Environmental Education (Graduate Certificate)
Become a leader in environmental awareness and sustainability within your profession. As sustainability becomes a core focus across industries, organizations increasingly seek individuals who are well-versed in sustainability issues and capable of educating others both inside and outside their workplace.
Quick facts
Locations
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Additional facts
Accreditation
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Certificate description
Environmental Education graduate certificate description
If you are passionate about safeguarding and managing the environment, the environmental education certificate program prepares you with the requisite knowledge and skills needed to respond to environmental challenges as an informed citizen. Through the program, you develop a suite of tools and enhance your environmental attitudes, values and knowledge, building skills that prepare you and communities to collaboratively undertake positive environmental action. The program also facilitates connections between actionable research findings and on-the-ground practices, creating synergistic spaces in which stakeholders collaborate to address dynamic environmental issues over time. Because of this commitment to application and iteration, the suite of environmental education tools can result in direct benefits to the environment and address conservation issues concretely.
If you complete the ASU environmental education certificate program, you are eligible to apply for the Arizona Association for Environmental Education state-level eeCertification (https://www.arizonaee.org/EE-Certification/). Certification is administered through AAEE at the state level and aligns with the North American Association for Environmental Education Guidelines for Excellence.
If you are seeking certification, you should work directly with the ASU environmental education certificate program coordinator to receive guidance on portfolio submission and state requirements.
Why earn an environmental education graduate certificate at ASU?
ASU¿s environmental education graduate certificate prepares you to be an educator and professional who leads environmental learning, sustainability and community engagement initiatives across diverse settings. You deepen your knowledge of environmental and life sciences while strengthening advanced skills in teaching, leadership, communication, collaboration, and the assessment of learning and action outcomes. The program emphasizes connecting research with practice and developing effective responses to local and global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource scarcity. You prepared to advance environmental literacy and inspire informed action in schools, parks, museums, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and other community-serving institutions.
Curriculum
This graduate degree includes courses focused on a specialized topic, so you can advance your skills for further professional opportunities. Explore all courses below.
15 credit hours
Required Core (10 credit hours) Other Requirements (5 credit hours) Additional Curriculum Information
SCN 502 Environmental Education: Investigating Global Issues (3)
SCN 507 Biomimicry for Sustainable Innovations (3)
SCN 510 Conservation of Biological Diversity (4)
SCN 504 Sonoran Desert Flora (3)
SCN 505 Tropical Ecology and Sustainable Development (3)
SCN 506 A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert (4)
SCN 508 Exploring Urban Environmental Education (3)
SCN 509 Environmental Education Project (1)
SCN 513 Nature Based Mindfulness (3)
SCN 598 Special Topics (1)
Students complete five credit hours of other requirements. Students may take SCN 509 and SCN 598 multiple times for one credit hour each. Each course covers multiple topics. Courses should be selected in consultation with the program advisor.
What you'll learn
The following learning outcomes highlight some of the knowledge and skills you'll develop to support your future success.
- Make evidence-based decisions regarding environmental issues.
- Apply environmental literacy to design inclusive, nature-based solutions for sustainability issues.
Make evidence-based decisions regarding environmental issues. Admission requirements
Here are the admission and application details
All students are required to meet general university admission requirements.
U.S. applicants (opens in new window) | International applicants (opens in new window) | English proficiency (opens in new window)
Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation. Applicants must have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in any field from a regionally accredited institution. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program. Applicants are required to submit: Additional Admission Information The personal statement should include candidate's academic qualifications, interests, motivations and other important factors relating to their academic pursuits.
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of current residency.
Application deadlines
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | Online | 08/31 | Final* |
| Session B | Online | 10/08 | Final* |
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | Online | 01/31 | Final* |
| Session B | Online | 03/05 | Final* |
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | Online | 07/15 | Final* |
*A final deadline means that all applications and application materials must be received by Admission Services by the deadline date. Applications that are incomplete may not be considered after the final deadline. Applications that are submitted past the final deadline may not be considered.
Explore expanded study opportunities
Students can complete two graduate certificate programs and combine them into a Master of Advanced Study degree, giving ultimate flexibility to build their own master's degree. Interested students can learn more about MAS requirements and the admission process.
Study abroad is available through a 12-day tropical ecology experience in Costa Rica. This global immersion experience post-spring program enables students to apply what they have learned about the tropical biome, its flora and fauna, and its cultural and global value.
Other opportunities include a 12-day biodiversity experience in Ecuador and the Galapagos. This global immersion experience post-spring program provides students with the opportunity to apply what they have learned about biodiversity conservation, preservation and restoration of biodiversity and its impact on cultural and global populations.
The environmental education certificate program supports international internships. For example, several students have used the contacts and resources within the program to complete internships in Costa Rica.
Paying for college
Use our calculator to estimate your full-time or part-time tuition fees for this program prior to any financial aid. Keep in mind that most of our students recieve financial aid, which can reduce out-of-pocket costs.
Get an estimateCareer opportunities
Careers this environmental education graduate certificate prepares you for
Graduates are prepared to pursue positions such as:
- Department of Environmental Conservation coordinator
- education program leader in a local, state or national park
- electric vehicle manufacturing worker
- environmental education coordinator in a school
- museum environmental education coordinator
- outdoor education and camps director
- solar power engineer and installer
- summer camps director
- summer programming coordinator
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency coordinator
Contact information
Use the contact information below to get in touch if you're a current student or have general questions.
Prospective students should fill out the Request for Information form.
Division for Advancing Education Policy, Practice
|
ED 118
graduateeducation@asu.edu
602-543-6358
Frequently asked questions about degree programs
Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master's during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.
Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.
ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the "New Programs" option.
ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.
The Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) provides a reduced tuition rate to non-resident graduate students who qualify. Visit the WRGP/WICHE webpage for more information: https://graduate.asu.edu/wiche.
