10 Ways to Get a Vegan Education

You’re already making stellar choices every day to help animals and boost your health while simultaneously indulging in some of the most delicious food out there, but what if you could make a living just being your awesome self? Okay, so it’s slightly more complicated than that, but there are a plethora of fantastic education programs from certificates to master’s degrees available covering topics such as nutrition and health; culinary arts and cooking; humane animal treatment and activism; and even nonprofit business. If you’re serious about a career saving the seals or are convinced you have what it takes to develop the best vegan food products of all time, get to it! (And seriously, send us samples.) So sharpen your pencils, break out your binders, and expect to graduate with a degree in awesome.

Courses in Humane-ities
Live, eat, sleep, and breathe veganism and animal activism while always thinking about the big picture issues and striving to make the world a better place? We give you an A+ for effort, and we’d guess you’d probably earn a couple too if you were to enroll in these dedicated programs.
The Institute for Humane Education
This innovative education center developed the first humane education training certificate program and the first Master of Education in Humane Education in the US thanks to its partnership with Valparaiso University. The institute also offers a Master of Arts in Humane Education, concentrations in Humane Education for graduate programs in Instructional Leadership and Liberal Studies, and a credit-bearing Graduate Certificate in humane education. Want to really see your values manifest into action? This is the place to do it.
Humane Society Academy
HSA offers a variety of courses and programs as well as undergraduate and graduate degrees focusing on the human-animal bond and advocacy; animal care and protection; and policy, advocacy, education, and nonprofit management. Continuing-education courses are also available for industry professionals or those interested in personal in the humane movement, humane education, advocacy, and humane law enforcement.
Animal Legal Defense Fund Student Chapters & Animal Law Program
ALDF’s Animal Law Program works with existing school administrations to develop new animal-law courses and form Student Animal Legal Defense Fund chapters—student groups affiliated with ALDF that work toward bettering lives for animals via the legal system.
Main Street Vegan Academy
New York’s MSVA helps vegans become professional plant-based powerhouses, with Kat Mendenhall Boots, Riverdel Cheese, and JL Fields among its 260 graduates from 15 different countries. The program boasts an impressive faculty, unique field trips, post-graduation follow-up, comprehensive workshops led by vegan professionals and opportunity for invaluable networking.

Major [in] Nutrition
Wish you could write a prescription for kale? These comprehensive nutrition programs will help you get the greens to those in need of healthful guidance.
The Canadian School of Natural Nutrition
The program options at this accredited institution can help you start a career as a Registered Holistic Nutritionist while getting hands-on experience in natural nutrition.
Bastyr University
This nonprofit, private university offers undergraduate and graduate degrees focused on science-based natural medicine and combines mind, body, and spiritual practices that are rooted in medicines available in nature.
eCornell University Certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition
This online certificate program developed by The China Study author and biochemist T. Colin Campbell is designed for anyone from the general public to medical professionals in hopes of extending the reach of the power of plant-based diets to maintain health and prevent disease.

Vegan Cooking 101
Our favorite kinds of students are the ones who are in pursuit of filling our bellies. If you’re particularly gifted in the kitchen, why not take that skill to school and enroll in one of these tasty culinary programs?
Natural Gourmet Institute
You’ll be in good company if you study the culinary arts here—VegNews’ Publisher Colleen Holland is a graduate! Train to be a vegan chef or just take your home-cooked dishes up a notch with some public classes.
Living Light Culinary Institute
This raw institute offers a unique Raw Culinary Arts Associate Chef and Instructor Training Certification Program. This program does double duty as you learn to cook nutritionally dense meals while learning how to teach others the ropes, too.
The School of Natural Cookery
Whole foods living meets serious culinary expertise at this institution, where students learn to cook from instinct rather than recipe. Program commitments range from one week to more than a year.