15-Credit Certificate in Sustainable Food and Farming (Online)

Our 15-credit Certificate in Sustainable Food and Farming is designed for:

• adults seeking to change careers;
• veterans returning to school for higher education;
• high school graduates not yet ready to attend college full-time;
• current high school seniors wanting a head start toward a Stockbridge associate or bachelors degree;
• women managing small farms—the fastest-growing farm demographic in New England; and,
• lifelong learners pursuing a personal interest in food, farming, agriculture, homesteading, or gardening.

Helpful links

See course requirements to earn the certificate

See currently offered online courses and descriptions

Meet our online instructors

Email a question to our online certificate program coordinator at jgerber@umass.edu

Enroll in an online class

Request certificate graduation

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take?

Like the online associate and bachelor degrees, the Certificate in Sustainable Food and Farming (SFF) can be earned entirely online. At a full-time pace, the 15 credits can be completed in just one year. Students may also proceed at their own pace by taking courses part-time. There is no time limit for completing the certificate.

How much does it cost?

The cost for an online (UWW) Stockbridge course is $550 per credit (500 level classes cost $656). There is also a registration fee of $85 per semester. Prices are set by UWW and are subject to change. For the most up-to-date information, you will need to look up the specific course in Spire.

Do I have to apply for acceptance to the certificate program?

No, not in the traditional sense.   All are welcome to enroll in classes through University Without Walls (UWW). When you complete all of the certificate requirements, you'll simply alert us through an online request certificate graduation form. We'll then confirm that you've completed the requirements, have the registrar add the completion to your official records, and send a hardcopy certificate to the postal address you've listed with us.  If you are a veteran needing a statement of acceptance to the program in order to get educational benefits, please contact Dr. John Gerber at; jgerber@umass.edu.

Can I apply online academic credits towards a college degree?

Yes. We offer two SFF degree programs that can be fully earned online—a two-year associate degree, and a four-year bachelors degree. Our four-year program is distinguished as the largest fully online bachelors degree program in the nation to focus on sustainable agriculture. If an online certificate student later applies and is accepted to the associate or bachelor degree programs in SFF, that student can apply their online academic credits towards the requirements of the online AS or BS degrees in SFF. Certificate students can also apply their online academic credits towards the on-campus (offline) AS and BS programs in SFF.

Can I take courses and earn the certificate if I am located outside the United States?

Yes! Our online courses can be accessed worldwide so long as you have basic internet connectivity. Because our SFF certificate and degree programs are entirely online, no visas are required. While your physical presence is not required if a student would like to come to campus to participate in a commencement. ceremony, or another type of formal meeting, they can do so on a visitor's visa, which has lower requirements than a student visa. That said, meetings with faculty and advisors can also be done over Zoom as necessary.