If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Lauren Madden, SISTEM Project Director, at SISTEM@tcnj.edu.
Can I transfer credits from another certificate program?
Yes, TCNJ’s transfer policy typically accepts 6 credits into our certificate programs. For any TCNJ certificate, at least half of the credits must come from TCNJ coursework. For specific questions, contact us at SISTEM@tcnj.edu.
What are the summer courses? Will they be in-person or online?
The Environmental Sustainability Education Graduate Certificate consists of four (4) graduate courses. Courses will begin in summer 2025 and participants will have a full academic year (15 months) to complete the graduate certificate.
There is some flexibility in the graduate certificate, which master teacher fellows will complete during their first year. You can opt to take all four courses outlined on the page linked above OR any three of the four plus an elective by advisement. The four courses are offered with a hybrid approach including both synchronous and asynchronous online activities. There may be some potential face to face activities as well, but these will not be required, just optional. For more information on graduate course options, please refer to our info sheet.
The list of ESED core graduate courses is as follows:
- ESED 501 (Summer Session 1: 5/20-6/13 2025) Synchronous meetings on Mondays and Wednesday from 6:00-8:15 PM
- ESED 520 (Summer Session 2: 6/16-7/17 2025) Synchronous meetings on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:00-9:15 PM
- ESED 600 (Fall 2025)
- STEM 641 (Spring 2026)
There will also be elective courses offered through the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), Regional Training Center (RTC), and TCNJ’s Department of Public Health. All of which will be offered periodically throughout the year.
For more information about the AMNH courses, please visit the AMNH website. If you choose to take a course through the AMNH, you will fill out a form to register for graduate credits and the Museum will communicate that with TCNJ.
For more information about the graduate certificate program, please visit: Environmental Sustainability Education Graduate Certificate Curriculum | Environmental Sustainability Education
What does the capstone project for the MAES involve?
It is a supervised action research project in which the student demonstrates and addresses what they have learned from both certificates that make up the MAES program. Submission of a paper is also required. The capstone project is very flexible as it is graded on a pass/fail basis and meetings with their advisor occur based on the students’ preferences/schedules. The only stipulation is that the capstone must be taken during a fall or spring semester because it has to occur when the student is actively teaching in their own classroom.