Vila Pinheiro · Bairradas, Central Portugal
Begin with the free, self-paced Introduction to Permaculture Foundation course, then progress to the paid 72-hour Online PDC with tutor feedback, assessment, and a final design project.
Observe deeply.
Design wisely.
Regenerate together.
Your online learning pathway
Choose the depth that fits you now. The Introduction builds a clear foundation in permaculture thinking; the Online PDC develops that foundation into assessed design capability.
Step 1 · Free Foundation
Explore ethics, principles, observation, patterns, systems thinking, and regenerative practice through structured online lessons, checks, and applied reflection.
Step 2 · Online PDC
Follow a recommended 16–24-week pathway through 11 integrated modules, applied activities, tutor-reviewed work, and a final design presentation.
What you will learn
Eleven connected modules build your confidence step by step, from ecological foundations to a design you can explain, defend, and begin to implement.
History, ethics, principles, ecological worldview, and regenerative thinking.
Pattern literacy, site analysis, base maps, sectors, zones, and design methods.
Soil food webs, compost, mulch, biochar, cover crops, and biological fertility.
Hydrology, harvesting, retention, contour, irrigation, and drought resilience.
Forest ecology, succession, guilds, agroforestry, silvopasture, and Montado.
Microclimates, Mediterranean adaptation, dryland design, and wildfire resilience.
Passive design, appropriate technology, energy, waste, and ecological integration.
Ethical integration, rotational grazing, stacked functions, and relationships.
Communication, governance, community resilience, livelihoods, and invisible structures.
Small-space growing, retrofit thinking, and resilient systems for settled places.
Bring everything together through site survey, analysis, concept design, rationale, and presentation.
Learn from wherever you are
Use your home, balcony, garden, neighbourhood, workplace, community project, land, or an Academy case to connect online teaching with careful observation and proportionate design decisions.
Leave with more than a certificate
Recognise patterns, resources, constraints, flows, and opportunities before reaching for solutions.
Understand movement, storage, scarcity, and the role of water in resilient Mediterranean systems.
Connect ecological, social, and built elements so each relationship strengthens the whole.
Create maps, explain your rationale, collaborate well, and present a coherent proposal.
“Permaculture is not merely about information acquisition. It is about cultivating perception, responsibility, and regenerative action.”
MPA Portugal PDC Professional Handbook
Frequently asked questions
Choose the free Foundation if you are new to permaculture or want to explore the subject before paying. Choose the Online PDC if you are ready for the full 72-hour curriculum, assessed work, tutor feedback, and final design project.
No. Both courses can use a home, balcony, garden, neighbourhood, workplace, community activity, or supplied Academy case.
No. It is a free foundation course that prepares you for deeper study. The Online PDC is the complete assessed certificate pathway.
Students complete knowledge checks, applied activities, tutor-reviewed assignments, reflection, and a final design presentation.
Yes. Every public course price is shown as the total including VAT.
Begin your online learning journey
Tell us whether you want to begin with the free Introduction to Permaculture Foundation course or continue to the paid Online PDC. We will send information relevant to your chosen stage.
Guides before you apply
These public resources explain how to begin with permaculture foundations, what a Permaculture Design Certificate involves, and why Mediterranean design literacy matters.