To complete the certificate successfully, earn a total of 15 credit hours. Earn between 9 and 11 hours from four required courses, and the remaining credit hours from a long list of electives.
the courses
This is the final course in the program, where students hear industry speakers, discuss case studies, and present their research projects.
(1 hour; offered every Fall and Spring semester)
Organic Agriculture Seminar
AESC 4096
This course is the capstone experience to the program, where students design and execute projects with the help of a faculty member with expertise in the student’s area of interest.
(1-3 hours; offered every semester)
Undergraduate Research in Organic Agriculture
AESC 4095
Managing soil fertility, cover crops, weeds, arthropod pests, and plant diseases, and integrating these stategies into an organic management plan.
(3 hours; offered every Fall semester)
Fertility and Pest Management in Organic Agriculture
AESC 3126
Take all three courses:
Photo credits. Vertical side: Laura Brams (top) and Shayna Bailey (bottom); horizontal side: Jennifer Spillman (left side) and UGA Agroecology Lab (left side, inset), and Shayna Bailey (center and right side). Design: Eleonora Machado
This course introduces students to the fundamental principles of sustainable agriculture through hands-on experience at an operating organic farm and agroforestry research center. Also includes a critical discussion of the social, political, and cultural issues involved in creating a more sustainable food system.
(4 hours; offered every Maymester)
Organic Agriculture: Ecological Agriculture and the Ethics of Sustainability
ECOL 3700
This course introduces students to the theories, practices, and policies of organic agriculture. Topics covered include the history and the need for organic agriculture, fundamental organic farming practices, organic animal production, the National Organic Program, and economic and marketing considerations for organic products.
(4 hours; offered every Spring semester)
Organic Agricultural Systems
AESC 3125
Choose 1 of the 2 following courses:
Certificate Program at The University of Georgia
agriculture
ORGANIC
The University of Georgia Certificate Program in
ORGANIC agriculture The Program The Certificate Program in Organic Agriculture is a new interdisciplinary program of study at the University of Georgia. The certificate program has faculty members from various departments and colleges teaching in the program. To complete the certificate, students take four required courses and choose between 4 to 6 credit hours of electives from a long list of complementary courses. The certificate program emphasizes experiential learning that allows students to combine theory and practice, in the classroom and on the farm, to increase their understanding of organic agriculture. Students from all disciplines who are interested in the discourse and techniques of organic farming and gardening are invited to apply to the certificate program.
The Farms The organic farm is a two-acre area with field plots at the Horticulture Research Farm in Watkinsville, Georgia, about 6 miles south of the University of Georgia campus. In addition, the farm has high tunnels and a greenhouse. We have certified this two-acre area to National Organic Program standards, and follow an organic management plan including crop rotations, soil fertility strategies, and pest and disease management techniques. At the farm we cultivate diverse vegetable and fruit crops, as well as herbs and cut flowers. Produce from the farm is donated to local not-forprofit organizations. In addition to the Horticulture farm in Watkinsville, there are three other Georgia farms available for research and teaching. Spring Valley Farm is a 100-acre farm in Clarke County where ECOL 3700 (Organic Agriculture) is taught as one of the introductory courses in the Certificate Program. Agrarian Connections is a 320-acre farm in Oglethorpe County where courses on preserving agrarian landscapes and lifeways in the Piedmont are taught. Finally, the University of Georgia Horticulture Farm in Tifton has organic plots available.
Information Need to know more about the Certificate Program in Organic Agriculture at the University of Georgia? Visit us at our Web site: www.uga.edu/organic
Or email to: organic@uga.edu