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Master's Degree in Applied Community Change and Conservation

The two-year master’s degree program builds the skills and capacity of the world’s most promising community development practitioners. The vast majority of our students are mid-career professionals who seek more comprehensive skills in community-based approaches to development and conservation.

This M.A. program will allow you to remain in your own country and to continue serving your community without having to relocate. 

This program integrates:   

  • On the job skills development for the most promising staff of organizations, governments, and communities
  • First-hand experience with a wide range of successful international development and conservation programs 
  • A two-year applied practicum project, executed by the student in his/her current professional and local context
  • Cross-cultural peer-to-peer learning in small classes of 20-24 students with mentorship from outstanding faculty

Eligbility requirements are: 

  • Commitment to Community: A recommendation from a community, organization, or government with whom you'll be working with as the foundation of your practicum project throughout the two-year program.
  • English proficiency:  Non-native English speakers must take the TOEFL and obtain a score of 550 (or the equivalent) or be enrolled in intensive English instruction.
  • A Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent from an approved college or university.
  • Internet connectivity

Commitment to Community

Applicants must be currently - and throughout the duration of the program - engaged in relevant community-based change and/or conservation work. An applicant's community must be actively supporting the student's program.

The Admissions Committee looks for candidates who are teachers of social change and nature conservation. Many of these people show these leadership gifts in the context of communities traumatized by conflict. The Admissions Committee looks for unusual circumstances in background or training that augment one's ability to complete the program. Provisional acceptance may be considered in special cases.

Each applicant must submit a personal statement of community commitment. This statement serves as a letter of professional introduction. It should clearly articulate personal goals and objectives. This personal statement of community should address the following questions:

  • “What is your relationship to the community or communities with which you work?”
  • What are the implications of this Master’s program in terms of your personal goals, professional objectives, and community involvement? Why is this a good time for you to pursue applied graduate studies? As you contemplate your future in community work, what would constitute ‘success’ ten years from now?”

English Language Requirements

The Admissions Committee seeks to ensure language equity and learning for every member of the Master’s program. Non-native speakers of English are to demonstrate a level of English language competency through institutional tests. As needed, they are to complete additional interactive online language work prior to or during their graduate studies. If an applicant’s first language is not English, he or she must submit an official report of results from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). A minimum score of 575 on the paper-based test or 90 on the Internet-based test is required from the TOEFL, or a band of 6.5 on the IELTS. Forward an official TOEFL score to Future Generations by submitting our institutional number 0086.

Applicants who have received a degree from an English-based curriculum at an accredited university may be exempted from this testing requirement. The Admissions Committee reserves the right to request a TOEFL or IELTS score from any applicant at the committee’s discretion. TOEFL is given in locations throughout the world several times each year. For further information about exact dates and testing centers, contact an American Consulate or Embassy or directly contact TOEFL, Educational Testing Service, Princeton, NJ 08540- 6151, USA (telephone 609-921-9000 or on the web at http://www.toefl.org ). The IELTS is available in 200 centers in more than 100 countries. For IELTS information go to http://www.ielts.org or email at ielts@ucles.org.uk .

Students whose academic and community-based work requires enhanced English-language competency are to complete two levels of inter-cultural communicative competence (IC3) materials prior to or during their four terms of Master’s program studies. Completion of this work is evaluated by Future Generations tutors. Those students coming from English-speaking cultures or degree programs are also to study another language during this graduate program. This may be a language essential to the work of Future Generations or the community in which a Master’s candidate works. Besides traditional language studies, this requirement may be fulfilled with one’s study of another medium of communication such as photography or GIS mapping.

A student must submit a transcript or affidavit for this language or alternative communication coursework. As determined by the Registrar, this must be the approximate equivalent of coursework expended by classmates honing their English language competency. The admissions committee will consider conditional admits to the Master’s program provided there is a reasonable expectation that a student may promptly acquire sufficient English language competency for graduate-level work through the IC3 online platform or similar English language program.

Provisional Acceptance

The Admissions Committee looks for candidates who are teachers of social change and nature conservation. Many of these people show these leadership gifts in the context of communities traumatized by conflict. The Admissions Committee looks for unusual circumstances in background or training that augment one's ability to complete the program. Provisional acceptance may be considered in special cases.

Health Caveat

Applicants must take into consideration the physical requirements of the residential study portion of this program. Students trek and conduct field research at high altitudes in the Andes and Himalayas. They live in simple village conditions without indoor plumbing. There may be irregular access to electricity. We adapt to the existing diets of the communities we visit.