Free Study Pathway
Work through the complete Foundation Course learning materials during one 28-day access period, free of charge. This pathway does not include individual design assessment, formal course completion or a certificate.
Accessible online foundation course
Introduction to Permaculture
begin with the foundations.
Study the Permaculture Foundation Course free of charge and receive access to the complete course learning materials for 28 consecutive days.
If you would like your learning formally assessed, choose the €50 Assessed Pathway. It includes 60 days of access from successful purchase and tutor assessment of one introductory permaculture design. Completing the learning sequence records learning progress only. Formal assessed course completion and certificate eligibility follow only after your design meets the course requirements and receives tutor approval. Payment does not guarantee completion or a certificate. A valid on-time design remains reviewable after learning access ends, with one restricted 14-day window if the tutor then requests revisions.
Onlineflexible study
€0 or €50free study or tutor assessment
Nextprogress to the PDC
Two clear learning pathways
Free foundations or a longer tutor-assessed pathway.
Assessed Pathway
Receive 60 days of learning access from successful purchase and submit one introductory permaculture design for individual tutor appraisal. If the tutor requests revisions, you will have until the later of the 60-day access expiry or exactly 14 days after the recorded decision to resubmit. Ordinary learning access still ends after 60 days; any remaining time is restricted to your submitted design, tutor feedback, revision instructions and resubmission. Payment does not guarantee completion or a certificate; certificate eligibility follows tutor approval.
What you will learn
Build the foundations for responsible design.
The course introduces permaculture as a way of observing, thinking, and designing—not as a checklist of gardening techniques.
Origins and purpose
Understand where permaculture came from, what it is for, and how its scope extends beyond food growing.
Ethics and responsibility
Use Earth Care, People Care, and Fair Shares to ask better questions about needs, consequences, and limits.
Principles and patterns
Distinguish broad design principles from techniques, products, recipes, and context-specific interventions.
Systems and regeneration
Recognise relationships, flows, feedback, resilience, and the difference between sustaining and renewing capacity.
Online PDC-style learning
Learn, observe, apply, and reflect.
Structured lessons
Move through a purposeful sequence rather than an unconnected library of content.
A familiar context
Use a home, garden, neighbourhood, workplace, community activity, or supplied case.
Checks and activities
Test your understanding through knowledge checks, observation prompts, and a practical foundations activity.
A clear next step
Finish with a learning record and an informed choice about progressing to the complete Online PDC.
Who it is for
Begin without needing to know everything.
This introduction is suitable for people who are new to permaculture, exploring a home or land project, working in a community or organisation, or deciding whether the full PDC is the right commitment.
- No previous permaculture study required
- No requirement to own land
- Flexible online participation
- Accessible preparation for the full Online PDC
- A learning record retained in your Academy account
Your online pathway
Start small, then deepen your design practice.
The Introduction establishes shared foundations. The Online PDC then develops those ideas into a complete 72-hour design education.
Step 1
Introduction to Permaculture
Explore the foundations through free, self-paced online learning before making a larger commitment.
Step 2
Online PDC
Continue through applied activities, tutor feedback, assessment, and a final design presentation.
Explore the Online PDC →Introduction questions
Before you join the list.
Is this a Permaculture Design Certificate?
No. It is a foundation course and does not award a PDC. It helps you decide whether to continue to the complete Online PDC.
Will it count towards the Online PDC?
It establishes shared foundations and leads directly into the paid Online PDC, but it does not replace the assessed 72 guided hours.
Do I need a garden or land?
No. You can use a home, neighbourhood, workplace, community activity, or a supplied Academy case.
How long does access last?
Free Study lasts 28 consecutive days from free enrolment. Assessed access starts when successful payment fulfilment is recorded and expires exactly 60 days later. A Free Study upgrade preserves learning progress and replaces the earlier access dates with the 60-day paid period. Duplicate payment notifications cannot restart that period. If revisions are requested, the authoritative resubmission deadline is the later of the 60-day access expiry or exactly 14 days after the recorded decision. Learning materials still close after 60 days; any remaining time is restricted to the original design, tutor feedback, revision instructions and resubmission.
What does completion mean?
Learning-progress completion means you completed the published Foundation learning sequence. It is not formal assessed course completion. Formal Assessed Pathway completion is recorded only after a tutor approves the introductory design; certificate eligibility is then recorded separately.
What will it cost?
The Free Study Pathway costs €0. The optional Assessed Pathway is a one-time gross payment of €50, including tax where applicable. For an eligible Portuguese private customer, this includes Portuguese IVA at 23%; the transaction-specific treatment is determined from authoritative customer and Stripe Tax evidence. The payment covers 60 days of access from successful purchase, tutor assessment of one introductory design, feedback and completion review. It does not guarantee successful completion or a certificate; certificate eligibility follows tutor approval.
Begin the Foundation
Open the course in Mă-Kè Learning.
Choose 28-day Free Study or the 60-day Assessed Pathway with tutor assessment of one introductory design through your free Academy account.