Go Deep to Go Far
Graduate Degrees in Design for Sustainability
Ubiquity University, in partnership with Gaia Education, offers learners an opportunity to upgrade their GEDS certificate with Gaia to a Master’s Degree, PhD or Combined MA/PhD degree with Ubiquity.
The reversal of the climate crisis depends on regenerative communities
The reversal of the climate crisis depends on creating regenerative communities that can thrive within planetary boundaries. Education is one of the most powerful tools for this urgent transition toward a sustainable and thriving future.
In partnership with Gaia Education, Ubiquity University offers graduate degrees in Design for Sustainability. Learners build on Gaia’s comprehensive Certificate in Design for Sustainability (GEDS) and take a deep dive into the powerful tools they need to lead the urgent transition to a sustainable and thriving future.
The GEDS program equips learners with whole-systems design principles, systemic thinking, analytical skills, and practical tools to help redesign humanity’s presence on Earth — one community and bioregion at a time.
The GEDS program consists of four core components, each exploring a vital dimension of sustainability:
Social Design – cultivating healthy, inclusive, and resilient communities.
Ecological Design – aligning human systems with the regenerative patterns of nature.
Economic Design – developing sustainable and equitable economies.
Worldview – fostering the values, cultures, and spiritual perspectives that sustain transformation.
Your journey begins with Ubiquity’s Creative Journey to Dissertation course, where you will develop the tools to shape and write your thesis or dissertation. You then continue with Gaia’s Design for Sustainability program, before returning to Ubiquity to write your dissertation and earn your graduate credential.
By the end of your studies, you will have both the experience and knowledge to make either a unique, research-based contribution or hands-on practical impact on the transition towards regenerative design and a sustainable, thriving world.
If you have already completed or enrolled in your GEDS certificate with Gaia Education, you can enroll with Ubiquity below:
About the program
The GEDS program, also offered in Spanish and Portuguese, is divided in four interconnected dimensions: Social Design, Ecological Design, Economic Design and Worldview, each conducted over an eight-week period. This course is completed with the Design Studio – providing an opportunity to work with a design team and focus on real-life design projects proposed by the participants.
For more information on the core GEDS program, please click here
Who is it for?
This program is for anyone who wishes to immerse themselves in the systemic thinking and approaches vital to the reversal of the climate crisis and the creation of regenerative communities worldwide.
During this program, you will:
- Gain a better understanding of the true meaning of social equity and participatory action, and be able to apply transformative tools that align us with more resilient social systems.
- Learn how to resolve the inevitable conflicts arising from group dynamics by stepping out of the cycles of pain and violence that have run through human history, and then taking responsibility for initiating new patterns.
- Learn the practices that help to sustain patterns of ecological interdependencies and nurture the conditions for all living systems to thrive.
- Discover more about alternative finance and the true meaning of economy and wealth.
- Explore many different perspectives and learn to build up a richer, more holistic worldview.
- Create a detailed project proposal and design in the GEDS studio.
Eligibility Criteria
Students must have:
- Completed at least four dimensions of the GEDS (Gaia Education Design for Sustainability) Certificate Program
- Possess a Bachelor's Degree (or BA-equivalency in work or life experience) from a university or college
- Possess a Master's Degree (or MA-equivalency in work or life experience) if you are applying for the Ph.D. option
- Must have English language proficiency at university/college level
Want to know more about this program?
Watch our recent information session here.
“This course is helping me understand the challenges we are facing in the world today and what the root causes are. What I find most valuable is integrating systems thinking in my approach and finding personal relevance in the content of the course. I would like to share the new insights I have gained with other people and I’m considering a new career path where I can engage further with key issues around inequality, climate change and economics. ”
A. Johnson, Spain
Ubiquity’s Academic Courses
- Creative Journey to Dissertation Writing (all degrees)
- Great Books (only for PhD, MA/PhD combined students)
- Chartres Academy (only for PhD & MA/PhD Students)
Program Completion Requirements
MA Degree in Design for Sustainability
GEDS Coursework
Creative Journey to Dissertation
MA thesis
PhD in Design for Sustainability
GEDS Coursework
Creative Journey to Dissertation
Chartres Academy
Great Books
Doctoral Dissertation
MA/PhD in Design for Sustainability
GEDS Coursework
Creative Journey to Dissertation
Chartres Academy
Great Books
Electives (8 credits)
Doctoral Dissertation
Pricing for Ubiquity’s Academic Courses
Note that these prices do not include the cost of partner coursework, Chartres in-person costs or costs of additional elective courses.
MA/MSc $5000
PhD $15000
MA/MSc/PhD $16600
Save up to
$830
paying full
Ubiquity offers a 5% discount for students that are able to make the full payment up front. That means you save $250 on a Masters/MSc, $750 on a PhD and $830 on MA/MSc/PhD.
Student Academic Journey
The duration of your student journey will vary depending on your degree pathway.
Ubiquity offers instalment plans for all degree students over an 18 month period.
About Gaia
As an award-winning provider of holistic Education for Sustainable Development, Gaia Education empowers students across the globe to see the interconnectedness of life. Gaia programs teach the knowledge & skills needed to design truly regenerative communities which thrive within planetary boundaries. Programs are offered online and face-to-face through courses, webinars, Masterclasses, and international project-based learning.
The Ubiquity Graduate Degree
The Ubiquity Graduate Program combines the US and European designs of graduate programs with a blend of taught learning with research and writing. The thesis or dissertation must demonstrate excellence at every level. It must show awareness of the history of the literature in your particular area; demonstrate careful analysis and understanding of the field in question; and, most importantly, show how your insight can be applied to the real world. The dissertation must be scholarly and utilize extensive bibliographical data and footnotes. It should, in other words, be an impeccable work of research.
The Creative Journey To Dissertation
It is a 1-week intensive designed by our Dean of Graduate Studies Dr. Gyorgyi Szabo. The course is a critical part of the dissertation writing process and is a requirement for all MA/PhD candidates.
Faculty: Gyorgyi Szabo
Great Books
Faculty: Gyorgyi Szabo PhD, Jim Garrison PhD
The Great Books course at Ubiquity University delves into literature that has shaped human thought. Students discuss, analyze, and connect historical themes to contemporary global challenges, deepening their understanding of enduring literary works.
Chartes Academy
Our Chartres Academy is intended as a gathering point for a contemporary wisdom community to come together through the very same learning system that Fulbert and Plato used — the seven Liberal Arts.
Support during your Graduate Program
During your graduate dissertation writing you will be supported by a Major Advisor of your own choosing, as well as optional writing courses and writing mentorship.
