Master of Arts in Eco-Justice

The MA in Eco-Justice degree program will provide you with focused academic training in theological and ethical disciplines with a focus on environmental ethics, ecological justice, and eco-theology. Graduates of this program can pursue doctorates in theological ethics with a focus on environmental and ecological issues.

This program may be a good fit if you are interested in pursuing a career as:

• A scholar or professor in a seminary, divinity school, or college
• An ethics teacher in a private school, church, or religious community
• A “public theologian” whose primary audience is society or the wider culture

With additional coursework or training (for example, a dual degree MAL-MA or MDiv-MA), graduates of this program can become leaders of environmental programs, progressive ecological justice think tanks, and other ministries and organizations that involve both environmental social justice and a broader ecological justice for all living things. This program can also be a second degree for MDiv students and graduates who desire to make eco-justice a central component of their church ministry. See the Reduced-Credit Dual Degree page for information on pursuing a reduced-credit MA as a second degree at United.

Concentration Learning Outcomes

In addition to achieving the core MA degree learning outcomes, a graduate of the MA in Eco-Justice program will be able to:

• accurately and clearly articulate core scientific, economic, and social understandings of ecology;
• appropriately and respectfully apply knowledge of multiple religious, spiritual and ethical frameworks to situations of ecological justice;
• effectively articulate a stance on a chosen ecological justice issue that demonstrates a clear understanding of the issue and draws from appropriate scientific and economic perspectives, and religious and/or ethical frameworks;
• articulate a theological or religious perspective that describes the theological and spiritual basis of ecological justice, engages current scholarship in eco-theology and eco-spirituality, demonstrates an informed understanding of the science of ecology, and addresses climate change and other crises of the Anthropocene; and
• articulate and analyze effective strategies to address a specific eco-justice issue that demonstrates an informed understanding of appropriate theory and practices.

United’s MA at a Glance

• 36 credits
• Eleven 3-credit courses plus a 3-credit thesis, or ten 3-credit courses plus a 6-credit thesis
• Can be completed in two years if you take a full-time course load (24 credits per year) and complete your thesis in approximately one trimester
• All MA concentrations can be completed entirely via distance learning; many courses can be taken completely asynchronously