Permaculture design is an ethically based, whole-systems design approach to create sustainable human settlements and institutions. Although rooted in horticulture and agriculture, permaculture design also touches on regional planning, ecology, animal husbandry, technology, architecture and international development.

Online and instructor-led, the Permaculture Design Certificate offered by Professional and Continuing Education at Oregon State University arms participants with the knowledge needed to successfully employ permaculture philosophies and techniques.

Our Permaculture Design Course Equips You to Create a Design in 10 Weeks

Within a collaborative, academically rigorous curriculum, you will complete regenerative landscape projects with intensive instructor feedback and one-on-one interaction to help with every step along the way. You will learn or expand your skills of translating site observations and designs to paper or digital applications such as Powerpoint, Google Slides, Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop.

Through instruction and tutorials, you will build or improve your visual communication skills through pen and paper or graphic design. You will need access to a physical project site to use for class assignments. You don't have to own the land, but it's important to physically visit the site in order to build a customized permaculture design plan in this course.

You can expect to create a sustainable Permaculture design in this course, with design work beginning on Day One. Each assignment creates a new layer in the permaculture design process, culminating in a unique site design plan for residential, agricultural or other natural areas. These plans will be an excellent first draft that allows you to develop a permaculture plan to be used at home or as a portfolio to share with prospective clients.