Academic Framework
The Institute confers two ceremonial academic distinctions upon persons it judges to have demonstrated a meaningful commitment to peripatetic inquiry.
These distinctions are self-created, self-conferred, and entirely non-accredited by any external body. The Institute considers this an asset rather than a limitation. Institutional authority, like most things of value, is ultimately a matter of conviction, ceremony, and sufficiently impressive paperwork.
The Institute's degrees are issued with complete sincerity and should be received in the same spirit. They do not qualify the holder for employment, graduate study, or professional licensure. They do qualify the holder for an enhanced sense of intellectual purpose when walking somewhere interesting.
Doctor of Peripatetic Studies
D.P.S.
Doctor of Peripatetic Studies
The Doctor of Peripatetic Studies is the highest academic distinction established by the Institute. It is awarded in recognition of foundational or exceptional contributions to the study of place through movement: sustained engagement with landscapes, substantive intellectual contributions to peripatetic inquiry, and demonstrated commitment to the methods and principles the Institute holds dear.
The degree was first conferred upon Bryan Johns, Founding Director, at the establishment of the Institute in Anno Domini MMXXIV. It was the natural and indeed only appropriate beginning for an institution of this kind.
The founding conferral is documented in a personalized diploma and a separate instrument of conferral, both held as repository artifacts of the Institute. These documents are not available for public download, which lends them an appropriate aura of exclusivity.
Licentiate of Peripatetic Studies
L.P.S.
Licentiate of Peripatetic Studies
The Licentiate of Peripatetic Studies is the Institute's lesser — though by no means insignificant — ceremonial qualification. It is awarded to those who, in the judgment of the Institute and upon no more evidence than they themselves provide, have engaged in meaningful peripatetic activity and stand ready to continue doing so.
The Licentiate is conferred by diploma and accompanied by a formal letter from the Founding Director. Both documents are generated through the Institute's diploma generator and may be printed and displayed without embarrassment.
The Institute takes the view that a qualification earnestly received is worth as much as the earnestness of its reception. It therefore encourages all Licentiates to accept their distinction with the seriousness it deserves, frame it if they wish, and go for a walk.
Founding Charter
The Institute was constituted by a founding charter, signed by the Founding Director at the time of the Institute's establishment. The charter sets out the Institute's name, mission, philosophical principles, governance structure, and authority to confer its ceremonial distinctions.
The charter is available for review and may be saved as a PDF through the browser's native print function.