Gaia RDI offers degrees in:

Integrative EcoSocial Design
Open Topic

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Integrative EcoSocial Design Degrees - BSc, MSc & GD

Bachelor of Science (BSc), Master of Science (MSc), and Graduate Diploma (GD) in Integrative EcoSocial Design with Concentration

The  Integrative EcoSocial Design (IESD) pathway is for anyone who is interested in permaculture design, systems thinking, ecovillage design, bioregion restoration, relocalization and green business, and those currently working in the areas of social change or personal empowerment. Our IESD BSc program is for aspiring world changers interested in strategic design. The MSc and Graduate Diploma IESD program is for people working at an advanced strategic level in the regeneration and world change fields using approaches informed by the permaculture and ecovillage design disciplines.

Associates must be self-directed to thrive in the Gaia RDI program. You will be engaged throughout the period of your enrollment in IESD projects—either in your home, community or abroad. During this period, you will be required to submit outputs related to your work, and will have regular check-in sessions with your advisors. Your efforts will be greatly facilitated if you take advantage of your network of Gaia RDI allies while at home or abroad.

Bachelor of Science Degree

Gaia RDI offers a BSc degree in Integrative EcoSocial Design (IESD). The Bachelors of Science degree is a three-year program with an optional fourth year: some choose to have a 'year abroad' between their second and capstone year. The UK system, where we are accredited, is a three-year BSc program. As with most universities, previous experience and college credits may shorten the time it takes to get our BSc degree.

The senior year, or capstone year, is distinct from the previous years in that you have a focused capstone-year project, final presentation, additional project mentor, and external reviewer to look at your BSc portfolio. With the BSc degree program, you can design your own concentration and choose from a range of structured programs from inside and outside RDI. You may opt to choose one of our concentrations or co-design your own with your advising team. Any concentration that you make may be printed on your degree. For example, you may be granted a BSc degree in Integrative EcoSocial Design with a concentration in Regenerative Leadership, or a BSc in Integrative EcoSocial Design with a concentration in Arts and Ecology. There is no Open Topic offered at the BSc level.

Example Learning Journeys

Example 1
Year 1: At home working and using your job as your place of study
Year 2: Away from home incorporating a 3-month wilderness and cultural field study program and agricultural apprenticeship
Year 3: Designing and implementing a community farm project in your home place

Example 2
Year 1: RDNA Essentials
Year 2: RDNA Cultural Mentoring
Year 3: Implementation of your right livelihood path through launching your own business with the help of project mentors

Example 3
Year 1: Ecology of Leadership
Year 2: RDNA - Essentials
Year 3: Pause
Year 4: Implementation of your right livelihood path through launching your own business with the help of project mentors

For more examples of how learners have set up their degree programs, see the Associate's Work page on the Gaia University International website.

Master of Science Degree

Gaia RDI offers MSc degrees in Integrative EcoSocial Design and Open Topic. Within Integrative EcoSocial Design we offer concentrations in 8 Shields Cultural Mentoring, Regenerative Design and Nature Awareness, Regenerative Leadership and concentrations of your own design. Please see our Concentrations page for more details.

The MSc degree usually takes about two years to complete. You will go through the Gaia University cycle twice, finishing your capstone year with a final project and presentation immediately before graduation. Previous experience and graduate credits can shorten this time to completion.

Graduate Diploma

Gaia RDI offers Graduate Diplomas in Integrative EcoSocial Design and Open Topic. Within Integrative EcoSocial Design we offer concentrations in 8 Shields Cultural Mentoring, Regenerative Design and Nature Awareness, Regenerative Leadership, and you may design your own. Please see our Concentrations page for more details.

The Graduate Diploma takes one year to complete. This diploma is ideal as a certificate of completion of Year 1 of your MSc program, or if you already have a master's degree and/or substantial experience as a world-changer, and you want to further develop your skill set and focus deeply on one or several areas of your work for a year while acquiring a post-master's Graduate Diploma for greater professional clout in your area of study.

Our Graduate Diploma involves less extensive work preparing outputs—about half the work of a master's degree—and does not require you to have a project mentor or client.

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Open Topic Degrees - MSc & GD

MSc and GD in Open Topic with concentration  of your choice

Design your own master's degree or graduate diploma concentration through our Open Topic program. This program is for people working at a strategic level in the regeneration and world change fields who are ready to fine-tune their mastery with our support and have it accredited. First, you complete a career review before the start of their program; then you propose a project for the year in which you a) display your mastery and b) learn self-identified knowledge and skills required to render your mastery increasingly complete. In year two you are demonstrating mastery through focused action learning project(s) or your career.

Associates we are expecting to attract include: permaculture designers, ecovillage designers, species researchers, people considering making significant life transitions, change agents in organizations and networks, holistic health practitioners, artists for social change, natural builders, freelance teachers and tutors, social entrepreneurs, micro-enterprise initiators, and community activists.

All associates signed up for the Open Topic pathway must attend our Gaia RDI orientation, and are encouraged though not required to attend a content workshop that most closely matches their program focus.

Open Topic degree program includes the following courses:

• Gaia University Orientation Workshop (Year 1) and Beginning of Year Workshop (Year 2)
• End of Year Workshop and Presentation (Year 1 and 2)

Example MSc learning journeys in the Open Topic degree pathway include:

Example 1
Year 1:  At home working and using your job as your place of study, incorporating a self-organized wilderness retreat and development of your homestead
Year 2:  Designing and implementing a large community meal before Thanksgiving for ecological and social activists of your region, and planning for it to happen yearly.

Example 2
Year 1:  Surveying what WWOOF farms and Intentional Communities are doing for the design and maintenance of their cultivated and wild lands through focused traveling, and returning to your home to design and launch a consultancy business
Year 2:  Continuing to prototype and revise your business operations with the support of GaiaU as you move through your first year as a small business owner.

For examples of what past Gaia University Associates have done please see the Associate's Work page.