UMass Sustainable Food and Farming

Certificate Program

Open to all students with a high school diploma or GED.

Requirements for completion of the certificate (minimum 15 credits)

Students must select AT LEAST one of the following science courses:

PLSOILIN 100 – Botany for Gardeners (4 cr.) - Summer or Winter (online) or Fall (in class)

PLSOILIN 102 - Intro to Botany (4 cr.) - Fall (in class)

PLSOILIN 105 - Introductory Soil Science (4 cr.) - Fall or Spring (in class)

PLSOILIN 115 – Plants, Soils and the Environment (3 cr.) – Summer (online) or Spring (in class)

Students may select from the following courses to total 15 credits:

PLSOILIN 120 – Organic Gardening and Farming (4 cr.) - Summer (online) or Fall (in class)

PLSOILIN 185 – Sustainable Living (3 cr.) - Summer (online) or Spring (in class)

PLSOILIN 290C - Land Use Policies and U.S. Agriculture - (3 cr.) - Summer (online)

PLSOILIN 290U - Urban Agriculture: Innovative Farming Systems for the 21st Century (3 cr.) - Winter (online)

PLSOILIN 397C – Community Food Systems (3 cr.) - Fall (in class)

PLSOILIN 397M - Applied Marketing for the Green Industry (3cr.) - Fall (in class)

STOCKSCH 397P - Food Justice and Policy (3 cr.) - Spring (in class)

UWW 397A- Introduction to Sustainable Entrepreneurship - Spring (online)

Certificate requirements: The certificate is awarded to students completing at least 15 credits of the required courses with a grade of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for each course counted toward the certificate. All courses must be taken through the University of Massachusetts. All requirements for the certificate may be counted toward the Sustainable Food and Farming major. Other UMass classes may be substituted for the pre-approved classes with permission of the Program Coordinator.

To apply to be advised in this program, please return the attached application to Dr. John Gerber at any time. You may take individual classes without applying for the certificate.

Certification process: Upon meeting the requirements, students must submit a certificate application form and formal request to have their transcript sent to the Certificate Program Coordinator for auditing and approval. To apply to be advised in this program, please return the attached application to Dr. John Gerber at any time. You may take individual classes without applying.

For information contact: Dr. John M. Gerber at jgerber@psis.umass.edu.