Organic Agriculture Undergraduate Certificate
WSU's online certificate in organic agriculture provides training in the agricultural sciences, including an understanding of complex agriculture and food systems. It equips students for professions ranging from starting a farm to food industry management.
The certificate is an 18-credit undergraduate program ideal for agriculture professionals wishing to learn about organic methods, anyone interested in beginning a community supported agriculture (CSA) farm, home gardeners, WSU agriculture students, and others with an interest in organic agriculture.
WSU was the first in the nation to offer a degree in organic agriculture, reflecting the university's commitment to the field.
All courses are available online
-
(9 semester credits)
All courses are three credits.
All courses must be completed with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.
For complete details about the certificate, visit the Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences website
- SoilS 101 - Organic Gardening and Farming
- SoilS 201 [BSCI][B] - Soil: A Living System
- SoilS/AFS 302 [M] - Introduction of Agroecology
-
(3 semester credits minimum)
- SoilS 498 - Professional Internship
The internship can be one of the most valuable parts of the certificate, because it is a real-life experience. Students arrange their internship (paid or unpaid) with an organic farmer, organic business, or organic certifying agency. Usually an internship is at least 20 hours per week for 12 weeks. Students keep a daily diary and write a 10-page paper on their experience. For a look at one student’s internship, please watch the video above.
- SoilS 498 - Professional Internship
-
(6 semester credits minimum)
- AFS/CRS 445 - Field Analysis of Sustainable Food Systems
- Biol 140 [BSCI][B] - Introduction to Nutritional Science
- CropS/SoilS 360 [I] - World Agricultural Systems (Course Prerequisite: 3 units of [B] GER or [BSCI] UCORE)
- CropS 443 - Plant Breeding for Organic Agriculture (Course Prerequisite: CropS/Hort 202; Biol 106 or 120)
- EconS 101 [SSCI][S] - Fundamentals of Microeconomics (Course Prerequisite: See the
WSU Catalog)
OR
EconS 102 [SSCI][S] - Fundamentals of Macroeconomics (Course Prerequisite: See the WSU Catalog) - SoilS 441 - Soil Fertility (Course Prerequisite: SoilS 201)
Once all courses are completed, students can download the form to apply for the Organic Agriculture Certificate here.
The maximum number of credit hours earned at other institutions that may apply towards a WSU certificate shall not exceed 1/4 of the total number of credit hours required for the certificate.