Schumacher College is a progressive college for ecological studies offering postgraduate and undergraduate programmes, research degrees, short courses and a practical agroecology residency.
We focus on interactive and experiential education to help students develop the practical skills and strategic, holistic thinking required to face 21st century challenges and to instigate regenerative futures.
Our learning ethos is about participating, getting out into the field, into the kitchen, experiencing the world as a starting point for more in-depth enquiry. We exist to help our students become real change-makers and work out how to act meaningfully to help resolve the pressing issues we all face today.
Schumacher College and its founder Satish Kumar are also proud recipients of the 2023 RSA Bicentenary Medal for outstanding contribution to ecological education.
ABOUT US: Read more about our history and ethos >
Degrees
We are currently delivering a range of postgraduate and undergraduate courses as part of our learning portfolio. Find out more about our subject areas here.
flexible learning
There are so many ways to connect with our learning programmes to suit your lifestyle – including low-residency or part time routes, unaccredited modules, and blended learning models.
Our Courses
Our courses celebrate the ethos of learning by doing and nature connection developed here at Schumacher College and across a century of arts learning on the Dartington estate. They unite ecology, craft skills and contemporary art with politics, philosophy and social justice, underpinned by a stronger sense of our place in the world. Our learning experiences are offered alongside short courses from the Dartington Arts School as part of a collaborative learning community.
more from schumacher
Unaccredited modules
If you love our degree programmes but can’t commit to a full course, it’s possible to select modules as unaccredited short courses.
Sustainable Growing online course
Our on deman online course taking you through 6 months of the growing season and introducing you to a range of eco-friendly practices to boost biodiversity.
virtually schumacher
– Ongoing series of live chats with course tutors
– Podcasts
– Video archive – including our long-running Earth Talks series
research at dartington
We offer research degrees in partnership with University of Westminster CREAM. Our researchers have expertise in a wide range of topics including arts practice-led research; animism; medieval literature; modernism; story and myth; arts, design and ecology; ecology and spirituality; Goethean science; regenerative economics, farming and food; social work with adults and children; and social enterprise.
latest news & blogs
Gaia and the origins of Schumacher College
Following on from the sad news of the death of James Lovelock, we've delved into the archives and Dr Stephan Harding's own memory banks to reflect on the impact the founder of Gaia has had. Below is a recording of a conversation with Stephan out in the gardens at the...
Adapting to heat waves with resilience isn’t enough
With record temperatures posted in the UK already this summer, we consider what an ecological design thinking approach can bring to the table in our collective efforts to respond and adapt to more frequent heatwaves.The recent heat wave has led to many commentators...
Dr Stephan Harding remembers James Lovelock
Our Deep Ecology Reseach Fellow Dr Stephan Harding looks back at the life and work of his friend, the first teacher at Schumacher College, and founder of Gaia, James Lovelock.
watch: Soil To Supper – Sustainability at Schumacher
watch: our students in their own words
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We`re delighted to welcome a private learning visit with attendees from Japan this week. This bespoke #schumacherexperience involves participating in lectures, gardening, cooking, wood carving, gong meditation, a deep time walk with Stephan Harding and time with Satish, pictured. If you`re interested in bringing a group to learn about our unique pedagogy here at Schumacher, drop us a line on shortcourses@dartington.org
Honoured and delighted that, along with Satish, we have been awarded the prestigious RSA Bicentenary Medal in recognition of our contribution to new economic and ecological learning. See link in bio for the full story.
🍃 Join us on Saturday 2 September as we celebrate Small Is Beautiful and EF Schumacher`s proportionate approach to economics. 🍃 What did it mean 50 years ago when he published this influential book? What does it mean for us and the environment today? How can we adapt and reimagine his ethos for a sustainable, even regenerative future?
🍃 We`re bringing together some leading thinkers and doers in the field of alternative and regenerative economics including Helena Norberg-Hodge, Ruth Potts, Jonathan Dawson, Jay Tompt, Sebastian Berger, Frances Northrop and Satish Kumar and more! You can book online now to be part of the conversation, joining us at the College for a full day, with lunch included.
#regenerative #economics #smallisbeautiful #alternative #ecoactivism #environment #ecological #ecology
Insightful interview with writer, artist and technologist James Bridle on the latest episode of the Arts & Ecology podcast. James is the author of `New Dark Age` (2018) and `Ways of Being` (2022) and their work can be found at http://jamesbridle.com.
Listen to the podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/arts-ecology/id1632823460