Degree to go wild about

A new adventure degree course for outdoor enthusiasts will start in Fort William in the autumn.

It is the fourth degree at West Highland College UCI in the town which allows students to study adventure at this level.

And the new BA (Hons) Adventure Education at the School of Adventure Studies will be accepting students from September.

The degree focuses on preparing students for careers in education or as professional adventure practitioners – able to lead activities in challenging and wild places and provide others with experiences and memories to last a lifetime.

The university’s original flagship programme, the degree in Adventure Tourism Management,

“Opens up new and further opportunities for students”

was established in 20089 with five students. Since then the BA (Hons) Marine and Coastal Tourism and BA (Hons) Adventure Performance and Coaching have been added.

The college now has around 130 students studying adventure degrees at the Fort William campus.

This year, the adventure pathway ‘core’ – a new and unique way to study adventure – allows flexible transfer after year one if students prefer to take a different specialism in order to develop their preferred interests and skills.

Dr Brian Boag, the university’s acting dean of arts, humanities and business said: “This new programme builds on the success of the adventure tourism programmes already in place and opens up new and further opportunities for students who will be attracted by the area, the expertise of the staff and the nature of the programme.”