HIST 3820 - History of the National Parks

3 Credit(s)

This course introduces undergraduates to the history and challenges of creating and maintaining the places and programs that make up the U.S. national park system. Students will learn about the variety of resources, values, viewpoints, and ideas that are represented in the more than 400 units of the national park system, which stretches from Guam to Maine and Alaska to the Virgin Islands. The role of the federal agency in charge of the parks, the National Park Service (NPS), will be explored, including its work in community recreation and historic preservation. The course emphasizes the unprecedented challenges the national parks faced during the early years, the role of tourism, and the need to make the parks relevant to an ever-more-diverse society. (As Needed) [Graded (Standard Letter)]

Registration Restriction(s): None

Equivalent Course(s): HIST 6820