The ESD program of study at IOUF is designed for individuals who, as social change practitioners, are grappling with the challenges of different global settings. The Program’s mission is to educate leaders who will help transform nonprofits, social enterprises, international NGOs, educational systems, businesses, civic associations, government, social service agencies, art and cultural institutions, foundations, advocacy and volunteer organizations. The world needs new thinking and new approaches to address long-term challenges for real and sustainable social change.
Education for Sustainable Development studies the product or process that can be re-used or re-grown over and over again with minimal long-term effect on the environment and its inhabitants. A multitude of terms have been created to cover Sustainable Development, such as Energy Conservation, Renewable Energy, Green Energy, Green Entrepreneurship, Environmental History and Health, Ecopreneurship, Green Technologies, Green Movement, Ecology, Environmental Studies, etc. The color “green” has become the symbol of environmental protection and social justice. However, the bottom line is to create a field of study that will protect the environment and its inhabitants at local and global levels while making the world a better place to live.
Education for Sustainable Development at IOUF fosters a variety of skills:
• The ability to work collaboratively in groups
• The ability to use change-agent strategies for action and commitment for Sustainable Development
• The commitment and motivation to become personally engaged in a positive vision of a desirable future
• The vision to develop a healthy respect for the interconnectedness of nature and the shared responsibility for the future
• The Development of an ethic for environmental care
• The skills and knowledge to tackle complex real-world issues
The Graduate Program in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) with IOUF and our international partners the Universidad Azteca and Universidad Central de Nicaragua provide Master and Doctoral learners a framework to study and research areas related to sustainability and prepare learners to become social change agents for ESD.
Masters and PhD Degrees
IOUF provides learners with creative and interactive methods of studying that include facilitated discussions, simulations, workshops, conferences, all methods of experiential learning, and e-learning.
Mentored Areas of Study for ESD
• Strategy for Reducing Resource Consumption
• Issues that Relate to Over-consumption
• Sustainable Economics
• Green Building Design: Re-usable Products
• Ecological Restoration
• Environmental Toxins
• Social Change and Sustainable Economics
• Creative Designs: Personal and Collective Commitment to EDS
• Human Communities and the Environment
• Food Security
• Global Climate Change and Sustainability
• Ethics and Human Relations with the Environment
• Water Quality and Sustainability
Fieldwork/ Practicum
Learners engage in field practice with organizations relevant to their professional goals.
Thesis/Dissertation
Research based on knowledge and skills learned through ESD and applied experience. Entry into the Graduate Program (ESD) requires an accredited undergraduate degree for the Masters Program and an accredited masters degree for the PhD Program. The Masters degree is one and one- half to two years and the PhD is a minimum of two years to a maximum of four years. Scholarships are available for learners from developing countries based on need.