Accelerated Pathway to the MA in Social Innovation and Sustainability Leadership

Students at Edgewood College have the opportunity to begin a Master of Arts in Social Innovation & Sustainability Leadership while an undergraduate. The Accelerated Master’s Pathway allows students who are juniors or seniors, and who have the approval of their advisor and/or program chair, to take 12 credits (3 courses) of the Social Innovation & Sustainability Leadership Program while an undergraduate in order to earn a Master of Arts within one calendar year of completing an undergraduate degree. These 12 credits can count as electives for an undergraduate major or minor while fulfilling the first three required courses of the graduate program. The courses are SUST 650 , SUST 651 , and SUST 652  . For more information, contact your advisor or Stephan Gilchrist, Social Innovation & Sustainability Leadership Program Director at sgilchrist@edgewood.edu or 608-663-6991.

Social Innovation and Sustainability Leadership, MA

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Click here for the Program Requirements

Mission

The mission of the Social Innovation and Sustainability Leadership Program is to: Together, Create Well-Being for All.

The Program supports and facilitates the ongoing development of the skills, knowledge, mindset, and relationships needed to be effective and collaborative leaders in our organizations and in our communities. The Program views leadership as a participatory approach where all of us are seen as change makers, working with others to create a just, inclusive, and sustainable world through bridging the three divides described below.*

1. The divide between self and our highest potential. How do we become the most effective leader possible and co-create social, economical, and ecological well-being in our organizations and communities?
2. The divide between self and others. How do we strengthen relationship with other individuals and groups so that we can have a more equitable and inclusive world?
3. The divide between self and nature. How do we create organizational, social, and economic systems that are in harmony with natural systems?

Students will learn and apply:

• Tools and frameworks to facilitate systemic community, organizational, and personal change
• New and emerging models of ecological, social, and economic sustainability and well-being
• Examples of organizations and communities working toward sustainable well-being
• Tools for cross-sector collaboration

The program takes a hands-on, applied approach through the creation and implementation of social innovation projects as a central part of each Social Innovation & Sustainability Leadership course. Students will identify a social innovation project that is professionally meaningful and meets the needs of the community or organization. The project can last one or more terms depending on your interest, needs of the organization or community, and scope of the project.

Students enter the Social Innovation and Sustainability Leadership program with a wide variety of degrees and professional backgrounds. There is not a prerequisite field of study or professional experience needed to succeed in the program. Courses accommodate traditional students as well as working professionals. Required courses are taken in-person with a cohort of peers. The coursework, including the capstone course, allows you to specialize in your field of interest, such as business, social entrepreneurship, non-profit management, organizational development, education, healthcare, public administration, international community development, and more. Contact us to determine a schedule that fits with your personal and professional goals and responsibilities.

The intentionally small number of students in each cohort (no more than 17) allows you to develop deep relationships with community partners, instructors, and fellow students. Students come with a variety of educational and professional backgrounds.