This article argues for the integration of both scholastic and practice-centred epistemologies within an Environmental Education (EE) post-graduate curriculum that is oriented towards sustainability and socio-ecological justice. It is an interpretive study based on an in-depth analysis of five assignments by four scholars registered for the M.Ed. EE course at Rhodes University where a contextualised, reflexive research process, based in a work-place context, forms the integrative pedagogic tool. Analyses indicate that involving students in such a process, with close support and guidance, is an effective means of developing both scholastic and practical epistemologies. It is concluded that research-led integration of scholastic and practice-centred epistemologies in a transformational curriculum has the potential to provide epistemological access to the academy, advance knowledge within disciplines, and challenge the dominance of scholastic knowledge in higher education settings. (Contains 1 note and 1 table.)