BA (Hons) Sustainable futures
2025 Applications now open

Learning to live in a
warming world

A unique college in and around the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, Wales, to create a future where nature and humans thrive. BMC focuses on the challenge of our times: how to build a fair and just society within safe planetary boundaries.

We believe in education that empowers people to build resilience in the face of the climate and ecological crisis. Our approach is built on rethinking traditional learning to foster the skills, creativity, and systems thinking needed for a more sustainable future.

Our countryside-based campus is a living classroom, with access to biodiverse landscapes that inspire and challenge our students to connect deeply with nature.

  • Higher Education

    Higher Education

    BA (Hons) Sustainable Futures: Arts, Ecology and Systems Change. Multi-disciplinary thinking to develop critical transferable skills and implement real-world change. Pioneer more sustainable futures.

  • Further Education

    Further Education

    Focused on sustainability and ecological restoration, our practical NVQs provide students with the tools to make a real-world impact.

  • Short Courses & Workshops

    Short Courses & Workshops

    Learn sustainable practices through hands-on workshops in community-driven, outdoor settings, or explore accredited and online courses designed to empower change.

Why study at Black Mountains College

Hands-On, real-world Learning

BMC emphasises practical learning experiences, offering students the chance to work on regenerative projects in local communities, farms, and natural settings in and around the Bannau Brycheiniog region.

small class
sizes

BMC focuses on small class sizes, which allows for a more personalised and immersive educational experience. Each student gets individual mentorship and hands-on opportunities​. 

Well-being of Future Generations

We align our educational model with the Well-being of Future Generations Act, ensuring that every student’s learning journey contributes to long-term environmental, social, and economic sustainability​.

accessible
to all

Climate breakdown is indiscriminate and universal. Educational opportunities to prepare for and mitigate its effects must also be universal. We are committed to reducing barriers and are open to all.

Where is Black
Mountains College?

Our journey began in Talgarth, the gateway to the Black Mountains, with the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park as our campus. Troed-yr-Harn, our upland hill farm, serves as our main base, alongside various community and nature-based settings in and around the historic market town. 

In 2023 we solidified a partnership with Welcome to Our Woods in Treherbert, establishing another learning hub in the Rhondda Valleys at the southern boundary of the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. The learning sites here are deeply rooted in the local community.

Our latest updates

Read our student stories

Our students’ stories are a testament to personal transformation and impact. From mastering sustainable practices in regenerative horticulture to leading community-based conservation projects, each journey reflects a commitment to shaping a greener and more equitable future.