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GETTING A DIPLOMA IN APPLIED PERMACULTURE DESIGN

Short summary

After you have completed a verified PDC (Permaculture Design Certificate) course and you want to extend your studies and further develop your design and practical skills within permaculture, you can apply for a Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design with the Nordic Permaculture Academy (NPA).

This is done through a process which will take you a minimum of 2 years after finishing the PDC by designing and documenting a Diploma Portfolio of relevant Design work and Activities. This process is based on self-managed planning, work and learning.

The Diploma Portfolio should demonstrate that you have developed into a proficient Permaculture designer and that you have a thorough understanding of the Permaculture ethics and design principles. You also have to show proficiency in using different design tools and a variety of design frameworks. A list of relevant Activities which show how you have implemented Permaculture in your life and work should also be included in your Diploma Portfolio together with your Learning Pathway which show how you have developed your design practice

After your work has been approved and you have delivered your final Diploma Presentation, you will be accredited a Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design which will be registered with the Nordic Permaculture Academy.

Why get a Diploma?

As a Diploma holder with the NPA, you will be able to:

  • conduct professional design consultancy with intent to spread Permaculture
  • arrange and provide quality assured PDC courses on your own
  • be an active agent, promoting Permaculture in your everyday life
    The Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design is awarded to individuals, not places or projects.

THE DIPLOMA PROCESS

What do I need to do?

(More detailed information will be given at the first Introduction meeting, once you register as a Diploma Apprentice.)

  1. Register – After verification of your PDC certificate, you need to register as a Diploma Apprentice with the NPA and pay for the initial start-up package. For more on prices see Fees & Costs.
  2. Choose a Diploma mentor – Available mentors, their working areas and domains are listed at the NPA mentors. The mentor will set up a first meeting, giving you a more detailed introduction to the Diploma process, and the different resources available. 
  3. Design your Diploma Pathway – Make a plan or design for how you will attain a Diploma – Your Diploma Pathway.
  4. Work with your Designs – 10 designs are required to be able to accredit. A wide variety of designs is desirable and you can use the Permaculture Flower as your guide and create designs within each of the domains. The criteria for designs are described in this Criteria Summary and each design will be assessed on the basis of these criteria. You will learn along the way together with your mentor and the NPA learning community how designs are assessed and what to pay special attention to.
  5. Assessment by mentor – Your first mentor will assess your work to determine when your Design Portfolio is ready to be assessed by a second mentor. This is done to ensure quality, both in your work and in the work of the first mentor. When both mentors consent to approve your Diploma Portfolio, you are ready to present your work. 
  6. Presentation of Diploma Portfolio – After approved assessment, you will present your Diploma Portfolio. This is a Celebration event, not a test.
  7. Accreditation – Your Diploma will be registered, and your work will be published on the Nordic Permaculture Academy website.

 

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THE PERMACULTURE FLOWER

Your Diploma Portfolio is a representation of your work with Permaculture and it showcases your competences and skills within applied Permaculture design. The Permaculture Flower is a holistic concept displaying the seven domains of Permaculture. The evolution of your Permaculture design work often connect these domains. Your completed design work (10 designs) should cover all the domains of the Permaculture flower. You don’t need to do a separate design for each domain within the flower, but your portfolio should cover all domains. (A design can cover more than one domain.)

DIPLOMA PORTFOLIO CRITERIA

A Permaculture Diploma process can take quite a few years for some of us. Permaculture learning is dynamic and adaptive to the surroundings, and therefore some criteria might change during your work. Basically you can follow the path and the criteria that was set when you started, but even you as an apprentice might have to adapt to a changing world sometimes ???? Talk to your mentor if you are unsure.

Criteria evaluated and updated: January 2025

In order to have your Diploma Portfolio assessed, the following criteria have to be met:

1. You have completed at least one approved PDC-course and you are registered as a Diploma Apprentice with the NPA. Your PDC-certificate does not have to be from the Nordic countries, but it needs to be verified by the Nordic Permaculture Academy. 

2. You have a Diploma Pathway 

You are able to show your path from your aims and objectives for getting the diploma, to how you have accomplished it. Your diploma pathway can either be one of your ten designs, or it can be a separate guiding document for your whole diploma process. The Diploma Pathway is the path you take towards designing and living a more regenerative Permaculture lifestyle in line with the Permaculture ethical framework.

3. You have produced 10 designs, and demonstrated design skills which are up to the required standard. And you are able to

        • Use permaculture ethics, principles and theory as appropriate to the situation.
        • Make accurate and appropriate use of intentional design processes and tools.
        • Show that you can produce designs that include land and social/economical aspects relevant to your situation.
        • Show that you can create designs for yourself and for a client (another person, an organisation, etc).
        • Show how your design work covered all the domains of the Permaculture flower. You don’t have to have a separate design for each domain within the flower, but your portfolio should cover all domains. (A design can cover more than one domain.)
        • Create designs that are intelligible, coherent and effective.
        • Choose and produce appropriate presentation and documentation methods for your portfolio.
        • Demonstrate how your work relates to your personal diploma pathway.
        • Show 10 designs that are uniquely yours.
        • Summarise your design skills in the Matrix.

4. You can show a list of Relevant Activities which demonstrate

      • That you have gained appropriate experience in your field of diploma work (see advice at the bottom)
      • How you have implemented permaculture in your life and work, since taking the PDC.
      • That you have taken part in assessing designs collaboratively together with others in the NPA.
      • That you have finished a certified Permaculture Teachers Course, or equivalent (your mentor can guide you if your unsure)
      • How you have gained the appropriate experience in facilitating, teaching and spreading permaculture through courses and trainings, e.g. shadowing other Permaculture teachers, co-facilitating sessions at PDC-courses.
      • All your training can be done within the Nordic countries but it is also possible to gain this experience outside the Nordic countries. To make it easier to assess your Diploma portfolio, we want a list of all appropriate Relevant Activities (training/experience) in chronological order.

5. You are able to reflect on your permaculture practice and learn from it. You will be able to

      • Show how you evaluate the effectiveness of your design work.
      • Reflect on your use of permaculture theory and practice, including design processes, design tools and practical skills.
      • Show how your skills and understanding have developed since completing the PDC.
      • Document your reflexive process, describing your learning development through your 10 designs.

If you plan to become a teacher of PDCs with the NPA you need to:

      • complete a Permaculture Teacher Training or likewise
      • do job shadowing on at least one other PDC 
      • be well updated and have taken relevant courses in different topics like social permaculture, ecobuilding, sociocracy, no-dig market gardening, regenerative agriculture, agroforestry, etc
      • start teaching some of these topics to build your curriculum and teaching style

Advisable and relevant activities to show appropriate experience in your field of diploma work – a few examples

If you plan on working as a permaculture design consultant it is advisable that you try to gain appropriate experience within this field of work. This can be done by

      • helping to design other people’s properties such as farms and gardens, or apply permaculture design to businesses or organizations.
      • apprenticing with an experienced designer.

Other relevant activities for your diploma work can be listed such as:

      • events attended/organized
      • LAND certification
      • articles, papers and books written, podcasts and films made.
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FEES & COSTS

 Diploma Costs

Joining the Diploma program at the Nordic Permaculture Academy involves receiving tutorial support and your work being assessed by a qualified mentor.

All tutoring fees are paid directly by the apprentice to the mentor, as and when you receive tutorials and assessments. Your chosen mentor will typically provide all of your tutorials including your introduction session, personal tutorials, design support tutorials and assessment of your designs. If you decide to change mentor, you will pay directly to this new mentor.

Assessment by your final portfolio is carried out by a second mentor, who you pay to directly for his/her time.

When starting your path towards the Diploma, you are charged 600 DKK as a Registration fee. After that, hourly rates are paid to your mentor when you work together.

 

Activity Fee SEK Fee DKK Note
Standard hourly rate 500 500 1 hr per Jan 1st 2025
Registration fee 600 All registration fees are paid in Danish DKK.
Introduction event 1000 1000 2 hrs
Individual Design Assessment(design 1-10) hourly rate hourly rate App. 1-2 hrs per design incl. written feedback
Halfway Portfolio Assessment, summary (design 1-5) hourly rate hourly rate App. 2 hrs incl. feedback on onward work process
Final Portfolio Assessment, (design 5-10) hourly rate hourly rate App. 2 hrs incl. feedback on final presentation
External Portfolio Assessment, by second mentor (design 1-10) hourly rate hourly rate App. 5 hrs incl. feedback
Final Presentation Event 1500 1500 2,5 hrs

You may also be charged in the equivalent amount in Euros (EUR).

We highly recommend personal tutorials during your Diploma pathway, albeit these are not mandatory. If you are already registered at the NPA, design support tutorials can be with any mentor from the Academy. You can find all mentors here.

Travel costs

You are responsible for all tutorial travel costs, (i.e. Introduction event, Personal Tutorials, Design Support Tutorial, Interim Portfolio Assessment, Assessment tutorials). The cheapest option is usually for you to travel to your mentor’s chosen venue, however you may arrange with your mentor to travel to you. In the case of your mentor making the journey you are responsible for travel time and costs incurred by your mentor(s). By agreement beforehand of course. You are required to arrange this directly with your mentor and pay any costs for travel time and expenses directly to them. Some mentors are happy to conduct the Personal Tutorials by phone, or virtual software to help reduce costs.

You may also arrange tutorials at the annual Diploma Gathering or other events. The Gathering will be an opportunity to have a tutorial with a wider selection of mentors, whilst not incurring additional mentor travel costs.

Bear in mind, that it is highly preferable for your mentor to visit the physical design location(s) at least once during your Diploma work.

Annual activities

Each year, mentors at the Academy organize Diploma Gatherings and meetings for apprentices and mentors to:

  • Connect with other apprentices and mentors
  • Form working, interest groups and guilds to assist you in your work
  • Share experiences and design work
  • Develop the Diploma pathway

Participation fees are paid when registering for each event and are not included in the above-mentioned essential costs.

Monthly activity

Every month on the 7th we will host an online gathering at 7 pm CET. The aim is for diploma apprentices to connect, build network, find a diploma guild and ask questions about designs or the diploma pathway. Just show up as you are.

Fee guarantee

The Nordic Permaculture Academy guarantees to keep all fees fixed for a period of one year. There will be an annual review of the fees, and changes to the fees will be implemented from January 1st every year.

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