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EARTH UNIVERSITY
EDUCATIONAL MODEL
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CURRICULAR STRUCTURE
CURRICULAR STRUCTURE
EARTH’s curriculum is the practical implementation of its
educational model. It is through the curriculum that the
educational model integrates the institutional mission and
the graduate profile with the educational principles. This
results in a unique teaching and learning experience. The
curriculum consists of the formal plan of study and all
the activities, both formal and informal, associated with
the student’s education. EARTH’s plan of study differs
from many others in that it can be characterized as an
“upside down” curriculum. Unlike most plans of study
based on a reductionist vision in which students begin
their studies concentrating on the components that
comprise the system (biology, chemistry, physics, etc.), at
EARTH the process begins by focusing on the system and
emphasizes a holistic vision of agricultural production and
natural resource management. From their first days at the
University, students are confronted with the complexity
of the agricultural production system and the role that
people play in that system. Later, as they advance in
their studies, they increasingly concentrate on the parts
of the system, but without losing sight of the whole. The
strength of this “upside down” approach is that students
live and experiment the social, technical, environmental
and entrepreneurial realities of agricultural production
from the very beginning of their studies, thus providing
a context for the construction of knowledge as they
advance. This focus provides students with a meaningful
formation that is closely linked to the reality of the field in
which they will work.
The plan of studies is designed so that first year students
gain a systemic and global vision of agriculture and natural
resource management and particularly the role of humans
immersed in this complex system. At the same time, the
emphasis is placed on the development of fundamental
skills and positive attitudes towards work in the field. In
the second and third years, courses are focused on the
development of well-defined and specialized technical
skills and the construction of relevant knowledge. During
their second year, students begin their exposure to, and
involvement in the community, working with local farmers
and organizations. This process continues in the third
year and culminates with an internship during which the
students have the opportunity to apply their knowledge
and skills in a “real world” setting. During the fourth and
final year, students must demonstrate their capacity for
analysis and synthesis, professionalism, with a high degree
of independence and responsibility. In this final year, the
focus of the plan of studies returns to a global vision
of agriculture, focusing on the role students will play as
future professionals.
CURRICULAR
STRUCTURE
FIRST YEAR
BUILDING KNOWLEDGE AND
BASIC SKILLS
-Holistic, global and systemic view
of agriculture and natural resources
-Complementary sciences
-Entrepreneurship
-Communication
SECOND YEAR
CONSOLIDATIONAND
BUILDING OF KNOWLEDGE
AND SKILLS
-Sustainable management of
production
-Entrepreneurship
-Communication
-Interaction with communities
THIRD YEAR
INTERACTIONWITH
COMMUNITIES
-Integration and application of
knowledge
-Social awareness and commitment
-Interaction with communities
FOURTH YEAR
DEMONSTRATION OF
INTELLECTUAL AND
PROFESSIONAL CAPACITIES
-Analysis and synthesis
-Professionalism
-Responsibility and independence
-Global view of agriculture and
natural resources