Lead The Change

Lessons Learned from a New Masters in Environmental Education

Written by Eban Goodstein | October 23, 2022

In Fall 2018, the Bard Graduate Programs in Sustainability welcomed the first entering class of graduate students into our new Masters of Education in Environmental Education degree program. One of only six Masters degrees in Environmental Ed in the US,  Bard's program was launched to create graduates who would support the networks in every city in the world of environmental education non-profits,  museums, farms and science centers. Together, these institutions work with public and private schools to provide young people with critical training in ecological literacy, leadership, and social and environmental justice. 

From its inception, Bard's M Ed has centered a focus on expanding environmental education access to historically marginalized populations. Cultivating an intersectional analysis of ecology, equity, and justice, Bard students, alums and faculty seeks to push the boundaries of inclusiveness in the environmental education field. 

In Fall 2022. we convened a conversation to reflect on our lessons learned. In this video, hear program faculty Dr. Scott Kellogg and Dr. Caroline Ramaley, Alum Kadijah Spence '19, and current student Ben Harris discuss the how the new M Ed program is preparing graduate students for professional careers in Environmental Education.  They address these questions.

  • Do I need a Masters degree to work in Environmental Education?
  • Why is Experiential Education critical in a Masters Program?
  • What careers are open to me with this degree?
  • What should Masters coursework focus on for students in Environmental Education?

To learn more about our Bard's M Ed in Environmental Ed and other graduate programs in sustainability, please enjoy these articles in Lead the Change, and contact Margo Bogossian for information on how to apply. Also, be sure to check out Dr.. Kellogg's recent book from Routledge press-- Urban Ecosystem Justice: Strategies for Equitable Sustainability and Ecological Literacy in the City.