A Permaculture Track at the University of Minnesota
In the past, I have advised current and prospective students about their coursework and permaculture. Below is the self directed track for my BS program in permaculture design. It was called Temperate Climate Polyculture Design. This is not an actual track in the university system, but a list of courses I have taken or are required within horticulture majors. Some 1xxx courses are high school AP classes. The combination of design, ecology, and horticulture courses builds an education with the breadth and depth to design resilient ecological systems. It also builds the skill required for professional design presentations incorporating permaculture principles. Choose your path and specialize your expertise in design. Be advised, I have heard from graduates in my classes that their Landscape Architecture degrees do not contain the horticultural and biological foundations for ecological design. That is why they are in my permaculture design classes after graduation.
If teaching is the goal, I suggest immediate and prolonged experiential learning in real courses starting as a TA and progressing ASAP to presenting lesson plans. Mileage with constant improvements is the key to good teaching. Find a mentor and learn by teaching.
Similar courses exist at OSU, MSU, UNL, Cornell, and other research universities. Offerings change each semester and course content varies per instructor. Many important educational opportunities are outside the college system. Take advantage of short term work-study opportunities.
My Masters degree courses are also listed at the bottom.
Degree : Bachelor of Science and MPS
Academic Program : CLA or College of Continuing Education
Plan : ICP, BIS, or Hort
Concentration : Permaculture in Horticultural Design
Suggested Ecological Design Track
BIOL 1009 General Biology
HORT 1015 Woody & Herbaceous Plants (Species and Taxonomy)
MATH 1031 College Algebra
CHEM 1061 Chem Prin I and CHEM 1065 Chem Prin I Lab
HORT 2100 Agricultural Biochemistry (Optional)
HORT 1001 Plant Propagation (Plant Structures and Physiology)
PLPA 2001 Introductory Plant Pathology for Horticulturists (Optional, Diseases)
HORT 3005 Environmental Effects on Horticultural Crops (Climate and Weather)
HORT 1014 Edible Landscapes (Global Reference)
FR 3104 Forest Ecology (Montgomery)
SOIL 2125 Soil Science Resource (Cooper)
AGRO 4888 Issues in Sustainable Ag (Summer, Week Trip)
FR 3131 GIS for Natural Resources (ArcMap Skills)
Permaculture Ecological Designer Track (Years 1-4)
DES 1101W Introduction to Design Thinking
DES 2101 Design and Visual Presentation (Adobe Creative Suite)
GDES 3351 Text and Image (3352 prereq.)
DHA 3352 Identity and Symbols (Suman Chu)
HORT xxxx Sustainable Horticultural Design (New Design Course, Fall, 2013)
Independent Study (Years 3-4)
HORT 3090.1 D.S., Permaculture Design Certification (Off-site Summer PDC)
HORT 3090.2 D.S., Mechanisms of Facilitation (Student Research)
HORT 3090.3 D.S., Polyculture Design (Using Natural Capital Plant Database and Dave Jacke Books)
American Indian Semester Intensive
AMIN 3201W American Indian Literature
AMIN 3301 Am Indian Philosophies
AMIN 3303 Am Indians and Photography
AMIN XXXX Many Options
Degree: Masters of Professional Studies, Horticulture
HORT 5032 Org Veg Prod
HORT 5090 Directed Studies (Design Project)
HORT 5031 Org Viticulture & Fruit Prod
HORT 6011 Plant Prop (unless 1011 was taken)
EEB* 5068 Plant Physiological Ecology
ENT* 5341 Biol Control:Insects & Weeds
CI 5540 Ecology for Educators (Summer, Educator Track)
HORT 5012 Chinese Medicinal Herbs, Grow & Process
HORT 6002 Problem Solving in Hort (Final Project)
* Intense study with topics outside previous courses. (But very good)
D.S., Directed Study, (Independent Study).
Your comments on this list and other institutional offerings are appreciated.
Dan
If teaching is the goal, I suggest immediate and prolonged experiential learning in real courses starting as a TA and progressing ASAP to presenting lesson plans. Mileage with constant improvements is the key to good teaching. Find a mentor and learn by teaching.
Similar courses exist at OSU, MSU, UNL, Cornell, and other research universities. Offerings change each semester and course content varies per instructor. Many important educational opportunities are outside the college system. Take advantage of short term work-study opportunities.
My Masters degree courses are also listed at the bottom.
Degree : Bachelor of Science and MPS
Academic Program : CLA or College of Continuing Education
Plan : ICP, BIS, or Hort
Concentration : Permaculture in Horticultural Design
Temperate Climate Polyculture Design
Suggested Ecological Design Track
BIOL 1009 General Biology
HORT 1015 Woody & Herbaceous Plants (Species and Taxonomy)
MATH 1031 College Algebra
CHEM 1061 Chem Prin I and CHEM 1065 Chem Prin I Lab
HORT 2100 Agricultural Biochemistry (Optional)
HORT 1001 Plant Propagation (Plant Structures and Physiology)
PLPA 2001 Introductory Plant Pathology for Horticulturists (Optional, Diseases)
HORT 3005 Environmental Effects on Horticultural Crops (Climate and Weather)
HORT 1014 Edible Landscapes (Global Reference)
FR 3104 Forest Ecology (Montgomery)
SOIL 2125 Soil Science Resource (Cooper)
AGRO 4888 Issues in Sustainable Ag (Summer, Week Trip)
FR 3131 GIS for Natural Resources (ArcMap Skills)
Permaculture Ecological Designer Track (Years 1-4)
DES 1101W Introduction to Design Thinking
DES 2101 Design and Visual Presentation (Adobe Creative Suite)
GDES 3351 Text and Image (3352 prereq.)
DHA 3352 Identity and Symbols (Suman Chu)
HORT xxxx Sustainable Horticultural Design (New Design Course, Fall, 2013)
Independent Study (Years 3-4)
HORT 3090.1 D.S., Permaculture Design Certification (Off-site Summer PDC)
HORT 3090.2 D.S., Mechanisms of Facilitation (Student Research)
HORT 3090.3 D.S., Polyculture Design (Using Natural Capital Plant Database and Dave Jacke Books)
American Indian Semester Intensive
AMIN 3201W American Indian Literature
AMIN 3301 Am Indian Philosophies
AMIN 3303 Am Indians and Photography
AMIN XXXX Many Options
Degree: Masters of Professional Studies, Horticulture
HORT 5032 Org Veg Prod
HORT 5090 Directed Studies (Design Project)
HORT 5031 Org Viticulture & Fruit Prod
HORT 6011 Plant Prop (unless 1011 was taken)
EEB* 5068 Plant Physiological Ecology
ENT* 5341 Biol Control:Insects & Weeds
CI 5540 Ecology for Educators (Summer, Educator Track)
HORT 5012 Chinese Medicinal Herbs, Grow & Process
HORT 6002 Problem Solving in Hort (Final Project)
* Intense study with topics outside previous courses. (But very good)
D.S., Directed Study, (Independent Study).
Your comments on this list and other institutional offerings are appreciated.
Dan
Comments
I do not know the fisheries track, but I would suggest a focus on the ecology, ecological functions, and relationships of fish with plants. Aquaponics is a growing field and needs knowledgeable teachers. People are raising Blue Gill and Perch for food in natural systems.
I would think Fisheries is like hatcheries,all about propagation. Little about dynamics and ecological balance. What have you done so far. There is a lot to do in ag fields and plant physiology.
Dan
Thank you for this helpful information. I am looking to follow a similar path. Right now my husband and I have our PDCs and are starting a Permaculture Design company specializing in GIS. I would like to use my GI Bill benefits to get a Masters and take some of the classes you mention here. Is there someone at the U that you can recommend I talk with?
Thank you,
Megan Anderson
Bemidji, MN