Program Overview

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MA - Outdoor and Experiential Learning (Ambleside)

Course Overview

The MA in Outdoor and Experiential Learning isn’t just about studying experience, it's about living it. From hands-on engagement in diverse environments to critical reflection on cultural, ecological, and political perspectives, this course immerses you in learning that is as dynamic as the landscapes we explore.

Join us at our Ambleside campus, where you’ll live and study surrounded by mountains, forests, rivers, and lakes—an unparalleled setting for outdoor education. Become part of an international network of leaders who are redefining outdoor and experiential learning for the future.

Our graduates go on to inspire and lead in a variety of roles, including educators, outdoor practitioners, environmental consultants, sustainability leaders, mental health and wellbeing specialists, development trainers, and social change advocates.

To reflect this contemporary trend, there are three pathways to choose from which reflect current applications of experiential learning:

• Outdoor & Experiential Learning: The core pathway, designed for those passionate about outdoor education and innovative learning.
• Outdoor & Experiential Learning (Bushcraft): Master traditional skills and explore the deep connections between humans and nature.
• Outdoor & Experiential Learning (Health & Wellbeing): Investigate the role of nature in mental health, therapeutic landscapes, and personal development.

On this course you will...

• Think beyond boundaries – Challenge conventional ideas about experiential learning, outdoor education, and your own personal and professional journey.
• Learn across disciplines – Draw from anthropology, philosophy, eco-psychology, bushcraft, therapeutic landscapes, pedagogy, and the arts.
• Gain immersive experience – Learn in real-world environments, from remote wilderness settings to community-led initiatives.
• Be inspired by experienced lecturers – with global research expertise and pioneering approaches to education.

Key Details

• Recruiting to: UK / RoI / Settled in UK, EU / EEA / International
• Course Location: Ambleside
• Institute: Institute of Science and Environment
• Delivery Style: In-person
• Course Duration: Full-time: 1 Year
• Course Start Point: September
• Award: MA

Minimum entry requirements

• 1st or 2nd class Honours degree

Tuition fees

• £6,900 - UK (per year)
• £14,900 - International (per year)

Course Structure

What you will learn

There are three pathways to choose from in order to complete the MA qualification.

• The Outdoor & Experiential Learning pathway engages with current debates around environmental empathy, displacement, social equality, adventurous journeying, embodiment, outdoor recreation, nature-culture philosophies, colonialism, globalization and management of people in organisations, sustainability and alternative forms of education, for example.
• The Bushcraft pathway deeply engages the learner with both practical and theoretical concerns within the emerging academic field of Bushcraft. This field speaks to wider implications for educational, therapeutic, commercial and recreational ideas.
• The Health and Wellbeing pathway offers a reflective exploration of the student’s own therapeutic relationship with ‘the outdoors’ as well as personal and planetary wellbeing and ill-health. Utilising experimental walks and residential settings, alternative narratives of human-environment relations will be developed whilst exploring historical, traditional and contemporary perspectives of nature-based psychotherapies and therapeutic landscapes.

Compulsory modules

• Introduction to Outdoor and Experiential Learning
• The Reflexive Practitioner
• Independent Inquiry
• Dissertation

Pathway modules

• Bushcraft Pathway:
  • Histories and Principles of Bushcraft
  • Cultures and Practices of Bushcraft
• Outdoor & Experiential Learning Pathway:
  • Know Your Place: Place Responsive Approaches to the Outdoors
  • Learning from Adventurous Journeys
• Health & Wellbeing Pathway:
  • Querying Therapeutic Landscapes & Outdoor Psychotherapies
  • Therapeutic Opportunities in the Outdoors

Teaching & Assessment

How you will learn

• The Outdoor & Experiential Learning pathway engages with current debates around environmental empathy, displacement, social equality, adventurous journeying, embodiment, outdoor recreation, nature-culture philosophies, colonialism, globalisation and management of people in organisations, sustainability and alternative forms of education, for example.
• The Bushcraft pathway deeply engages the learner with both practical and theoretical concerns within the emerging academic field of Bushcraft. This field speaks to wider implications for educational, therapeutic, commercial and recreational ideas.
• The Health and Wellbeing pathway offers a reflective exploration of the student’s own therapeutic relationship with ‘the outdoors’ as well as personal and planetary wellbeing and ill-health. Utilising experimental walks and residential settings, alternative narratives of human-environment relations will be developed whilst exploring historical, traditional and contemporary perspectives of nature-based psychotherapies and therapeutic landscapes.

How you will be assessed

Assessment is an integral part of the course and takes place during and at the end of modules. In most modules, there is a blend of formative and summative assessment tasks that students complete which reflect the breadth of skills and competences required by graduates. Students are expected to show critical analysis, evaluation, creativity and autonomy in assessment.

Overview

• 1st or 2nd class honours degree.
• Students with other qualifications may be admitted to the course, please contact the Enquiry Centre for further details.
• Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) may be considered for relevant prior learning at the same academic level.

Selection Criteria

• Degree and/or relevant professional work experience required.
• Applications are welcome from people with a good first degree (normally U.K. 2:2 or above) and/or relevant work experience. It is hoped that the course will attract students from a variety of backgrounds and first degree subject areas from outdoor-related areas through to youth work, social work, education and those with more philosophical backgrounds.

Fees & Funding

Tuition Fees

• £6,900 - UK (per year)
• £14,900 - International (per year)

International Finance

At the University of Cumbria, we offer affordable tuition fees for international and EU students looking to study at one of our main four campuses. No matter your choice of course or career path, our International Team is here to support you.

Funding

The exact amount of funding support you'll receive will be calculated by your regional funding body on application.

Additional Costs

There will be some additional costs. For example all students will need to purchase stationery and may wish to purchase some text books. Extra costs may also be applicable to cover field trips, membership fees etc. although such features are usually options within the course.

• Books are reviewed annually and are therefore subject to change, course welcome information will provide you with an indicative list for the year.
• Books and Journals: Most core text books are available via the University's library, however students may wish to buy copies of any texts used to support your learning on your course. This could cost between £50 - £100 per year.
• Stationery: Students should budget for stationery and consumables for your own personal use. This should include notebooks, pens and pencils for taking notes in class and/or in the field. Students should also budget for the purchase of USB pen drives, as well as occasional printing and photocopying costs incurred in the preparation or submission of coursework. Whilst you will choose how much you need, expect to pay around £30 - £40 per year for these items.