| This page lists programs and
resources for students seeking the best global graduate education
presently available in futures
studies (FS) (also known as strategic foresight,
prospective studies, prognostics, futurology, futuring, futuristics,
and other terms) and related disciplines. The singular "future
studies" is less-preferred by academics, as there is
a plurality of possible futures for human cultures. As a prospective
futurist,
any of these might be helpful to your professional development.
Overview
Futures studies (FS) is an inherently interdisciplinary program
that seeks to reliably improve universal, global, societal,
organizational, and individual foresight. It involves the
formal study of trends, prediction analysis, scenarios, images
of the future, visioning, long-range planning, forecasting,
scanning, and related disciplines. Creating, anticipating,
and managing change in our increasingly fast-paced, technological
and globalized world is an extraordinary challenge.
Like science and technology studies (STS), a similarly cross-disciplinary
activity, futures studies MS and PhD programs can live in
a wide range of schools and departments at the university.
In the ideal case, we believe such programs should exist as
independently-funded interdisciplinary centers at the university,
able to collaborate on foresight projects with all interested
campus academic departments, as well other universities, government,
and corporate clients. Below is ASF's current framework for
Primary and Secondary futures specialties. A global list of
futures educational frameworks may be found here.
Acceleration Studies
Foundation - Futures Education Framework
| Primary
Futures Specialties (24)
|
Secondary
Futures Specialties (24) |
|
Alternative
Futures
Cross Impact and Pattern Analysis
Critical Futures and CLA
Development and Acceleration Studies
Emerging Issues/ Technology Analysis
Environmental/ Horizon Scanning
Ethnographic Futures
Forecasting and Modeling (basic)
Foresight Frameworks and Foundations
History and Analysis of Prediction
Images of the Future
Personal Futures/ Foresight Development
Prediction Markets
Predictive Surveys/ Delphi
Roadmapping
Scenario Development and Backcasting
Scenario Planning
Strategic Foresight
Systems Thinking
Transhumanist/ Ethics of Emerging Tech Studies
Trend Extrapolation
Visioning, Intuition, and Creativity
Weak Signals
Wildcards
|
Actuarial
Science and Risk Assessment
Cognitive and Positive Psychology
Collaboration, Facilitation, and Peace/Conflict Studies
Complexity, Evo Devo and Systems Studies
Critical and Evidence-Based Thinking
Ethics and Values Studies
Evolution Studies
Forecasting and Modeling (advanced)
Futures, Sci-Fi, Utopian, and Dystopian Lit Studies
Innovation and Entrepreneurship Studies
Integral Studies and Thinking
Investing and Finance (Long-Term)
Leadership Studies
Library Science, KM, and Decision Support
Long-Range and Urban Planning
Political Science and Policy Studies
Probabilistic (Statistical) Prediction
Preferential Surveys/Polls and Market Research
Religious Studies (Future Beliefs)
Science and Technology Studies
Socially Responsible / Triple Bottom Line Management
Sociology, Demographics and Social Change
Strategic Planning
Sustainability Studies |
| Other
Futures-Related Specialties (45, a partial
list) |
| Anthropology
| Architecture | Astrobiology | Biological Sciences |
Bioethics | Biotechnology | Business Administration |
Chemical Sciences | Cliometrics | Computer Modeling and
Simulation | Computer Science | Contemporary/Cultural
Studies | Cybernetics | Decision Analysis/Decision Theory
| Defense/National Security Studies | Development | Disaster/
Catastrophic Risk Management | Economics and Econometrics
| Education | Engineering | Evolutionary Biology | Game
Theory | Gambling Studies | Generational Studies | Geography
| History | History and Philosophy of Science and Technology
| Information Science | Investing and Finance (Short-Term)
| Knowledge Management | Library Science (general) | Management
| Management Science | Media and Communications | Marketing
| Mathematics | Operations Research | Philosophy | Physical
Sciences | Psychology (general) | Psychographics | Statistics
(general) | Technology Policy | Tourism | Urban Studies |
We suggest an MS or PhD futures studies program should provide
basic proficiency in all the primary futures specialties above
(the core curriculum of futures studies), and at least introduce
the key concepts and resources in the secondary specialties.
Electives and thesis topics should be possible in both primary
and secondary specialties. At present, extensive education
in primary specialties are rarely found outside of futures
education, but secondary specialties usually have their own
independent practitioner and education networks.
ASF also proposes that the best futures studies programs
(primary and secondary) should satisfy all of the following
requirements:
Ideal Admission Prerequisites
1. An undergraduate degree (undergrad FS should
be integrated and course-based, not degree-based)
2. Applied, specialized, real-world experience (3+ years
incoming experience after undergrad degree)
3. Science, tech, and history (econ, political and social)
prereqs or testing, with mandatory deficit remediation
Ideal Program Requirements
1. Broad-based, balanced, integral curriculum (all
quadrant, all level, all discipline, globally- and accel-aware)
2. Considers both evolutionary (possible and reversible)
and developmental (probable and irreversible) change
3. Measurably improves knowledge (pre- and in-program testing)
4. Measurably improves skills, incl. prediction and change
mgmt (validated via prediction markets, tests, etc.)
5. Multidisciplinary. FS students should become subject
matter experts (SME's) in more than one discipline
Not all of the programs below presently meet these requirements.
A handful of current programs are broadly acceleration-aware,
most are less so. Others to recommend? Edits or corrections?
Please let us know.
Primary
Programs English-language Instruction
English-language MS and PhD programs in any of the primary
futures studies subject areas (see above) are listed below.
AUSTRALIA
FINLAND
SOUTH AFRICA
| 3. |
U.
of Stellenbosch, Econ
& Mgmt Sci. and Inst.
for Futures Resrch. M.Phil,PhD
in Futures Studies (Econ/Mgmt).
| |
[Online
program, with six In-Person events] (English,
Afrikaans). Stellenbosch. Futures perspective
on org. strategy, long-term planning, development
philosophy, global change, forces and trends.
African context. Contact: Andre
Roux, Director. Potential FS Affiliate:
African
Futures Institute, Cape Town. |
|
TAIWAN
UNITED STATES
| 5. |
Regent
University, School
of Global Leadership & Entrep. MA
in Strategic Foresight (Bus. Admin.)
| |
[Online
program] (English). Virginia Beach. New program
for mid-career leaders, consultants, and strategic
managers. Christian university, but mostly ecumenical
learning context. Contact: Bruce
Snyder, Associate Dean. Jay
Gary, Professor. |
|
| 6. |
U.
of Hawaii at Manoa, Dept.
of Pol. Sci. and Hawaii
Rsrch Ctr for FS. MA,PhD
in Alternative Futures (Pol Sci).
| |
(English). Manoa. Long-lived, well-regarded
program (since 1976). Strong in visioning, scenarios,
and alternative futures development. MA students
often go on to the PhD. Contact: Jake Dunagan,
HRCFS
Administration. Jim
Dator, Director. |
|
| 7. |
U.
of Houston, College
of Technology. MS
in Studies of the Future (Technology).
| |
(English). Houston. Long-lived, well-regarded
program (since 1975). Trains professional futurists
for the marketplace. Strong in sociology, methods,
largest practitioner alumni network. Was formerly
at UH Clear Lake.
Program is presently under review. Contact:
Peter
Bishop, Director. |
|
Primary
Programs Other Language Instruction
Non-English MS and PhD programs in any of the primary futures
studies subject areas (see above) are listed below.
FRANCE
MEXICO
TAIWAN
Three decades after the first graduate FS program emerged
(Houston, 1975), there are clearly far fewer primary programs
today than we might hope or expect. As futurists, we must
challenge the scarcity of foresight in global culture, and
do everything we can to ensure our existing programs offer
obvious value to students in a world of accelerating change.
We believe that improving, networking, and promoting our
best futures studies programs should be top priorities for
the global futurist community, both academic (WFSF,
etc.), professional (APF,
etc.) and general (WFS,
etc.). As Peter Bishop, Director of the Houston
MS program notes, we must put particular emphasis on improving
our FS doctoral programs, which do basic FS research and produce
faculty able to staff new MS and PhD programs. We must also
do our best to ensure that the leaders of our primary programs
and key faculty in our secondary programs are publishing,
practicing futurists.
Select
Secondary Programs English Instruction
(except where indicated)
MS and PhD programs in secondary futures studies
subject areas (see top of page) which either 1)
place a notable emphasis on any of the primary FS subjects
or 2) have on-campus futures research centers
which may be used for potential affiliations during graduate
study, are listed below. Most offer English-language instruction,
except where indicated.
For additional secondary programs, see Graduate
Programs for Understanding and Managing Accelerating Change.
For Jose Ramos excellent 2002 FS survey,
with additional program and contact detail, see International
Survey of University Futures Courses (PDF, 43 pages).
For a list of bioethics programs potentially conducive to
scholarship on human-machine symbiosis (transhumanism), see
the WTA's Programs
for Graduate Studies in Bioethics. For a great but unselective
database of graduate programs (US, International, and Distance),
see GradSchools.com.
Browse
All Subjects.
ARGENTINA
AUSTRALIA
BELGIUM
CANADA
COLOMBIA
ECUADOR
FRANCE
HUNGARY
GERMANY
GHANA
INDIA
| |
University
of Kerala. Dept.
of Futures Studies. MS
Technology Management, Tourism Administration
| |
(Hindi, English). Kerala. Good
Tech Mgmt/FS choice. The university claims
to also offer "an interdisciplinary M.Phil
and PhD program in futures studies," but
there is no apparent broad training in FS methods.
Listed FS-related study areas are technology
or tourism oriented, such as: Impacts of Information
Tech, Energy Planning, Ancipatory Crisis Mgmt
of AIDS, Systems Modelling, Ecotourism Development
in Kerala. Good opportunity to create a Primary
FS program. |
|
IRELAND
ISRAEL
JAPAN
MEXICO
NETHERLANDS
PAKISTAN
PERU
RUSSIA
SINGAPORE
SOUTH KOREA
SWEDEN
UNITED KINGDOM
|