Nailsworth, UK. Learning as a personally and collectively transformative practice.
The new MA in Transformative Learning offered by Ruskin Mill Centre of Practice continues the legacy of Schumacher College’s groundbreaking MSc in Holistic Science. It is based on the transformative potential of a holistic approach to science exemplified by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s studies of color, plants, and animals. To offer a rich, experiential program, it draws on Goethe’s own studies and their subsequent development, as well as holistic investigations of topics as diverse as projective geometry, music, ecology, language, and the evolution of consciousness. The experiential explorations that lie at the heart of the program are embedded in a philosophical context. This allows students to see the world with new eyes, both literally through a transformation of the senses and metaphorically through a transformation of thinking.
When reimagining the MSc in Holistic Science for the next generation of students, we placed at the centre the transformation that a sustained experiential and philosophical engagement can bring about. This transformation itself becomes the subject of enquiry in the final part of the program when students reflect on their learning journey.
Another important change is the format of the studies. A three-year, part-time program facilitates students in integrating their new seeing and understanding into their lives. In particular, our aim is for students to reap the fruit of their studies in their professional life, so that what they do in life aligns with the aims and aspirations they cultivate in the program. The final dissertation thus focuses on transformation practice. With transformative learning grounded in their life, students can contribute to the cultural and social transformation they want to see in the world.
MA Transformative Learning begins in October 2026.
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Translation Paula Boslau
Photo Ruskin Mill
