Educational Methodology & Program Costs

Allurement & Love of Learning
The love of learning is not only innate in humans, it is essential. It has been said that learning is for the mind what food is for the body, making learning a fundamental need for humans. While conventional education with its mandated and forced curriculums has damaged the innate love of learning in many, at U of Earth our methodology (pedagogy) is based on the principle of allurement. That is, what do we find fascinating?

While U of Earth provides degree program guidelines and core curriculums the students are expected to follow their attractions and explore their fascinations (allurements). It is in pursuit of our attractions and fascinations that the love of learning returns and our true genius is discovered. The genius you were meant to bring to the world. 

Our allurement model allows students the option to design their own course work. Students may petition to create courses that meet the academic requirements of the program as a replacement to core curriculum courses. In addition, while each core curriculum course has designated core books, students may request to substitute books they find more alluring for the recommended books.

Shared Knowledge
The Information Age and the internet are putting an end to conventional education's authoritative model. While appropriate mentoring and guidance remain important to the educational process, unlimited access to information has changed the role of the teaching profession. At U of Earth we have replaced the authoritative and competitive model still prevalent in traditional education with a model featuring cooperation, collaboration and shared knowledge.

Nature as Teacher & Healer
Spending time in nature is an essential element to your education at U of Earth; Nature is the primary Teacher and Healer. Research indicates the human nervous system, hence humans themselves, develop solely through relationships within their environment. Our indoor lives (modern humans spend over 95% of their lives indoors) and now screen addicted lives, has changed the entire trajectory of human evolution.  Alienation from the natural world and subsequently the divine worlds is the result, and the dire consequences are seen everywhere, from the extinction crisis to climate change, from epidemics to pandemics, on and on. 

While traditional college level courses typically require an hour of classroom time per week for every credit, for example, three credits equals three hours of weekly classroom time, at U of Earth students are expected to spend time in nature equal, or greater, to the amount of time they would normally spend in a classroom. Your soul will thank you and your greater human development depends on it. Students may spend this time completing readings and assigned nature activities, simply letting nature be teacher and healer, or any other way of being in nature that is attractive.

Mentoring
Students will be assigned mentors throughout their course work. Mentors review and comment on student assignments, supplementing course materials, hosting course conference calls for each assignment and providing consultation on a scheduled basis.  The curriculum is designed to engage students in small interactive groups.

Students study the seminal work of leaders in the fields of Ecopsychology, Spiritual Ecology and Human Potential/Development thereby gaining a solid theoretical foundation and mastery of "best practices" for personal and collective transformation.
 

Terms & Schedules
Alienation from nature is a primary cause of our cultural and social decay and the commercialization of our seasonal holidays in place of traditional seasonal celebrations has robbed humanity of its broader imagination and creativity. Attuning to the daily, monthly and seasonal rhythms and cycles of nature is an important aspect of U of Earth and for creating a sustainable society. 

With that, each quarter begins on the equinoxes and solstices with celebration. U of Earth hosts gatherings on the solstices and equinoxes at our campus to celebrate the turning of the season while offering workshops for the general public and specialized training for students.

For students who can attend, this is an opportunity to meet and interact with other students and mentors. At these times mentors will hold interviews and orals to assess the progress of students in mastering the skills of their programs.

Our online courses follow a schedule coinciding with the moon cycle, with assignments due on the Full and/or New Moons, depending upon the agreed upon schedule.  A course syllabus will be sent to students prior to the start of each course.

Course Load
It is recommended that students do not enroll in more than two courses at one time. To offer students the opportunity to speed up or slow down the pace of their course work students may take one course self-paced at any given time for a total of three concurrent courses.  Here are sample program pace schedules.

Program Costs
Course fees are $150/credit or $450/course

Masters of Arts Degree - 36 credits - $5.400
Doctoral Degree - 63 credits - $9,450
Certification Program - Level I - $1350 / Level II - $1800
Ask us about our scholarship program