PgDip Outdoor Environmental Education

About the course

The climate emergency and global pandemic have highlighted the importance of spending time in natural environments. Our intrinsic link to the world around us is unbreakable. It demands care, respect and creative solutions. To keep ourselves safe, we have seen all aspects of life, from social, recreation, education, transportation and even employment, benefit from taking a nature-centred approach. Educators have moved away from stationary classrooms and utilised outdoor education more and more. There is a growing need to learn in and from our local environment. There is an urgent need to care for it. The environmental education sector is flourishing.

This course will help you gain a solid foundation to nurture change in educational practices in a multitude of sectors. We’ll teach you underlying theories and how to apply them to practice. We’ll analyse sustainable development issues, biodiversity loss and the climate emergency. Together, we’ll examine equality of access to environmental education. You’ll develop a critical awareness of the impact of race, gender, disability, economics and government policy on the lives of learners, educators and organisations. Every step of the way, we’ll guide you to become a reflexive and inclusive educator. To foster environments and activities where everyone can join in. To learn, you must experience. To teach, you must first inspire. What greater inspiration is there than the natural world?

Careers

There is a rising demand for outdoor environmental education provision, from early years to life-long learning. Education policies around the globe are highlighting the need to engage with nature and mitigate the future climate crisis. This rewarding sector covers every aspect of life. From sport and leisure, hospitality and tourism to conservation, local government, education, healthcare and wellbeing.

The practical fieldwork experience you’ll gain in farmland, peri-urban, waterscapes and cities will stand you in good stead for careers in an abundance of sectors. In the field of education, you could work in mainstream and special education, alternative provision, higher education, adult learning centres, home-schooling networks and organised youth activities. In leisure, you could work for an adventure education provider. While in the environment sector, you could work for a wildlife trust as an education officer. You could begin to lay the groundwork as an entrepreneur and develop plans to start your own environmental education business or charity. Wherever you imagine yourself working, whoever you imagine helping, the outdoor sector holds a plethora of opportunities for making a positive contribution in society and in nature.

This is a developmental course, which incorporates and builds on the PgCert award. In two semesters, full time (four semesters part-time), you’ll build a strong foundation in outdoor environmental education theory and practice. You’ll be able to see the results of your work in a short space of time. Best of all, you’ll have the opportunity to continue your studies onto the mastery course, the MSc, if you want. This developmental course will give you knowledge and inspiration to re-energise your current role while providing the foundation for further study. So whether you’re a teaching assistant looking for news ideas to engage the students you work with, or a coach, outdoor leader or teacher looking for development opportunities, this course is for you.

2:2 (or equivalent) classification in any undergraduate degree or international equivalent qualification.