A unique graduate learning experience is set to launch in Canada and internationally in February 2016. The Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Sustainability, Creativity and Innovation (SCI) at Cape Breton University (CBU) will offer a flexible online program delivery designed for part time study that can be completed in 36 months.

“The online delivery model is important for a number of reasons. It will demonstrate the capacity of a highly interactive, instructor-led learning that allows for full student participation within a shared online learning space. Secondly, it demonstrates the power of information communication technology (ICT) to help meet the learning needs of students wherever they live,” says Dr. Patrick Howard, Chair of Department of Education at CBU.

The M.Ed. (SCI) will provide educators with the core competencies to become leaders in sustainability education. The program is designed for formal and non-formal educators, administrators, innovators, classroom teachers, and environmental and sustainability leaders.  The M.Ed. (SCI) utilizes the competencies for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) that have been defined by the United Nations.

The M.Ed. (SCI) is designed to help graduate students become stronger, more empowered leaders for sustainability education. Students will enhance their skills as well as their resumes with field-based research experiences and practical project design and implementation in the student’s own practice setting.

“CBU's M.Ed. (SCI) reflects the new ecology of learning that develops competencies educators and students need to create a sustainable and desirable world. Combining these competencies with new pedagogies accelerates the capacity for educators to be change leaders who understand that what we teach, how we teach, who teaches, along with when and where the learning happens is transformative. Through this program students will explore the dynamic potential that education has for enhancing individual, community, and global well-being,” says Dr. Catherine O’Brien, CBU faculty member and instructor in the M. Ed (SCI).

The M.Ed. (SCI) offers a course based or thesis-based path to completion. Faculty and instructors are committed to teaching excellence and undertaking original research to support sustainability scholarship. CBU’s Education Department has a core focus on Education for Sustainability and offers students groundbreaking courses on sustainable happiness, sustainability education and aboriginal culture and language.

For more information and to apply to the programme visit www.cbu.ca/SCI