living Skills
PHED 2159E Canoe Tripping Leadership
BIOL 2105E Human Anatomy and Physiology
PSYC 1105E Introduction to Psychology
6 credits of electives
Note: In order to advance to the second year of the program, students must provide a photocopy of a current certificate in CPR (level C) and First Aid before February 28.
Second Year:
PHED 0299E Outdoor School II
PHED 0200E Outdoor Leadership Colloquium
PHED 2109E Wilderness Camping
PHED 2329E Cross-Country Skiing
PHED 2516E Musculoskeletal Anatomy + lab
OR PHED 2517E Applied Human Physiology + lab
PHED 3615E Wilderness Emergency Management
PHED 2406E Outdoor Education
15 credits of electives
Third Year:
PHED 2606E Adventure Leadership
PHED 0300E Outdoor Leadership Colloquium
PHED 3116E Expedition Planning
PHED 3906E Outdoor Adventure Leadership Internship
PHED 3236E Outdoor Facilitation and Team Building
PHED 4446E Risk Management in Outdoor Environments
PHED 3049E Outdoor School Leadership
PHED 4209E Winter Camping
12 credits of electives
Fourth Year:
PHED 4116E Advanced Outdoor Expedition
PHED 4079E Outdoor Adventure Pursuits
PHED 4149E River Rescue
PHED 3029E Climbing and Rescue Management
PHED 4009E White Water Canoing
PHED 4906E Internship
(OR) any PHED theory elective
PHED 4447E Recreational to Therapeutic Adventure
PHED 4126E Professionalismin Outdoor Leadership
PHED 4246E Ecohealth Promotion
9 credits of electives
Certificate in Ecohealth Promotion (Scroll to the Certificate in Ecohealth Promotion section)
Academic Regulations
To be in good academic standing in the School of Kinesiology and Health Sciences, the student must:
1) satisfy all conditions of admission;
2) not fail more than 3 credits in an academic year or in the previous 30 credits;
3) maintain a cumulative overall average of at least 4.0 on all courses taken.
A student who fails to attain good academic standing may be allowed to continue on probation for no more than one year (or 30 credits). If after one probationary period, the student does attain good academic standing, he or she may proceed in the program. However, if after the probationary period, the student fails to attain good academic standing, he or she must withdraw from the School of Kinesiology and Health Sciences, but may apply to transfer to another program at the university.
A student who fails over 6 credits in the 1st-year of the program may not proceed to upper-year PHED courses.
After one calendar year, a student who has been asked to withdraw from the program may petition the Senate Committee on Academic Regulations and Awards for readmission, but such measures should have the recommendation of the academic unit before being considered by the Senate Committee.
List of Faculty Members
Sessional Members:
- Randy Battochio
- Jean Benoît
- Lise Brown
- Michelle Brunette
- Carlo Castrechino
- Randy Cavallin
- James Coffey
- Coulombe Jasmine
- Carla Cox
- Tony Cox
- Nicole Dubuc-Charbonneau
- Gino Ferri
- Charles Fink
- Sarah Forbes
- Sheila Gagnon
- Robert Jack
- Thomas Lee Kingston
- Michelle Laurence
- Jeffrey McGarry
- Karen Rebeiro Grouhl
- Raymond Savignac
- Olivier Serress
- Natalie Tissot Van Patot
- Andelka Tuttle
- Diana Urajnik
- Melissa Wiman
Adjunct Professors:
- Ben Hejer, Ph. D.
- Hakim Hariti, Ph. D.
- Pascal Lefebvre, Ph. D.
- Nicole Dubuc-Charbonneau, Ph. D.
- Ann Pegoraro, Ph. D.