Graduate Technical Cohort @ GCSU

The Graduate Technical Cohort Experience

The technical cohort comprises two-thirds of graduate students' class time in their first semester at GCSU. The program consists of a single course, Outdoor Pursuits Facilitation and Management, that includes training in a variety of outdoor skills. In addition to the usual two days a week of class time spent on training and practice, students attend several intensive skill development field trips and workshops. Skills classes also provide practical application for the theoretical frameworks that students study in ODED 5500, Foundations in Outdoor Education, which is taken concurrently. Cohort can be intense, but the outcome is truly worthwhile: a solid foundation in a range of outdoor skills, preparing the student to pursue advanced training and professional practice.

Frequently Asked Questions About Technical Cohort

What kinds of activities do you do in cohort?
Cohort activities include a variety of skills, such as backpacking, outdoor living, rock climbing, tree climbing, caving, flatwater and whitewater canoeing, flatwater and coastal kayaking, intiative activities, and low and high challenge course elements. Our focus is on facilitating these activities safely and effectively as well as mastering the hard skills.

Do I need to have a lot of experience with these skills?
No. Our students enter with a range of experience levels in various skill areas--from expert to novice. Cohort classes are not "advanced-level": we begin at the beginning and help students who are new to the activities build foundational skills, while still offering more advanced students opportunities to practice and hone their abilities. That said, previous experience can be very helpful, so we encourage prospective and incoming students to take advantage of skill development opportunities they may encounter.

Who will my instructors be?
Each portion of the technical cohort is taught by a faculty member, who is assisted by second-year graduate students. There is a 1:8 instructor to student ratio for most activities, which provides plenty of chances to get one-on-one feedback. Outside instructors and third-party vendors with extensive experience in specialty areas support workshops and field trips as well.

What does the cohort schedule look like?
The technical cohort class follows a modular schedule, in which students spend about two weeks studying and practicing a particular skill (canoeing, for example), before going on a related field trip. The order of modules is typically dictated by climate and other factors related to the course areas (for example, the whitewater trip typically occurs earlier in the semester to take advantage of warm weather and river flow). Short workshops such as tree climbing are interspersed throughout the semester according to the availability of outside instructors. To check out the most recent cohort schedule, click here.

What kind of gear do I need to provide?
As outdoor professionals, we expect that students will provide their own personal gear for the cohort. This includes items like technical clothing; sturdy hiking boots; sleeping bag and pad; backpack; climbing gear such as a harness, helmet, belay device, and carabiners; and personal paddling gear including a PFD, helmet, and water clothing. Some of this equipment is available at a discount through our Professional Purchase Program. Students are not responsible for providing shared equipment like tents, stoves, ropes, or boats. For a complete list of what you will need to have, click here.

So tell me: how intense is this?
Cohort is a fairly time-consuming class that requires students to be active both mentally and physically. Class meets approximately eight hours a week for lecture and lab components. There will also be about 15 days of field trips. As you enter cohort, be prepared to be focused and active. Basic cardiovascular fitness will be extremely helpful. The student handbook contains a list of specific functional abilities that students are expected to have to participate in technical cohort activities. And of course, cohort is fun too.