Want to work in conservation? These four ASU courses are where it starts
If you’ve ever thought about a career protecting oceans, restoring ecosystems or leading conservation policy, there’s never been a cleaner way to find out if it’s actually for you.
Tomorrow’s environmental challenges won’t be solved by scientists alone. They’ll also require leaders, technologists, entrepreneurs, communicators, educators, policy experts and innovators who understand how people and nature are connected.
Whether your student dreams of working with wildlife, protecting our oceans, using cutting-edge technology or leading organizations, these courses offer an opportunity to explore where those interests might lead. They’re a natural fit for high school students looking for an early introduction to conservation and for any learner curious about the field.
Designed as the first step into a conservation career, these courses are built to stack and grow with learners’ interests. As ASU launches new bachelor’s degree programs in conservation, the credits earned through these courses are designed to count toward those degrees.
Explore your options
CGF 194: Being the Change
This is where the inner work starts. Being the Change builds the capacities every conservation practitioner needs: systems thinking, self-awareness, emotional capacity and the ability to communicate across radically different worldviews.
Explore the courses
Fall A courses (start August 18, 2026)
CGF 194: Being the Change
Leadership, systems thinking and personal development
CNV 194: Introduction to Conservation
Explore careers in conservation, restoration and environmental policy
CGF 194: Earth Intelligence: Data, AI and a Changing World
Learn how data, maps and technology drive conservation decisions
Fall B course (starts October 13, 2026)
SEA 201: Ocean Conservation
Study marine ecosystems, ocean policy and conservation science
How it works: Enroll for $25. Only pay the $400 credit conversion fee if you decide to add the course to your ASU transcript.
The course moves through identity, story, imagination, presence, service and the future of work. Learners finish with a personal Being the Change Blueprint, a practical document that captures your values and direction.
Taught by Mentor Dida, global futurist in residence at ASU’s Rob Walton College of Global Futures, an ASU graduate and founder of the Prosperity Initiative in Kosovo, which focuses on youth development and leadership to empower young people to take meaningful action toward economic and social development.
Classes start August 18, 2026.
CNV 194: Introduction to Conservation
Conservation is more than one job. This course gives you the full map with what the field actually covers, who the practitioners are, what problems they’re working on and where the careers are. From biodiversity recovery and ecosystem restoration to nature finance and Indigenous-led conservation, Introduction to Conservation shows you the landscape before you pick your path.
Classes start August 18, 2026.
CGF 194: Earth Intelligence: Data, AI and a Changing World
Conservation runs on data. Satellite imagery, drone footage, field sensors, ecological models generate information that shapes conservation decisions around the world. The people who can interpret that information and turn it into action are in-demand. Data Literacy builds the foundation to collect, interpret and communicate that information in a conservation context. No advanced math background is required for this course.
Classes start August 18, 2026.
SEA 201: Ocean Conservation
Oceans cover 71% of the planet and generate more than half of Earth’s oxygen. Ocean Conservation focuses on the science, policy and practice of protecting marine ecosystems, from coral reef restoration and fisheries management to the legal frameworks shaping the high seas. This is a strong entry point for learners drawn to marine careers.
Classes start October 13, 2026.
How it works
ASU Universal Learner Courses are college-level courses designed by ASU faculty who teach on-campus students at one of the nation’s top-ranked public research universities. Getting started is straightforward:
- Go to the course page and sign up, no application required.
- Enroll for $25.
- Complete the course. If you’re satisfied with your grade, pay the $400 credit conversion fee to add it to your official ASU transcript.
- Not satisfied? Walk away. No penalty, no record.
Credits are widely transferable to hundreds of institutions around the world. Check with your institution of choice to confirm how they apply to their specific degree requirements.
Where these credits lead
As you take Universal Learner Courses, you unlock the option to earn admission to an ASU degree program or transfer your credit to hundreds of institutions worldwide. You can stack certificates as you work toward your degree and add them to your resume.
These four Conservation Futures Academy courses go further. They are designed to count toward ASU conservation bachelor’s degree programs launching through the Rob Walton School of Conservation Futures. Taking them now means you’re both exploring a career and building toward one.
For students considering a future in conservation, these courses offer a chance to begin exploring the field today while earning college credit that may apply to future academic pathways. ASU’s Rob Walton School of Conservation Futures is developing a new bachelor’s degree program and anticipates having more information to share in Fall 2026. If approved, the first cohort of students would begin in Spring 2027.
Start learning today
Fall A courses (start August 18, 2026)
- CGF 194: Being the Change
- CNV 194: Introduction to Conservation
- CGF 194: Earth Intelligence: Data, AI and a Changing World
Fall B course (starts October 13, 2026)
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