Environmental Studies in Catholic Higher Education

Graduate:

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College: (near Terre Haute, IN; Sisters of Providence)

Masters Degree or Certificate in Earth Literacy

The program in Earth Literacy is interdisciplinary and fosters the capacity to understand the world in order to promote sustainability of the planet as a habitat for life. Students take coursework in the natural and social sciences, the humanities, spirituality and the arts, and engage in internships and practica to fulfill a full third of their program requirements. The College partners with Genesis Farm, a 140-acre ecological learning center and located in Blairstown, NJ, to provide students with hands-on experience. Students earn credit for completion of the Farm’s 12 week Residential Program and Bioregional Study. Students can also participate in programs at the White Violet Center for Eco-Justice, an organic farm and educational center operated near the College by the Sisters of Providence.

St. Thomas University: (Miami, FL; affiliated with archdiocese)

Certificate Program in Pastoral Ministries: Specialization in Ecology and the Human Spirit

In their mission statement, the University states that their “programs emphasize lifelong and value oriented education by sharing concerns for the natural environment and dignity of the person.” A certificate program in Ecology and the Human Spirit is a natural product of such a mission statement. Students in the program take courses such as “Western Cosmology and the Human Experience,” and then complete the program with a Directed Ministerial Project. Under the direction of a faculty advisor, the student identifies, analyzes, and develops a plan of pastoral action and evaluation for a pastoral problem. They then implement the pastoral response and reflect on their experience in light of the courses they have taken.