Certificates

Get a head start on an agricultural degree with the Certificate of Specialization in Organic Agriculture. You'll have the opportunity to specialize in the expanding area of organic agriculture.

There are also opportunities for self-employment on smaller farms that might not be profitable under conventional production.

All of the courses within the certificate are available only online. Students will have 3 years to complete this certificate.

If you are not currently a Dalhousie Student, please go to Applying for Undergraduate Studies and apply as a Faculty of Agriculture Undergraduate then choose the application type "Dal Undergraduates Certificates" option. Next select your planned course of study, which is the Certificate in Organic Agriculture. Once accepted, you will receive a letter and information on how to register for the upcoming courses.

Supplies/materials for the course can be ordered through our on-campus bookstore. Please contact the bookstore for pricing information: bookstore.dac@dal.ca

To receive a Certificate of Specialization in Organic Agriculture you must have an overall average of at least 60% in four of the eligible organic agriculture credit courses. If you are a current Dalhousie student you must declare your organic certificate in Dal Online under Admissions > Declare your Major/Minor, then submit the certificate under the program options, with no major/minor (unless you are in a degree and want to update at that time). If you are just beginning your organic certificate courses you must also apply for the certificate in organic agriculture or declare your organic certificate in Dal online for a record to be processed and the system to notify you for when you can apply to graduate. December 1st is the deadline to apply to graduate in May and July 2nd is the last day to apply to graduate in October. You can apply to graduate through Dal Online. 

AGRI 2000 - Introduction to Organic Agriculture (Fall)
APSC 2003 - Composting and Compost Use (Fall)
HORT 2001 - Principles of Organic Horticulture (Fall) 
AGRN 2000 - Organic Field Crop Management (Winter)
ANSC 2004 - Organic Livestock Production (Winter)

You may substitute two of the courses with approved organic courses offered by external institutions. These alternate courses will be taken on a Letter of Permission.

Tuition is $957.00/course

Incidental fees are paid by all students at Dalhousie University. These are mandatory, non-academic fees, in addition to your tuition, that helps to fund various student programs. Incidental fees are outlined below.

*Please note Dalhousie reserves the right to make changes without notice in its published scale of changes for tuition and other fees. Tuition and student fees are subject to change each year.

CERTIFICATE OF NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT PLANNING

This online certificate will provide training to nutrient management planners and those implementing nutrient management plans in Atlantic Canada.

To receive the certificate a student will work at their own pace through subject area modules online and complete a nutrient management planning exercise in one of areas of application, and complete an online examination.

Topics include: Environmental Impacts of Nutrient Use, Basic Soil Science Concepts, Nitrogen in Crop Production, Phosphorus in Crop Production, Potassium in Crop Production, Lime and Liming Materials, Diagnostic Tools, and Delivering Nutrient Management

Nutrient Management Plan Exercise (choose one) Field Crops, Forage Crops, Perennial Crops, Biomass Crops, Vegetable Crops, Potato Production Systems, Organic Cropping Systems, or Forest Plantations

Students will have four weeks to complete this certificate. Students can assess their progress by successfully completing an electronically administered self-test at the end of each module. To complete the final module, the nutrient management exercise, a nutrient management plan will be submitted for assessment.

The certificate will be awarded upon successful completion of each of the module tests and the nutrient management exercise.

What You Will Learn

• The use of nutrients in agriculture and the potential for impacts on the environment.
• Understanding the role of soil properties such as texture, organic matter and pH in influencing nutrient availability
• Practices for the utilization of nitrogen to enhance crop growth.
• Practices for the utilization of phosphorus to enhance crop growth.
• Understanding the methods used to sample and analyze soil, plant and fertilizer materials and their use in making soil nutrient management recommendations.
• Calculations, using basic chemical principles, rates of fertilizers and amendments needed to correct plant nutrition problems in the field.

ELAG-SOIL0010 NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT PLANNING

If you require further information please contact extended.learning@dal.ca, phone 902.893.6666.

Certificate Overview

This certificate will focus on sustainable soil management - from understanding the fundamental properties and characteristics of soil systems to understanding how soil management impacts food and energy production, water quality, waste management, climate change and biodiversity.  Students graduating with this certification would possess the knowledge to assess, develop and implement sustainable soil management practices that would ensure that soil resources are meeting economic and environmental expectations.

Application Process 

The Certificate in Sustainable Soil Management is open to students eligible for admission to or enrolled in a BSc. or BSc. (Agr.) program at Dalhousie University. This program is open to external audiences.

If you are not currently a Dalhousie Student, please go to Applying for Undergraduate Studies and apply as a Faculty of Agriculture Undergraduate then choose the application type "Dal Undergraduates Certificates" option. Next select your planned course of study, which is the Certificate in Sustainable Soil Management. Once accepted, you will receive a letter and information on how to register for the upcoming courses. For full details, click here.

If you are a current Dalhousie student, please register through Dal Online or contact the Enrolment Services Centre at enrolment.services@dal.ca.

If you are applying as an international student, please visit Admission Requirements to review details as the courses that satisfy the admission requirements will depend on your home country’s curriculum.

Supplies/materials for the course can be ordered through our on-campus bookstore. Please contact the bookstore for pricing information: bookstore.dac@dal.ca.

Courses within the certificate are available online. To inquire further about the requirements for the Certificate in Sustainable Soil Management, please contact Extended Learning at extended.learning@dal.ca.  

The requirements for the certificate include a total of 12 credit hours to be completed within 5 years (maximum). Please note that each course is equivalent to 3 credit hours. Therefore, 4 courses are required to complete the certificate.

Required Courses:

SOIL 2000 Introduction to Soil Science (Fall, Online)
SOIL 3000 Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management (Winter, Online)

Elective Courses:

ENVA 3021 Ecohydrology (Fall, Online)
AGRN 2000 Organic Field Crop Management (Winter, Online)

Domestic Student Fee Estimate 

Tuition is $957.00/course

*Please note Dalhousie reserves the right to make changes without notice in its published scale of changes for tuition and other fees. Tuition and student fees are subject to change each year. 

For full details regarding tuition and fees visit Money Matters or contact Student Accounts. 

International Student Fee Estimate 

Please visit International Tuition Guarantee to review tuition and fees.

For full details regarding tuition and fees visit Money Matters or contact Student Accounts.  

Learn more about International tuition and fees here.  

CERTIFICATE IN TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION

The next cohort will start September 2025. Deadline to apply is June 1, 2025.

Eligible students who submit their complete applications with full supporting eligible documentation will be given priority in the acceptance process to each cohort.

If you are a teacher of technology presently working in Nova Scotia, you can upgrade and diversify your technology background with the Certificate in Technology Education.

Explore a variety of hands-on experiences and teaching methodologies that strengthen traditional skills and introduce new technologies to better meet the demand for qualified technology educators for the public school system. 

You must complete 10 approved courses with a cumulative average of 65 per cent. Eight of the 10 courses must be from the Faculty of Agriculture's course list. The other two courses are teaching methodology courses offered by Acadia University for this program. You will have a maximum of six years to complete the program. Courses are conducted outside regular school hours in evenings and summer sessions. There are no transfer credits accepted into this program.

Application Documents

You must have a valid Nova Scotia teacher’s license and be a current Technology Education teacher or a teacher designated to teach Technology Education. 

Complete the application and application fee payment ($70 CAD) via the online Application Portal. 

Required Documents:

To complete your application to the program, please upload the following documents through the Application Portal. Hard copies are not required to be mailed or emailed to our office:

• A copy of your Nova Scotia Teachers License.
• A listing of all teaching experience (CV/Resume).
• All Post-Secondary Transcripts (unofficial copies are accepted).
• A Principal's letter of support (only if you are not currently a Technology Teacher).

High School Transcripts are not required.

Please ensure all required documents are uploaded before submitting your application.

If you have any questions, please contact the Extended Learning office by email at Extended.Learning@dal.ca or by phone at 902-893-6666.

Note: It is the responsibility of individual teachers to ensure they comply with the requirements of the NS Department of Education for continuing education and upgrades.

Tuition

For the 8 courses taken at the Faculty of Agriculture, tuition is $957/course

Technology Education Program Fee is $185/course

All NS students will receive an Nova Scotia government bursary for each course they register for that is approximately $128.30. Please note this bursary may change from year to year. This amount will be deducted from your tuition cost each semester.

*Please Note: Dalhousie University reserves the right to make changes without notice in its published scale of changes for tuition and other fees. Tuition and student fees are subject to change each year. 

Students are required to apply to Acadia University before registering for the two online courses. The Program Manager will help you with this process. The Acadia application fee is $50 and course tuition is set through Acadia University.

Please Note: There are two applications fees for this program—Dalhousie University is $70 and Acadia University is $50. 

The certificate is completed over two years. 

Courses

Classes all take place on the Agricultural Campus in Truro and will run one evening a week from 5:30–8:30 pm for 12–13 weeks. Within those weeks students will be required to participate in two full Saturdays (8:30 am–4:30 pm) to complete the hours required for each class.

There will be two classes that will be completed over the summer term and run during the first three weeks in July. Those classes will run back-to-back, 7 days each, from 8:30 am-–4:30 pm each day, excluding weekends. 

In no particular order:

• APSC1004- Wood Construction Technology*
  
• ENGN1001-Engineering Design 1
  
• APSC3018- Technology Modules 
  
• APSC2008- Digital Electronics and Computer Interfacing
  
• APSC2000- Environmental Impacts and Resource Management
• APSC1003- Practices and Mechanics of Materials
• APSC3019- Communications Technology
• APSC1005- Metal Construction Technology*

*Wood and Metal Construction classes will require steel-toed boots (must be CSA approved footwear) and safety glasses. 

Students are responsible for arranging their own summer accommodation for the summer courses. 

Acadia University courses (delivered online)

• EDUC 5873- Technology & Curriculum: Technology Studies -Online
  
• EDUC 5053- Problems in Education: Technological Education and Sustainability - Online

Please Note: You will be required to apply to Acadia with a $50 application fee during your time in the program. You will require your Dalhousie University transcript, to verify you are taking courses in the Technology Education certificate program, which you will request after you have started this program. Both courses will be offered with a Faculty of Agriculture course in two of the semesters throughout the certificate. Be prepared to complete two courses at the same time in two semesters.  

If you require further information, please contact the Extended Learning office by email at extended.learning@dal.ca or byphone at 902-893-6666