BA MAJOR

What You’ll Study

Do you dream of entrepreneurship in the Outdoor Economy? You’ll have the opportunity to tailor your degree to your dreams as you choose from skill certifications and classes. You will develop skills in areas such as project management, marketing, finance, product development, and leadership as well as climbing, backpacking, and paddling.

You’ll then take these new-found skills and experience your future career hands-on through internships and your Capstone Project. With countless opportunities surrounding our campus, you could design a new product, intern with a local outdoor camp, or even develop a sustainability initiative. 

Our alumni have gone on to create innovative outdoor wear, open a bike shop, manage sales for a kayak company, and operate a fishing lodge. 

You may recognize some of these Alumni Owned companies:

  • Astral (Philip Curry ’95)
  • French Broad River Outfitters (Derek Turno)
  • The Gear House (Rob Leeson)
  • Liberty Bicycles (Claudia ’69 and Mike Nix ’70)
  • Unalakleet River Lodge (Mitch Wisniewski and Skyla Delerme)

Explore Classes in This Program

ODL 4100

Management of Adventure Programs

You’ll explore topics that impact outdoor businesses such as risk management, staffing, grant writing, and economic development. You will hear from guest speakers from local outdoor businesses and engage with our community partners to understand how the outdoor economy impacts the local area.

ODL 2150

Team Building and Group Facilitation

In this course, you will learn essential concepts that drive successful group development and practice various team-building activities. After gaining this knowledge and experience on campus with your peers, you will have the opportunity to design and deliver team-building programs with our local community schools.

BA 2200

Sustainable Business Practices

Through this class, you will gain an overview of business practices in sustainability and develop a strong foundation in this subject. You will examine why and how businesses are addressing environmental and sustainability issues across sectors and industries. By the end of the class, you will be able to evaluate the sustainable practices of an organization and discern their impact on people, the planet, and profit.

Still curious? See the Curriculum
Meet Our Faculty

It is through Warren Wilson students that my impact in this world is both magnified and transformed. I feel very fortunate to be a part of such an idealistic, compassionate, and hard-working community.

Jill Overholt, Ph.D.
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Jill Overholt, Ph.D.

Warren Wilson students are drawn to lives of purpose. There is nothing I love more than helping a student find ways to connect their head and heart, that is, to discover how they want to make meaning and change in the world.

Wendy Seligmann, MBA
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Wendy Seligmann, MBA

This is a community where students, faculty and staff can explore a wide range of interests. It's exciting to work with students on issues where they are passionate and help them fuse these interests with education, community engagement and work experience.

Justinn Steffe, MBA
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Justinn Steffe, MBA
Faculty Member Matthew Vossler stands smiling outside of Orr Cottage.

Out of all of the schools and places I have had the honor to work, I have never experienced a sense of community like Warren Wilson. Not only is the campus beautiful, the community support and atmosphere here is unparalleled! I am happy to say that I have found my home!

Matt Vosler
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Faculty Member Matthew Vossler stands smiling outside of Orr Cottage.
Matt Vosler, Ph.D
Faculty Member Jack Ingelman stands smiling outside of Orr Cottage.

The commitment by Warren Wilson staff and faculty to provide our students with meaningful, hands-on learning is unmatched in higher education. Our approach provides students an opportunity to explore, create, and think critically about the world and to become well-rounded thinkers, problem-solvers, and innovators.

Jack Igelman, MS
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Faculty Member Jack Ingelman stands smiling outside of Orr Cottage.
Jack Igelman, MS

Hands-on, All-in

climbing wall
Adventure Programs Crew 
Take your peers on adventures on and off campus.
Farmers Market
Business Program Crew
Learn entrepreneurship while helping others across campus grow in theirs.
Students looking at clothing samples at Kitsbow.
Capstone 
Esther Afrane, Eliniya Black, and Demarco Jackson completed a semester-long consulting project with an outdoor apparel store for their capstone.
Alumni Jamie and Amy Ager stand smiling in front of cows at their farm Hickory Nut Gap
Alumni Businesses 
Our Alumni have gone on to own farms, breweries, art stores, and more!
Student Ahna Webster stands at the base of the Alpine Tower challenge course holding ropes and smiling.
Meet Our Students

Ahna Webster '24

In the Challenge Course Facilitation and Management class, students facilitate exercises on challenge courses for their peers and members of the wider community. The courses challenge groups to climb heights and support each other through a variety of games. This can be carrying a 10 foot long tube filled with water through obstacles, helping facilitate their peers, or getting a ball to the top of the course.

Ahna Webster ’24 took this course in pursuit of her Outdoor Business degree. “I love these classes. I am able to help people have fun and challenge themselves.” Ahna also works on the Adventure Programs crew and co-leads the Rock Climbing club and Ultimate Frisbee club.

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