The University Certificate in Education for Global Sustainability aims to provide professionals with the knowledge, skills, and tools for transforming schools, organizations and communities toward global sustainability. To attain the certificate, students must follow the guidelines for the emphasis and add an additional 6 credit hours (total of 18 hours). Prior approval of the chosen coursework is required by a departmental advisor.

To receive this certificate, a student must have a recognized baccalaureate degree and meet all of the admission and acceptance criteria as outlined in the graduate program Academic Policies and Procedures. All certificate courses must be completed at Webster University.

The following courses are available for the emphasis and certificate electives:

Course Descriptions

EDUC 5111 Classroom Applications of International Experiences (1-3)

This course enables teachers to build curriculum and instructional materials on the history, culture, language, literature, arts, religion, science, or politics of an international culture or country. Traditional sources (including books, journal articles and library resources), multimedia resources (web resources, photos, videos) as well as first hand immersion experiences (observations, interviews, travel journal experiences) at an international destination are integrated into curriculum units, multimedia presentations and other instructional materials. The course may be repeated for credit if the topic or international destination differs.

EDUC 5490 Seminars in Education (1-3)

Seminars are designed to focus on contemporary research and classroom application of these data. Different topic designations may be repeated for credit.

EFGS 5250 Child as Naturalist (3)

This course examines the phenomena of humanity's disconnection from nature, how this affects children, the ramification of this global attitude, and ways to reverse the trend. Outdoor education methodology will be included. Through activities and discussions, the instructor will introduce techniques and experiences that encourage a conservation ethic and nurture environmental awareness in children. While a survey of environmental themes will be key, emphasis will be placed on the importance of nature experiences for children.

EFGS 5260 Topics in Education for Global Sustainability (1-3)

This course provides candidates with practical applications of contemporary research and methodology to improve classroom effectiveness while considering the goals and concepts of sustainability. The specific topic of this course will change depending on the instructor, but will always help teachers to better understand the relationships between a healthy natural environment, economic stability, and social justice. Different topic designations may be repeated for credit. Suggested topics: Human Rights; Hunger, Poverty, & Public Health; Educational Access (global); The Digital Divide; The Global Achievement Gap; The Watershed Project; Conflict Resolution & Peace Studies; Spirituality & Sustainability; Psychology of Sustainability; Curriculum & School Organization for Global Sustainability; Globalization (Interdisciplinary: History, Economics, Environmental, Political Science, Technology); Global Competence, Citizenship, & Leadership; Collaborative & Synergistic Organizations & Systems

EFGS 5270 Exploring Regions (3)

This course introduces students to techniques and resources for learning specifics about the natural history (nature, geography, and indigenous people) of a specific region. After learning these approaches, the group meets in a designated natural environment and spends a week applying the methods to unravel the mysteries and treasures of that region. This is an online course with one week face-to-face in the field.

SCIC 5010 Introduction to Science and Science Teaching (3)

This course enables students to understand the major content and principles of the sciences and to apply them in the teaching of the sciences in the elementary and middle school. Emphasis is on examining and designing curriculum to help pupils discover the connections of science to real-world situations, to investigate patterns through inquiry, and to use the patterns to predict the answers to new questions about our world and sustainability. Participants become familiar with and apply state and national standards.

SCIC 5240 Animal Form and Function for School Personnel (3)

This course covers the physiological processes as they concern the whole animal. Animals chosen are those that can be kept in elementary school classrooms. The experiments deal with animals and humans, and many are applicable to the student's classroom.

SCIC 5260 Fresh Water Ecology for School Personnel (3)

This course is designed to acquaint teachers with the fresh water environments of this area and how they may be used in the classroom. There are six required field trips (one all-day), with others optional. The emphasis is on making equipment, learning to use it, identifying organisms, field trip experiences, and human beings' effects on the fresh water environment.

SCIC 5270 Field and Forest Ecology (1-3)

This course is a field study of plant and animal organisms found in fields and forests. Students consider relationships to environment and population changes, and develop specific activities applicable to their classrooms.

SCIC 5280 Selected Topics in Biological Science (3)

Materials and content selected from the biological sciences apply directly to the student's classroom. The specific topics to be studied during any particular semester depend on the instructor's background, current interest, and materials available from curriculum projects. May be repeated for credit if content differs.

SOCS 5040 Modern Asian Civilization: Modern China (3)

Students examine the background of Western impact on traditional China, the revolution in China leading to the creation of the People's Republic of China, and current U.S. relations with China. The course focuses on 10 to 15 problem questions using readings and discussions. May be repeated for credit if content differs.

SOCS 5740 Consumer Education (3)

Designed to assist teachers in preparing students for consumer education, this course explores significant ideas concerning how and why one should become aware of issues in modern consumerism.