Bachelor’s Specialization in Regenerative Organic Agricultureonline or on-campus

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Learn how to regenerate soils, maximize water efficiency, and increase biodiversity throughout your landscape
Receive personalized mentorship from experts in the field
Connect with farms across the US and beyond to further develop your skill sets
Become a consultant in Regenerative Organic Agriculture

Federal grants and loans typically cover all or most costs for US students

Explore the program

MIU also offers a full BA in Regenerative Organic Agriculture, online or on campus.

Think global, act local

Next entry:
Feb 2025Apply
Now > Request
Info >

Learn how to regenerate soils, maximize water efficiency, and increase biodiversity throughout your landscape
Receive personalized mentorship from experts in the field
Connect with farms across the US and beyond to further develop your skill sets
Become a consultant in Regenerative Organic Agriculture

Federal grants and loans typically cover all or most costs for US students

Explore the program

MIU also offers a full BA in Regenerative Organic Agriculture, online or on campus.

What is regenerative agriculture?

Regenerative agriculture is a systems-based approach to agriculture that leverages natural ecology to build soil, improve water efficiency, and increase biodiversity while emphasizing healthy food, feed, and fiber as the foundation of a strong community.

The healing of the land and the purification of the human spirit is the same process. -Masanobu Fukuoka

Making it easy for transfer students

If you transfer in 60 or more credits, your degree can be completed in as little as four semesters. Transfer students can inquire with their admissions counselor to learn the exact number of credits needed to graduate.

Dive within and find yourself

Meditating in class

As a student at MIU, you’ll learn the Transcendental Meditation technique, an evidence-based technique that promotes inner peace and wellness, enhances clear thinking, improves learning ability, and boosts creativity.

Get started by contacting Sunita

Sunita Martin, admissions counselor Sunita Martin is this program’s admissions counselor for US students. Sunita will provide you with all the details of becoming a student, including connecting you with the program director or faculty.

Contact Sunita >

International applicants may connect with us through our international inquiry form.

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Degree requirements

To graduate with a Specialization in Regenerative Organic Agriculture, students must complete:

required courses for the Bachelor of Applied Arts & Sciences or any other bachelor’s degree program you choose
32 additional credits of Regenerative Organic Agriculture courses

Courses for this specialization may include

AG 200 Introduction to Regenerative Agriculture

Regenerative Organic Agriculture is a systems-based approach to farming that leverages natural ecology to build soil, improve water efficiency, and increase biodiversity while emphasizing local food, feed, and fiber as the foundation of a strong community. This class acts as an introduction to the principles and practices involved in regenerative agriculture with an emphasis on organic certification, crop planning, and holistic farm management. This course provides students with the contextual knowledge and conceptual framework needed to understand and apply the various management strategies involved in regenerative and organic agriculture.

AG 315 Regenerative Farming Systems & Nature-Based Solutions

This course will explore holistic management strategies and natural techniques used in regenerative farming systems. Students will partake in daily farm activities while learning fundamental concepts and applications used in Biodynamics®, Korean natural farming, Vedic agriculture, and livestock management with a special emphasis on ruminants, monogastric animals, and honeybee science.

AG 300 Permaculture Design Certification

Permaculture Design is an attempt to rethink and redesign every aspect of human endeavor in terms of sustainability. In this course, you will learn about the principles, ethics, and scientific reasoning that guides permaculture design, along with how to apply it to homes, cities, and natural landscapes to increase energy efficiency. Students will engage with concepts and strategies for building soil health, maximizing water efficiency, and increasing biodiversity to foster the creation of diverse, resilient ecological systems. The course will culminate in a final comprehensive design project involving a real client, where you will work to perform site analysis and develop practical solutions for real-world design challenges. Upon successful completion of the course, students earn an internationally recognized Permaculture Design Certificate.

AG 320 Soil Science & Applications

The ability to analyze, build, and manage soil is a key component of Regenerative Agriculture. In this course, students will learn fundamental concepts in soil science relating to physical, chemical, and biological properties, along with instilling an awareness of soil as a natural basic resource. This class will involve fieldwork sessions where students gain experience in strategic garden bed preparation while developing technical skills for building soil fertility through the creation and application of compost, biochar, and other soil amendments.

AG 325 Crop Science & Applications

Combining an understanding of plant sciences with a holistic perspective towards crop management represents a foundational principle of regenerative, organic agriculture. This fieldwork course involves daily engagement in farm activities and combines experiential learning in greenhouse management, transplanting, field maintenance and harvesting with an in-depth understanding of horticultural sciences and organic crop maintenance. Students will learn the unique characteristics and considerations associated with different crops related to growth patterns, propagation techniques, lifespan, disease pressure, and pest management. This course culminates with students applying what they have learned through a final project.

More courses

AG 250 CCTS Ecology

Ecology is often defined as the study of relationships between organisms and their living and non-living environment. The term has become more generalized in recent years to refer to a set of interacting entities in an environment. These entities could be thoughts, technologies, beliefs, organisms, pollutants, or mountains and the environment could be an individual mind, community, society, organism, planet, culture, or meadow. This more generalized notion of ecology opens us up to understanding ecology as something that exists in the universe rather than just a lens or set of questions through which we gain knowledge of the world. In this course students will learn about fundamental ecological concepts, including niche, habitat, community, ecosystem, biomes, biosphere; population ecology; species interactions; energy flows; nutrient cycling; and succession.

AG 330 Sustainable Farm Management

Sustainable business management is an attempt to execute triple bottom line performance in business through social responsibility, environmental stewardship, and economic viability. In this course, students will partake in daily farm activities while exploring concepts in sustainable metrics, finance, and lean management to determine operational strategies that foster continuous improvement and ensure a balanced approach towards people, the planet, and profits. This course will culminate in a final project in which students will create an enterprise budget report for a specific farm crop that combines an assessment of its economic and ecological impact, along with suggestions for improved future performance.

AG 410 Holistic Farm Planning

This course represents the culmination of the learning experience in the regenerative organic agriculture program and provides students with an opportunity to create a comprehensive plan for the design, development, and maintenance of their own regenerative, organic farm. Students will be provided with personalized instruction to help determine their goals for the course and work to create a plan of action that includes a holistic, systems-based farm design, a plan for multi-phase development, and an assessment of the management strategies they will employ to build soil, increase biodiversity, and create positive impact within their local community. This course functions as the capstone project for students completing the Regenerative Organic Agriculture module.

Cost & Aid for bachelor’s degree, 2024-25

US On-Campus Students

US On-Campus Undergraduate

This estimate is based on one year for a typical on-campus Federal Pell Grant recipient (represents 80% of our onsite undergraduates). File your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and then contact our financial aid office for questions on variables.

Annual Cost and Typical Financial Aid
Tuition and fees	$16,530
Housing (single room) and meals	$7,400
Grants and Scholarship (typical)	-$14,400
Net cost per year	$9,530
Federal student loans	-$9,530
Your payment	$0

Additional Financial Aid Information

Personal Expenses and Books

$2,400 Federal Work Study is available toward your estimated $4,800 out of pocket costs.

Scholarships and Grants

Scholarship from MIU described above consists of the Federal Pell Grant and the Federal Supplemental Education Grant and is based on (1) full-time enrollment and (2) financial need based on expected FAFSA outcome.

Federal Student Loans

Repayment begins after your enrollment ends. Unique repayment plans are available such as income-based, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and deferments based on low income or unemployment.

Education Tax Incentives

There are a variety of money-saving tax benefits to assist in reducing the cost of education expenses. More about education tax benefits.

Veterans

Veterans should contact the VA for information on Veterans Education Benefits. Veterans eligible for BAH monthly benefits: The VA utilizes a scale of credits per block of courses; therefore, the VA sometimes pays part-time benefits for an individual month while the university delivers full-time federal aid for an entire semester. Our Veterans Certifying Official is our Director of Financial Aid.

Loan Repayment Options

Standard

Payments are a fixed amount that ensures your loans are paid off within 10 years (within 10 to 30 years for Consolidation Loans).

Extended

Payments may be fixed or graduated and will ensure that your loans are paid off within 25 years.

Graduated

Payments are lower at first and then increase, usually every two years, and are for an amount that will ensure your loans are paid off within 10 years (within 10 to 30 years for Consolidation Loans).

Income-Based

Your monthly payments will be either 10 or 15 percent of discretionary income (depending on when you received your first loans), but never more than you would have paid under the 10-year Standard Repayment Plan.

Income Contingent

Payments are recalculated each year and are based on your updated income, family size, and the total amount of your Direct Loans. Any outstanding balance will be forgiven if you haven’t repaid your loan in full after 25 years.

Income Sensitive

Your monthly payment is based on annual income, but your loan will be paid in full within 15 years.

Tuition, other fees, scholarships, and financial policies are subject to change prior to the entry date. For more information, contact us at finaid@miu.edu for a quick reply — normally one business day — or see more about financial aid.

US Online Students

US Online Undergraduate

This estimate is based on one year for a typical online Federal Pell Grant recipient (represents 70% of our online undergraduates). File your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and then contact our financial aid office for questions on variables.

Annual Cost and Typical Financial Aid
Tuition and fees	$16,190
Grants and scholarship (typical)	-$11,400
Net cost per year	$4,790
Federal student loan	-$4,790
Your payment	$0

Part time online enrollment is available. Tuition is $600 per credit with normal load of 9-11 credits. Federal student loans are available and the federal Pell Grant is proportional to the credit load.

Additional Financial Aid Information

Scholarships and Grants

The grants and scholarship described above consist of the Federal Pell Grant, the Federal Supplemental Education Grant, and institutional scholarship based on (1) full-time enrollment and (2) financial need determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Employer Waiver Program

Many companies offer tuition assistance programs to their employees. If you’re currently employed, we encourage you to check on this. If they offer assistance, please contact MIU’s Financial Aid office.

Federal Student Loans

Federal Student Loans have limits based on lifetime usage, annual limits, and limited to the educational costs for each semester. Here are the annual maximum limits:

$5,500 per year for first-year dependent
$6,500 per year for second-year dependent
$7,500 per year for third, fourth, fifth-year dependent
$9,500 per year for first-year independent
$10,500 per year for second-year independent
$12,500 per year for third, fourth, fifth-year independent

Federal Student Loan Repayment

Federal Student Loan Repayment is postponed as long as you are enrolled at least half-time each semester. If your enrollment drops below half-time, you have a six-month grace period before repayment begins. There are also postponements for low income and unemployment, as well as repayment based on income and Public Service Forgiveness.

Education Tax Incentives

There are a variety of money-saving tax benefits to assist in reducing the cost of education expenses. More about education tax benefits.

Veterans

Loan Repayment Options

Standard

Payments are a fixed amount that ensures your loans are paid off within 10 years (within 10 to 30 years for Consolidation Loans).

Extended

Payments may be fixed or graduated and will ensure that your loans are paid off within 25 years.

Graduated

Payments are lower at first and then increase, usually every two years, and are for an amount that will ensure your loans are paid off within 10 years (within 10 to 30 years for Consolidation Loans).

Income-Based

Income Contingent

Income Sensitive

Your monthly payment is based on annual income, but your loan will be paid in full within 15 years.

International On-Campus Students

International On-Campus Undergraduate

Annual Cost and Typical Financial Aid
Tuition and fees	$16,530
Housing (single room) and meals	$7,400
Health insurance (estimate)	$1,992
Personal expenses, books, unexpected needs (estimate)	$3,500
Cost Per Year	$29,422

Full-time students may apply for up to $6,000 scholarship based on qualifying level of documented family income. Our undergraduate scholarship application form will be available upon application to the university.

Tuition, other fees, scholarships, and financial policies are subject to change prior to the entry date.

International Online Students

International Online Undergraduate

Typically, online enrollment is two courses at a time (17 credits) or one course at a time (9-11 credits), per semester (two semesters per year).

Tuition and Fees per Semester
Full-time (12 or more credits)	$8,095
Fewer than 12 credits	$600 per credit

Tuition, other fees, scholarships, and financial policies are subject to change prior to the entry date.

(R)evolution webinar series

Deep conversations with leaders regenerating the world

In these twice-monthly conversations, we speak with some of the leading figures in creating a healthy, safe, thriving, and socially just world. We learn about their work, and we ask them: What needs to change, at the deepest level, to bring about the transformations we need?

Speakers have included:

Dr. Rattan Lal — the first researcher to demonstrate that regenerative agriculture can address the climate crisis and other major global challenges; winner of the 2020 World Food Prize Watch ➡︎
Temple Grandin — world-renowned expert in animal welfare and autism. Watch ➡︎
Dr. Tim LaSalle — past CEO of the Rodale Institute and a global champion of regenerative agriculture. Watch ➡︎
Alex Pryor — co-founded Guayaki Sustainable Rainforest Products in 1996, a major beverage company based on yerba mate tea that is devoted to regenerative agriculture. Watch ➡︎

FAQ

How many hours per week should I expect to spend on this program?

You should plan to spend 12-14 hours per week for a 4-credit eight-week course. If you are taking 2 courses during an eight-week period, you should plan to spend 24-28 hours per week reading, creating assignments and discussion forum posts, and studying course materials. The time it takes to complete an online course successfully depends on your willingness to stick to a regular schedule and learn to study effectively, more than on any other factor.

How do you make the online learning experience effective and fulfilling?

We accomplish this by using an online learning platform that students find highly engaging. The program also features an extensive collaboration between students and one-on-one interaction between our faculty and each student

What is the difference between a major and a specialization?

An undergraduate major is a primary field of study during your undergraduate years. This major defines the actual degree and specifies core courses, electives, and the foundational knowledge that you will acquire. An academic specialization is a more concentrated area of courses which you can choose in addition (32 additional credits) to your major field, which may be in the same disciplinary area or something different.