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Build A Better Worldwith the BA in Sustainable
& Regenerative Living

Design, build, and live in a way that replenishes the health of people, communities, and our planet.

  • Learn by doing, with meaningful community-centered projects
  • Learn how to design and build your own eco-home and produce your own renewable energy
  • Focus deeply and learn without stress, taking one immersive course at a time
  • Step into the future with Narrative Evaluations
  • Prioritize your health and wellness with local organic food
  • Discover and develop your inner self in daily group meditations
  • Integrate your studies with your dream career via meaningful internships and senior projects

MIU also offers an online or on-campus Bachelor’s with Specialization in Sustainable & Regenerative Living. This option is great for students who want to transfer in credits and graduate on a fast track.

Sustainability
re-envisioned

All things are interconnected. We live within a web of life that includes all aspects of life, and you cannot “fix” just one isolated crisis without considering the whole. In this program you’ll study the interrelated fields of ecology & earth-systems, eco-justice, sustainable economics and community-scale technologies such as:

Ecocities design philosophy and applications

Ecocities design philosophy and applications

Natural and sustainable building design and construction

Natural and sustainable building design and construction

Renewable energy systems theory and applications

Renewable energy systems theory and applications

Permaculture design and other homestead-scale practices

Permaculture design and other homestead-scale practices

Are You Ready To Change The World?

Request More Info > Apply Now >

Request More Info > Apply Now >

People and Projects

Working hand-in-hand to make a better world for future generations to come, from individuals to communities to the planet

"Hands On" Practical Student Learning Projects

Create as you learn. Get real world experience with renewable energy, natural building, tiny houses and ecocity design

First US Sustainable Living BA Program

Our BA in Sustainable & Regenerative Living was the first program of its kind in the country and continues to trend set with an integrative, holistic vision

Earn A Degree

Transform yourself while changing the world with a BA in Sustainable & Regenerative Living online or at our vibrant campus

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Vision

With so many potential futures unfolding simultaneously, ranging from Ecotopia to Fascism and Techno-dystopia, we feel an urgent need to continually develop our vision and practices toward positive social values and stewardship of our precious planet. We see MIU with its consciousness-based approach to education, and the Department of Sustainable & Regenerative Living with its practical training in what Buckminster Fuller called “livingry” as the perfect combination. The future is ours to create, and a better future for all is the goal.

Mission

MIU & our students share a strong common commitment to personal inner growth, wellness, sustainability, and positive uplifting values. Here, you’ll gain a solid foundation in philosophies of sustainable and regenerative living—such as ecological literacy and social justice—and you’ll learn practical skills you can take into the world, becoming a welcomed member of whatever community you choose to join.

“Such a wide range of hands-on experience… it’s been really empowering.”

Jennifer Kumer

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“Coming here was the most amazing experience I’ve ever had.”

MarQ Chavez

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“I love that I can apply what I learn here in the real world.”

Lilith Shoemaker

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About

Buildings and the built environment

Learn how to design and build sustainable, energy-wise community-oriented buildings in their appropriate social and environmental contexts

Global sustainability

Learn about global issues such as climate change, economic globalization and its effects, environmental degradation and its solutions, and more

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Ecology

Gain a fuller understanding of Earth’s dynamic systems and how they relate to human activities, stewardship and the design of sustainable systems

Permaculture design certificate

Earn a certificate in homestead-scale planning, “storied” garden planting, water resources, land use and more. Learn self-sufficiency and community resiliency

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About

Energy and sustainability

Learn the fundamentals of solar and wind power systems, so you can become energy self-sufficient, and teach others how to harvest the power of sun and wind

Courses may include:

Core Courses


RL F200 CCTS Global Regeneration A

There can be little doubt that we are living in a time of unprecedented crises. As never before, we as a global civilization are facing the possibility of societal and environmental collapse, leading to untold suffering for both human and non-human species. The problems we face are tightly interlocked; no problem can be viewed — let alone solved — in isolation. While efforts are underway to address these complex, systemic problems at high levels of governance and administration (UN, IMF, WTO, World Bank, etc.) these “solutions” embody a Western management outlook. In this positivist framework, we can manage our way out of crises; all we need to do is more of the same. But evidence suggests otherwise, and these efforts often backfire, with dire consequences for those affected. As Einstein famously said, “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” However well-intended, the “management” worldview does not adequately address underlying, paradigm-level causes of violence, poverty, and environmental destruction. From a darker perspective, international attempts at betterment are, in fact, mere extensions of globalized neoliberal/colonial regimes, and thus represent not “solutions” but reproducers and amplifiers of the very problems they profess to solve. In either case, a new way is needed. Using a “toolbox” of practical means (Critical & Systems Thinking, Sustainable/ecological Literacy, theories of consciousness and social change, etc.) we develop new theories on how to view and understand global problems, and to affect change-for-the better. And we test our theories in real-world projects in our local and regional settings. The project-based approach we adopt in this course grounds our theories in praxis, and, if successful, will offer living proof of the potential for local solutions, when documented, contextualized, and openly disseminated, to have lasting positive effects on a global scale. This course covers the MIU general education requirements for Critical Thinking, WTG 191 (College Composition l), and Health-related Fitness. Course fee: $50


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 difficult to recycle. Few buildings are designed to optimize the use of the energy and resources freely given to us by nature. We need to radically redesign 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 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.


RL G261 CCTS: Biocultural Ecology for Here & Now

The course views ecology and ecosystems critically through biological and cultural perspectives. A main theme is to understand our modern concepts of ‘environment,’ how humans have imagined their natural surroundings, and the consequences and significance for life in the 21st century. Another theme is the integration of anthropological, biological, and sociological concepts and knowledge as tools for inquiry into the present and possible futures of all life on earth. Alternatives to human-dominant, resource intensive, and objectifying relations with the natural world are considered, among them deep ecology, ecofeminism, and Native American views. Scientific studies of agricultural practices, landscape, stream ecology, and other topics are used to tie conceptual learning with local knowledge of the land. A crucial goal is to use empirical and non-empirical experience and knowledge to consider how we, as individuals, societies, and a species, can accept reciprocal, responsible relations to the non-human world.


RL G315 Permaculture Designer Certification

Permaculture Design is an attempt to rethink and redesign every aspect of human endeavor in terms of sustainability. In this course, you will learn about the principles, ethics, and scientific reasoning that guides permaculture design, along with how to apply it to homes, cities, and natural landscapes. Students engage with concepts and strategies for building soil health, maximizing water efficiency, and increasing biodiversity through integrated plant dynamics and agroforestry. There will also be workshops related to mushroom cultivation and fermentation sciences. The course will culminate in a final comprehensive design project involving a real client, where you will work to perform site analysis and develop practical solutions for real-world design challenges. Upon successful completion of the course, students earn an internationally recognized Permaculture Design Certificate. This course includes a weekend field trip.


RL P250 Global Sustainability

How do we set about structuring a sustainable living environment that can be maintained on a global scale for all future generations? This course is about the big picture that drives the global sustainable living agenda. It provides a broad perspective on the problems we face as a species. We study what can and should be done to transform the current trends effecting population growth, biodiversity, climate, energy supply and consumption, food and water security and other threats to sustainability. We explore the shift in mindset or consciousness needed to take us from regarding the environment and an expendable resource to treasuring it as an entity with which we must live in harmony.


Field experience courses


RL G398 Internship

Students apply their skills and knowledge of regenerative sustainability in real-world situations while earning academic credit. Internships are coordinated by the Career Services Office along with the department and the Registrar to ensure proper credit and approvals. Prerequisites: Internship Proposal and consent of the Regenerative Living Department.


RL G400 Regenerative Living Project Prep

This course is devoted to preparing students for the Senior Sustainable & Regenerative Living Project (RL G401). Students meet with faculty to research, discuss, and plan the project to ensure that it will unfold as smoothly as possible. Prerequisites: good academic standing and consent of the instructor


RL G401 Senior Regenerative Living Project

In this senior-level course, students apply what they have learned to a special project. The project may be an individual effort or students may work together in small teams to produce a fitting tribute to the concept of sustainable and regenerative living. Students generate research, creative, or service projects based upon the available knowledge and best practices currently available. Service and creative projects also require a reflective piece of writing that demonstrates writing, critical thinking, and holistic thinking skills. Students prepare their projects in writing and present them orally to their departments. Students may request to be nominated to represent the department and present their project at the annual Senior Project Honors Competition. Senior projects give faculty a final opportunity to evaluate student writing, critical thinking, and speaking toward the end of students’ academic careers. The projects also give students an opportunity to demonstrate their speaking, thinking, and writing capabilities on topics that matter to them.


Cost & Aid, 2024-25

    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

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

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

      Payments are a fixed amount that ensures your loans are paid off within 10 years (within 10 to 30 years for Consolidation Loans).
      Payments may be fixed or graduated and will ensure that your loans are paid off within 25 years.
      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).
      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.
      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.
      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.

    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.