Master of Education in Environmental Education

Enhance your skills as an educator by learning about the natural environment.

The purpose of the Master of Education in Environmental Education program is to develop advanced practitioners in environmental education who will take on leadership roles through positions such as educators and directors at nature centers, outdoor and environmental education centers, natural resource agencies, conservation groups, park and recreation programs, and in P-16 school settings.

After successfully completing the program, students will be able to:

• Describe the history, goals, underlying theory, and emerging trends of and related to the field of environmental education;
• Describe and accept the professional responsibilities and dispositions associated with practicing environmental education;
• Plan and implement instructionally-sound environmental lessons and programs;
• Design and integrate assessment strategies into environmental education lessons;
• Plan and conduct a program evaluation of an environmental education program and use the information to improve the program or make decisions about future programming;
• Develop a long range management plan for an environmental education-related center;
• Demonstrate skills and dispositions relating to investigating and addressing environmental issues;
• Use existing environmental education research and research from related fields, such as outdoor education, adventure education, science education, experiential education, and conservation psychology, to inform and guide practice; and
• Design and conduct social science research relating to environmental education.

Program Requirements

Core requirements in teaching methodology in formal and non-formal settings; program development, management, and evaluation; theory; and research (23 credits); elective courses supporting final project and/or specific areas of interest (5-7 credits), and a final project (research-based thesis, research-based journal article, field project, or curriculum project) (4-6 credits).  Minimum total credits for the degree is 34 credits.

Admission Requirements

Admission is competitive and applications are reviewed based on the following requirements:

• Application form
• Bachelors Degree
• minimum 2.8 undergraduate GPA ; minimum 3.0 for transferred graduate courses.
• Official transcripts from the institution granting the bachelor´s degree. OFFICIAL means they must be sent DIRECTLY to the Collegiate Graduate Program Office from the undergraduate institution.
• Resume
• A letter of application that: describes your motivation behind pursuing this field and degree, your career goals, and your goals for graduate study.
• Three examples of your work (examples might include curriculum or lessons developed; descriptions of teaching experience or work in professional organizations; copies of grant proposals, articles, or research results, etc.)
• Three letters of recommendation that speak to your potential as a graduate student and environmental educator.
• Students interested in receiving a graduate assistantship position must also include a brief letter of intent indicating your interest in a graduate assistantship (GA). Receiving a GA is dependent upon your qualifications and are available on a limited basis depending upon grant monies.  Students are encouraged to seek their own opportunities for support in an appropriate thesis/field project area, with faculty assistance.
• A TOEFL score of 500 or higher is required from students whose first language is not English

Student Handbook

• Use this Student Handbook link for complete program information, including admission and curriculum. PDF format coming soon.

More about the Program

The program provides a challenging, quality education in a variety of ways. First, the physical size of the UMD campus allows easy access and interaction with faculty across the campus. Our students work with faculty from various departments which makes our program truly interdisciplinary. In addition, we have outstanding facilities to support your academic learning.

Second, we strongly encourage our graduate students to interact beyond the classroom. We offer regular meetings where students can interact with each other as well as with undergraduates, faculty members, and students from other universities. We accomplish this through monthly seminars, attendance at conferences, cooperative work with local school districts and environmental education centers, and through social gatherings.

Third, students have the opportunity to participate in the Outdoor Program. The Outdoor Program is a "non-academic" department that provides a wide array of environmental education opportunities to the university community, K-12 students, institutionalized youth, and the general public. The Outdoor Program serves as a powerful focal point to apply classroom learning and to interact with your peers.

Finally, the ideal geographic location of the UMD campus on the shores of Lake Superior, our close proximity to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and surrounding wildland areas, and the abundance of environmental education agencies and institutions in the Northeast region of Minnesota provides a strength to our overall academic training. Because of these reasons, we attract high quality students from around the world who have diverse backgrounds in their training and experience toward the environment.

The program courses are designed and scheduled in cooperation with the Office on Continuing Education and Extension to be offered through late afternoons, evenings, and summer-session classes to accomodate students who may be either part-time students or full-time students. The program combines a structured master´s degree program with the flexibility to do additional study in an area of specialty (such as psychology, art, science education, early childhood education, physical education, etc.). A research or curriculum project (thesis) investigating an area of personal interest is required. The primary philosophical goal of the UMD M.Ed. Program is to emphasize your mastery as an educator.

Students may complete the Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Environmental Education degree in two years (24 months), provided they follow the recommended program plan and committee recommendations.

Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland, MN, and UMD have a unique arrangement where graduate credit can be earned while working as a Student Natualist. Students in the Wolf Ridge program are enrolled simultaneously at the University of Minnesota Duluth in the graduate environmental education program. All of the coursework and teaching at Wolf Ridge is part of the graduate program. Students earn 18 credits during their nine-month stay at Wolf Ridge. Occasionally courses are offered on the UMD campus, but normally they are taught at Wolf Ridge through seminars, field trips, evaluations, or written assignments. The faculty for the program are Wolf Ridge resident naturalists and UMD professors. For more information contact Wolf Ridge.