You can contact the Diploma Support Worker, Joanna Dornan, at the Permaculture Association Office for an application pack, or download it from the link at the end of this page.

If you are based outside the UK, please look at the information provided by the Chaordic Permaculture Institute
 

What is the Diploma? A summary of the essentials:

• Pre-requisites:  Students must have successfully completed a 72 hour Full Permaculture Design Course, and be a member of the Permaculture Association.  Must maintain membership of the Permaculture Association for duration of course.
• Minimum 2 year course of self-directed study, currently no upper time limit for completion. 
• 10 separate designs – Not all of these designs need to be implemented but some need to be implemented.  Not all designs need to be land-based.  (these 10 designs do not all need to be separate projects, but instead can be a combination of overall designs for a project and designs for different parts of a main project. They can include designs for the ‘invisible’ structures of projects, (e.g. organisational design) as well as land-based or physical structures of a project) 
• Minimum 4 'Action Learning Tutorials' with your allocated Action Learning Tutor (included in the price of the course)
• It is suggested that you complete at least 4 'Design Support tutorials'. These are arranged by you directly with your Action Learning Tutor or another tutor of your choice (additional to the price of the course)
• Any number of specialist courses and technical tutorials that you identify as requirements to fulfil your own goals.
• Evidencing all your work and documenting your progression into a Portfolio of Work
• An accreditation event to consisting of a 45 minute presentation to a panel of peers and already accredited diploma holders.
• Cost £275 (plus the cost of at least 4 Design Support Tutorials and any specialist courses and/or technical tutorials you require.)

What is the cost? 
The fee for registering for the Diploma is £200 plus £75 for accreditation. This total of £275 is payable to the Permaculture Association.

The registration fee can be paid as one payment, or by standing order with a deposit of £20 and monthly or quarterly payments. The fee of £75 for the accreditation is payable towards the end of the course prior to the Accreditation Event.

Cost breakdown is shown below.

Course costs: 
Admin fee  £20
Telephone support £20
Action learning tutorials and local support £100
System development  £60
Total £200

Accreditation costs:
Administration £25
Presiding diplomat’s fee  £25
System development  £25
Total £75

The cost does not include:

• The cost of any of the 'Design Support Tutorials'
• The cost of any Technical Tutorials
• The cost of any specialist courses. 

This costing scheme is designed to make the diploma as flexible and affordable as possible.  It is then up to the student to decide what additional elements they wish to include and to personalise their diploma to suit. 

Independent Route

An independent route process is available to students that:

• Completed their design course at least five years ago.

• Can demonstrate that they have been working on permaculture design and implementation projects during those five years.

To establish whether a student will qualify we arrange an initial design support tutorial with a diplomat. The tutor will help establish whether a sufficient body of work has been done and is available for presentation. If this is the case, then a recommendation to proceed will be given and the student can register for the Diploma accreditation process. Students that are unable to produce adequate evidence of working for five years or more on permaculture design projects will be recommended to start the full two year Diploma process.

Registration Fee

Admin and accounts £30

Action learning tutorials and local support £50

Diploma phone support £10

System development £50

Total £140 plus accreditation (as above) £75 = £215

It is recommended that independent route students also have two design support tutorials to review work.

Upload a document: 

Registration pack for the Diploma in Applied Permaculture