Major Minor
Major in Outdoor Leadership
Become an outdoor leader • Develop your technical skills • Make a difference
John Brown University
2000 W. University St.,
Siloam Springs, AR 72761
479-524-9500
jbuinfo@jbu.edu
What are you looking for?
In the outdoor leadership major, you will learn to use your expertise in the outdoors to facilitate education and spiritual formation. With the Natural State and the Ozarks at your fingertips, you can pursue your passions, earn your certifications and cultivate your leadership skills.
Start your applicationStudents have the opportunity to earn certifications in wilderness first responder, ACA river canoeing or kayaking, swift water rescue, challenge course instructor and archery.
Lead wilderness excursions to help others challenge themselves, connect to nature and develop authentic community.
Faculty mentor and disciple students in their spiritual walk with Christ and give them the tools to aid them in the growing of their faith.
Outdoor leadership students leave JBU with the necessary skills and knowledge for thriving in the outdoors through the hundreds of field experience hours they will accumulate during their time at JBU.
Rather than sitting in a classroom every class period, we have the chance to go outside and grow as leaders while doing activities. Through OL, I have learned so much about how to foster formation through intentional conversations and activities. After graduation, I plan to develop programs for nonprofits for older teens/young adults who have experienced extreme trauma.
Ellie Chavez '24
You'll be prepared to nurture spiritual formation and serve others in a growing industry. The outdoor recreation economy generates $887 billion in consumer spending annually and directly sustains 7.6 million American jobs. (Outdoor Industry Association)
Home to the Buffalo River, the Ozark Mountains, dozens of parks and camps and 218 miles of soft-surface mountain bike trails, Northwest Arkansas is a practical and beautiful place to study outdoor leadership.
JBU partners with Northwest Arkansas Community College to offer a specialization in wilderness medicine. Students can graduate as certified and licensed Wilderness Emergency Medical Technicians.
Go farther, faster! At JBU, our Accelerated Master's Program lets you finish your undergraduate outdoor leadership ministries degree and your master's degree in outdoor program management in just five years — saving you money and setting you up for even more success.
A consideration of the biblical and practical application of discipleship and evangelism. The social, cultural, community and ontological ramifications of discipleship and evangelism are considered, as well as a critique of current issues, worldview and the needs of the 21st-century world.
Examines the leadership practices necessary to develop processes, context, and culture to promote effective teams. Identifies how to integrate Christian worldview and the use of power in human systems.
Introduction to basic living skills in wilderness environments. This course has a high level of hands-on activity, including a backpacking trip focused on skills such as Leave No Trace principles, appropriate clothing, water purification, stoves, fire building, navigation, meal planning and preparation, and trip planning.
Standards for outdoor professionals offering emergency medical care in remote areas. Consideration of prolonged transport times, severe environments, and portable equipment. Topics include wilderness trauma, search and rescue, and environmental emergencies. Students who pass the practical and written exams will earn a two-year Wilderness First Responder certificate from NOLS and a two-year American Heart Association Adult Heartsaver CPR Certification.
Dr. Greg Robinson is currently the Associate Professor of Outdoor Leadership Ministries at John Brown University. Previously, he was the Program Director for HoneyRock, the Outdoor Center for Leadership Development of Wheaton College, as well as President of Challenge Quest, LLC in Pryor, Oklahoma, the Managing Member of Adventure Quest Recreation, LLC.
Dr. Robinson has a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Leadership from The Union Institute and University in Cincinnati, Ohio. He also has a M.S. in Counseling from John Brown University.
Dr. Robinson's professional career has concentrated in the areas of experiential learning, team development, leadership development, facilitation and consulting with organizational change efforts. He is the author of A Leadership Paradox: Influencing Others by Defining Yourself; Teams for a New Generation: A Facilitator’s Field Guide; Adventure and the Way of Jesus, Lessons of the Way: Using experiential activities to explore the way of Jesus; and Leading from Where You Are: How Every Person Can Help or Hinder a Collaborative Culture.
His family includes his wife of 28 years Jeannie, his daughter Keely and her fiancée Nick LaTurner, his sons Kobe and Kyle, as well as two grandsons Lucas and Max.
Department Head, Bible and Ministry; Professor of Outdoor Leadership
Equip yourself for a successful career and a life of purpose.
John Brown University
2000 W. University St., Siloam Springs, AR 72761
479-524-9500 jbuinfo@jbu.edu
JBU does not unlawfully discriminate based on race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, military status, or age in the administration of its educational policies, admissions, financial aid, employment, educational programs, or activities.
John Brown University is a leading private Christian university, training students to honor God and serve others since 1919. Arkansas’ top-ranked university (The Wall Street Journal) and top-ranked regional university (U.S. News), JBU enrolls more than 2,200 students from 37 states and 42 countries in its traditional undergraduate, graduate, online and concurrent education programs. JBU offers more than 50 undergraduate majors, with top programs including nursing, psychology, construction management, graphic design, family and human services, and engineering. Eighteen graduate degrees are available in business, counseling, cybersecurity, and education.