Bachelor’s Specialization in Sustainable & Regenerative Livingonline or on-campus

Transform yourself and your world

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Become a leader in the sustainability movement
Gain a solid foundation in philosophies of sustainable and regenerative living
Learn by doing, with meaningful community-centered projects
Join a supportive community of like-minded students

Federal grants and loans typically cover all or most costs for US students

students celebrate building a thatched roof hut

What is Regenerative Living?

Sustainable & Regenerative Living means moving beyond doing less harm and being less bad to co-creating environments in which all life can thrive.

student studying in dorm room

What you’ll learn

You’ll study sustainable energy, renewable agriculture, sustainable architecture, community development, and more, learning to live life in a way that replenishes the health of our planet, the individual, and society.

Get started by contacting Sunita

Sunita Martin, admissions counselor Sunita Martin is this program’s admissions counselor for US students. Sunita will provide you with all the details of becoming a student, including connecting you with the program director or faculty.

Contact Sunita >

International applicants may connect with us through our international inquiry form.

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Degree requirements

To graduate with a Specialization in Sustainable & Regenerative Living, students must complete:

required courses for the Bachelor of Applied Arts & Sciences or any other bachelor’s degree program you choose
32 additional credits of Sustainable & Regenerative Living courses

Courses for this specialization may include

RL W200 Change Begins Within

If one wants to change the world, what better way than to start with oneself? This is the simple premise of the course. It is part study and part personal challenge. The study part involves fourteen well-being strategies that have been shown through research to promote health. The personal challenge comes when students choose three challenges from among the fourteen to apply to their own lives in two 20-day challenges. Each student, with the support of the class, monitors, and reports on their own personal change in a report shared with their classmates. In the process, students learn about physical health, mental health (in terms of positive psychology), and Maharishi Vedic Science, a framework for understanding spiritual development. Students learn to manage their own health and to help others do the same. (4 credits)

RL B202 Ecocities

Cities are the biggest things that humans build. The car-centered urban, suburban, and rural patterns of human settlement that have developed in North America are a byproduct of the era of cheap fossil fuels, and wasteful of resources and human energy. This course will explore the emerging principles of sustainable and regenerative city design. Topics will include historic perspectives, the ecocity movement, the effect of density on sustainability, land use and zoning for sustainability, new urbanism, urban agriculture, and more. (4 credits)

RL G321 Climate Justice

Climate change is a global problem we all must face, but it impacts our daily lives differently depending on where and how we live. This course will explore the relationship between climate change and social and environmental justice. In order to create a more sustainable and regenerative world, we must understand existing inequalities and create novel and effective responses to them, while avoiding the thinking that led us to our present social and environmental crisis. Above all, our responses to climate change and social/environmental justice must be holistic, encompassing a wide range of viewpoints, value-priorities, and methods. (4 Credits )

SL S300 Using Holistic Thinking to Understand and Address Complex Problems

How can we understand large, multi-disciplinary problems like climate change, food insecurity, and income inequality? By applying interdisciplinary, systems-based, integrative thinking — or holistic thinking. This is the starting point of this course. Using familiar and simple, and then unfamiliar and more complex, systems we learn to see many of the interacting components that give rise to the behaviors we observe in our daily life. To “systems thinking” we then add Consciousness-Based principles and perspectives that help us see all the parts of a domain in their relation to the whole and to consciousness. Both the systems perspective and the Consciousness-Based perspective enable us to see the whole picture and thereby choose effective strategies for solving problems. In 2022 the complex problem we will address is climate change, and the course concludes with each student thinking through what they can do to address this complex problem. (4 credits)

RL E305 Energy Systems for Electric Vehicle Technology

This course explains the fundamentals of energy storage, conversion, inversion, and distribution by exploring EV energy systems. Topics include: 1) Fundamentals of energy storage and conversion such as electrochemistry, thermodynamics, and regeneration through braking; and 2) Conversion techniques: Electromagnetism and magnetic circuits, introduction to AC circuits, inductance, capacitance, inductive and capacitive reactance, DC generators, and motors, synchronous and induction machines. The course project involves practice in electrical storage dynamics through examination of an actual EV drive train, to understand its functionality, safety standards, and the diagnosis of problems. Course fee: $50 (4 credits)

More courses

RL E101 Energy and Sustainability

This course explores the role energy plays in sustainability and in the development of complexity and order in nature and in the human economy. Anything of economic value comes from nature or from humans, and both require energy. Therefore, energy is critical to the economy. Energy inevitably loses usefulness as it flows through human-made and natural systems. Sustainability is about regeneration and renewal of opportunity for future generations. Therefore, renewable sources of energy are essential for sustainability. Students will learn basic energy concepts and their application to sustainability and renewable energy systems. The course will include lectures, readings, films, guest speakers, field trips, and hands-on work. (4 credits)

RL B101 Sustainability, Buildings, & the Built Environment

The built environment consists of all the things that humans build: buildings and the rural, suburban, and urban context in which they are placed. Buildings, the cities they are placed in, and the transportation systems that connect them are the biggest things that humans build. Designing and building them sustainably is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity. This course gives an overview of the origins and evolution of buildings and issues of sustainability in the built environment. Buildings consume over 40% of the energy we use. They are often made from toxic materials and materials that are difficult to recycle. Few buildings are designed to optimize the use of the energy and resources freely given to us by Nature. What is needed is a radical redesign of the way we think about, build and use buildings. The goal is to create a built environment that, like the natural environment, is regenerative, giving back more than it takes. By the end of the course students will be able to: 1) Think holistically about the relationship between climate, culture, and available building materials in a variety of global settings; 2) Understand and be conversant in the basic concepts and language of building design and construction; and 3) Translate into real-world projects various team design skills gained during the course. (4 credits)

RL P320 Food Systems

The term “food system” describes all the components necessary to feed a population – growing, harvesting, processing, access, distributing, consuming, and disposing. It includes a complex set of interactions to get our food from field to plate. In order to create a more sustainable and regenerative world, we must understand the existing systems we are a part of and what research and actions are underway that are already changing the status quo. (4 Credits)

students with laptops

Making it easy for transfer students

If you transfer in 60 or more credits, your degree can be completed in as little as four semesters. Transfer students can inquire with their admissions counselor to learn the exact number of credits needed to graduate.

student meditating

Dive within and find yourself

As a student at MIU, you’ll learn the Transcendental Meditation technique, an evidence-based technique that promotes inner peace and wellness, enhances clear thinking, improves learning ability, and boosts creativity.

Featured faculty

Mark Stimson

Mark Stimson began his teaching career as an instructor in a homeschooling program in which he and his co-teachers developed novel learning methods in a supportive community-based educational environment. He served for several years as MIU’s Sustainability Coordinator, developing and implementing energy efficiency measures and other best practices.

Mark is dedicated to promoting progressive pedagogy to create and promote more meaningful and transformative student learning experiences. He holds a PhD in Social and Political Thought from the Global Center for Advanced Studies in Dublin, Ireland.

All Department Faculty

Cost & Aid for bachelor’s degree, 2024-25

US On-Campus Students

US On-Campus Undergraduate

This estimate is based on one year for a typical on-campus Federal Pell Grant recipient (represents 80% of our onsite undergraduates). File your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and then contact our financial aid office for questions on variables.

Annual Cost and Typical Financial Aid
Tuition and fees	$16,530
Housing (single room) and meals	$7,400
Grants and Scholarship (typical)	-$14,400
Net cost per year	$9,530
Federal student loans	-$9,530
Your payment	$0

Additional Financial Aid Information

Personal Expenses and Books

$2,400 Federal Work Study is available toward your estimated $4,800 out of pocket costs.

Scholarships and Grants

Scholarship from MIU described above consists of the Federal Pell Grant and the Federal Supplemental Education Grant and is based on (1) full-time enrollment and (2) financial need based on expected FAFSA outcome.

Federal Student Loans

Repayment begins after your enrollment ends. Unique repayment plans are available such as income-based, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and deferments based on low income or unemployment.

Education Tax Incentives

There are a variety of money-saving tax benefits to assist in reducing the cost of education expenses. More about education tax benefits.

Veterans

Veterans should contact the VA for information on Veterans Education Benefits. Veterans eligible for BAH monthly benefits: The VA utilizes a scale of credits per block of courses; therefore, the VA sometimes pays part-time benefits for an individual month while the university delivers full-time federal aid for an entire semester. Our Veterans Certifying Official is our Director of Financial Aid.

Loan Repayment Options

Standard

Payments are a fixed amount that ensures your loans are paid off within 10 years (within 10 to 30 years for Consolidation Loans).

Extended

Payments may be fixed or graduated and will ensure that your loans are paid off within 25 years.

Graduated

Payments are lower at first and then increase, usually every two years, and are for an amount that will ensure your loans are paid off within 10 years (within 10 to 30 years for Consolidation Loans).

Income-Based

Your monthly payments will be either 10 or 15 percent of discretionary income (depending on when you received your first loans), but never more than you would have paid under the 10-year Standard Repayment Plan.

Income Contingent

Payments are recalculated each year and are based on your updated income, family size, and the total amount of your Direct Loans. Any outstanding balance will be forgiven if you haven’t repaid your loan in full after 25 years.

Income Sensitive

Your monthly payment is based on annual income, but your loan will be paid in full within 15 years.

Tuition, other fees, scholarships, and financial policies are subject to change prior to the entry date. For more information, contact us at finaid@miu.edu for a quick reply — normally one business day — or see more about financial aid.

US Online Students

US Online Undergraduate

This estimate is based on one year for a typical online Federal Pell Grant recipient (represents 70% of our online undergraduates). File your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and then contact our financial aid office for questions on variables.

Annual Cost and Typical Financial Aid
Tuition and fees	$16,190
Grants and scholarship (typical)	-$11,400
Net cost per year	$4,790
Federal student loan	-$4,790
Your payment	$0

Part time online enrollment is available. Tuition is $600 per credit with normal load of 9-11 credits. Federal student loans are available and the federal Pell Grant is proportional to the credit load.

Additional Financial Aid Information

Scholarships and Grants

The grants and scholarship described above consist of the Federal Pell Grant, the Federal Supplemental Education Grant, and institutional scholarship based on (1) full-time enrollment and (2) financial need determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Employer Waiver Program

Many companies offer tuition assistance programs to their employees. If you’re currently employed, we encourage you to check on this. If they offer assistance, please contact MIU’s Financial Aid office.

Federal Student Loans

Federal Student Loans have limits based on lifetime usage, annual limits, and limited to the educational costs for each semester. Here are the annual maximum limits:

$5,500 per year for first-year dependent
$6,500 per year for second-year dependent
$7,500 per year for third, fourth, fifth-year dependent
$9,500 per year for first-year independent
$10,500 per year for second-year independent
$12,500 per year for third, fourth, fifth-year independent

Federal Student Loan Repayment

Federal Student Loan Repayment is postponed as long as you are enrolled at least half-time each semester. If your enrollment drops below half-time, you have a six-month grace period before repayment begins. There are also postponements for low income and unemployment, as well as repayment based on income and Public Service Forgiveness.

Education Tax Incentives

There are a variety of money-saving tax benefits to assist in reducing the cost of education expenses. More about education tax benefits.

Veterans

Loan Repayment Options

Standard

Payments are a fixed amount that ensures your loans are paid off within 10 years (within 10 to 30 years for Consolidation Loans).

Extended

Payments may be fixed or graduated and will ensure that your loans are paid off within 25 years.

Graduated

Payments are lower at first and then increase, usually every two years, and are for an amount that will ensure your loans are paid off within 10 years (within 10 to 30 years for Consolidation Loans).

Income-Based

Income Contingent

Income Sensitive

Your monthly payment is based on annual income, but your loan will be paid in full within 15 years.

International On-Campus Students

International On-Campus Undergraduate

Annual Cost and Typical Financial Aid
Tuition and fees	$16,530
Housing (single room) and meals	$7,400
Health insurance (estimate)	$1,992
Personal expenses, books, unexpected needs (estimate)	$3,500
Cost Per Year	$29,422

Full-time students may apply for up to $6,000 scholarship based on qualifying level of documented family income. Our undergraduate scholarship application form will be available upon application to the university.

Tuition, other fees, scholarships, and financial policies are subject to change prior to the entry date.

International Online Students

International Online Undergraduate

Typically, online enrollment is two courses at a time (17 credits) or one course at a time (9-11 credits), per semester (two semesters per year).

Tuition and Fees per Semester
Full-time (12 or more credits)	$8,095
Fewer than 12 credits	$600 per credit

Tuition, other fees, scholarships, and financial policies are subject to change prior to the entry date.

(R)evolution webinar series

Deep conversations with leaders regenerating the world

In these twice-monthly conversations, we speak with some of the leading figures in creating a healthy, safe, thriving, and socially just world. We learn about their work, and we ask them: What needs to change, at the deepest level, to bring about the transformations we need?

Speakers have included:

Dr. Rattan Lal — the first researcher to demonstrate that regenerative agriculture can address the climate crisis and other major global challenges; winner of the 2020 World Food Prize Watch ➡︎
Temple Grandin — world-renowned expert in animal welfare and autism. Watch ➡︎
Dr. Tim LaSalle — past CEO of the Rodale Institute and a global champion of regenerative agriculture. Watch ➡︎
Alex Pryor — co-founded Guayaki Sustainable Rainforest Products in 1996, a major beverage company based on yerba mate tea that is devoted to regenerative agriculture. Watch ➡︎

FAQ

How many hours per week should I expect to spend on this program?

You should plan to spend 12-14 hours per week for a 4-credit eight-week course. If you are taking 2 courses during an eight-week period, you should plan to spend 24-28 hours per week reading, creating assignments and discussion forum posts, and studying course materials. The time it takes to complete an online course successfully depends on your willingness to stick to a regular schedule and learn to study effectively, more than on any other factor.

How do you make the online learning experience effective and fulfilling?

We accomplish this by using an online learning platform that students find highly engaging. The program also features an extensive collaboration between students and one-on-one interaction between our faculty and each student

What is the difference between a major and a specialization?

An undergraduate major is a primary field of study during your undergraduate years. This major defines the actual degree and specifies core courses, electives, and the foundational knowledge that you will acquire. An academic specialization is a more concentrated area of courses which you can choose in addition (32 additional credits) to your major field, which may be in the same disciplinary area or something different.