BA (Hons) Sustainable Futures: Arts, Ecology & Systems Change

About

Our degree, BA (Hons) Sustainable Futures: Arts, Ecology and Systems Change, is offered in partnership with Cardiff Metropolitan University.

Created as a response to the climate and ecological emergency, our degree is designed to foster confidence, creativity, critical thinking and emotional intelligence. 

The foundation of the BA is learning how to learn about the natural world and human societies in order to become an agent of change. You will gain the ability to communicate and collaborate with peers in order to imagine – and deliver – fundamental changes to current systems.

Build expertise in ecology, politics, philosophy, and economics while solving real-world challenges through practical projects. Create sustainable, equitable futures whilst learning in a living landscape! Graduate with practical skills and professional experience for a world reshaped by climate change. 

COURSE OVERVIEW:

BA (Hons) Sustainable Futures: Arts, Ecology and Systems Change is an interdisciplinary programme combining a grounding in theories of change, creative practice based on artistic methods, ecological thinking, political economy and sociotechnical systems.

Our programme invites you to develop the ‘futures-making skills’ necessary for making sense of a rapidly changing world: critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, and compassion. We help you find your talents and then apply them in service of a more equitable world within planetary limits. This involves practical skills and arts-based training in creativity and design thinking alongside traditional activities such as critical reading and academic writing, scientific experiments, and theory.

Because we know that students learn best in small groups, our seminars are capped at 20 students

You will connect with nature through learning outdoors in the spectacular Bannau Brycheiniog.

COURSE STRUCTURE:

Year 1: How can we learn in a changing world?

Explore Earth systems, climate science, human behaviour and creative practice. Reflect on the past to understand how to create meaningful change, then imagine sustainable futures within planetary limits. Experiment with art and its role in driving social and environmental transformation.

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Year 2: How can we address some of the world’s most urgent challenges?

Apply design thinking and collaborate on creative projects tackling real-world problems. Choose your pathway from:

- Agroecology: Discover regenerative farming and food system transformation.

- Sociotechnical Systems: Explore future technologies and their societal impacts.

- Creative Practice for Future Generations: Use art to inspire social change.

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Year 3: Devise your own question to structure your studies and your engagement with real-world challenges.

Design your own research project, engage with real-world case studies, and gain work experience to prepare for your future.

KEY INFORMATION:

Tuition Time - 3 days per week, 9.30am - 2.30pm from September to the end of May

Course Length - 3 years

Minimum Age - 18 years (no maximum age)

Entry Requirements - We have an open admissions policy designed to encourage the widest possible access and participation for those who would like to enter higher education. Admission is based on portfolios and interviews, not grades alone. We look for potential to make change happen, rather than prior achievement.

Cost - £9250 per year, funded via Student Finance

Kit Requirements - Warm waterproof clothing and shoes for working outdoors.

APPLY:

Apply now for 2025 directly via our website!