Certificate Holistic Landscape Design

Program Summary - Landscape Design

The first program of its kind in the nation, the Certificate in Holistic Landscape Design is a valuable training opportunity for those who want to build upon their knowledge of medicinal and edible plants and apply that expertise to the development of sustainable landscapes.

Grounded in the philosophy of working with nature rather than against it, the certificate program engages students through a hands on curriculum. Courses such as Soil Ecology, Biodynamic Agriculture, and Medicinal and Edible Plants in the Landscape support the program's core objectives of graduating students who:

• Understand techniques for the sustainable cultivation of food and medicinal plants.
• Can apply sustainable landscape measures creatively, designing for biodiversity, therapeutic utility and aesthetics.
• Know the importance and elements of soil science and how to use this knowledge in horticultural methods.

While best suited to students or graduates of degree programs in botany, horticulture, herbal science, nutrition or naturopathic medicine, the holistic landscape design program is open to anyone with a creative eye and a passion for ecology and sustainability. Students who complete the program are equipped to develop sustainable landscapes that benefit both the environment and the human community.

Program Features

• A convenient one-year evening and weekend course schedule.
• One of only four institutions in the U.S. that offers a permaculture qualification, and the only one with a focus on the therapeutic value of a medicinal and edible landscape.
• The University's wooded 51-acre campus – which includes the Bastyr Medicinal Herb Garden and a new LEED-certified Student Village – provides excellent spaces for hands-on training in landscape design, implementation and maintenance.
• The Bastyr library provides a rich source of medicinal and edible plant information, including cultivation and landscaping resources.
• An experienced faculty comprised of permaculture design instructors, biodynamic agriculture professionals, organic garden and greenhouse managers, arborists, herbalists, carpenters, agroforesters, and ethnobotanists. 

Prerequisites - Landscape Design

Prior to enrolling, students must have completed 90 quarter credits (60 semester credits) of college-level coursework.

Students must also have completed the following specific coursework, either as part of their 90 credits or in equivalent coursework.

• Introduction to Botany
• Organic GardeningGardening coursework taken not for college credit will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Organic Gardening and Introduction to Botany are both offered at Bastyr University during the summer quarter. Applicants may take these courses to meet the prerequisites. Be advised these courses may only be offered in a weekday format.

In order to be prepared for the concepts covered in the Holistic Landscape Design program, coursework in the following areas is strongly advised:

• Chemistry – survey-level to cover general inorganic and organic concepts, no labs required
• Biology – basic biological concepts desired, covering cell and plant biology, no labs required
• Public Speaking coursework or experience
• General Education material to round out the 90 college credits, including some Humanities, English, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences