Yes, the two course Organic Master Gardener and Organic Horticulture Specialist are the same. The reason for the two courses is to differentiate between the two audiences - garden makers and landscape professionals.

Yes, the course is designed to be completed wherever you live in the world and during any season. Whether you live in an apartment or on a farm has no impact on completing the assignments. the course is designed to take students from all over the world into consideration. The information taught is universal. If alternative sare required at any time, this can be discussed with your Facilitator.

No, we do not accept other educational programs as equivalent prerequisites for the Ecological Landscape Design course.

None of our courses require gardening supplies or tools to complete the assignments other than having a shovel on hand to take a soil sample. All course materials and resources are supplied as part of the course fee. If there is a textbook that is required to be purchased for a course, that information can be found on our website, under your course 'Text' tab. Landscape Design Basics with SketchUp Pro has some technical requirements that you should be aware of before the course starts.

Q: Can I use RESPs at Gaia College?
A: Yes, Gaia College is on the Certified Educational Institutional list for RESP eligibility. You can find the list here Government of Canada: Certified Educational Institutions or contact them by phone at 1-800-267-3100.

Q: Are your fees Canadian dollars?
A: Yes, all our fees are listed in Canadian dollars.

Q: What payment options do you accept?
A: We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, Cheque, or Money Orders, and E-transfers. Payments made by Cheque, Money Order or E-transfer will have to be verified before access to your course is granted. If you require a payment plan, please contact administrator@gaiacollege.ca.

Q: Are your courses tax deductible? Do you issue a T2202A?
A: We issue a T2202 for tuition paid directly to Gaia College. Students that register with an education partner need to contact that education partner. 

Q: When do you send out T2202As?
A: T2202s are sent in February for the previous year by email or regular mail in accordance with CRA's guidelines. You can read more about CRA's guidelines here. If you didn't receive one, check your junk folder or trash folder or contact registrar@gaiacollege.ca.

Q: Do you have sponsorship, grants, or bursaries?
A: We are proud to offer the Heide Hermary Memorial Bursary. There are also options you can check out through WorkSafe BC, WorkBC, or BC Center for Women in The Trades, but we do not do the paperwork for you and your employer may be the one doing the paperwork.

Q: Do you have International Student funding or visas available?
A: No, we do not. Our courses are online and available worldwide 3 times a year; and, may be completed from your own home.

Q: Are your courses eligible for student loans? 
A: No. There are options you can check out through WorkSafe BC, WorkBC or BC Center for Women In The Trades but we do not do the paperwork for you and your employer may be the one doing the paperwork.

Q: I am planning to complete my Diploma, which courses are available in which upcoming term? A: Please see the course schedule:

No, most of our courses are complete units ready fro the first time gardener. These are college level courses and students need to be computer-savvy (email, log in/out, typing skills, downloading/uploading files, etc.) able to converse well in English and able to dedicate the time needed to read, understand, and problemt solve the coursework each week in a timely manner.

Q: I've never taken an online course, is it hard?

A: Studying on-line is very different from learning in a face-to-face classroom setting. It may be more convenient – or for some it may be the only way they can take our courses - but it is definitely easier.

The University of Illinois has provided some excellent pre-assessment information for potential on-line students.
Please complete the online Self Evaluation before you decide to take one of our courses: 
https://www.uis.edu/online/getting-started/self-assessment

You can also please read the article entitled
'What Makes A Successful Online Student?'
https://www.uis.edu/ion/resources/tutorials/pedagogy/successful-online-student/.

Q: Do I need to use a computer to complete this course?

A: You must have access to a computer capable of running a current version of FireFox or Chrome. Tablets and phones are not supported at this time.

Q: I'm not very good with computers, is that okay?

A: Our courses are College level courses, and the appropriate computer skills are needed to complete the coursework. We've found an online testing site that will help assess your computer skills to see if you are ready for online work.

https://www.digitalliteracyassessment.org/

Try the 'Essential Computer Skills section (using the appropriate test of the last two; either Windows or Mac)
Try the Microsoft Word, and Social Media test as well to establish your literacy with computers.
If you did not pass, get help with the problem areas and try again.

You can read our Why a Diploma in Organic Land Care to find out more about what people are doing and what organizations they're associated with. 

The following are professional organizations that recognize our courses:

• Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA)
• National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP - USA)
• BC Society of Landscape Architects (BCSLA)
• International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)
• Master Gardeners of Ontario Incorporated (MGOI)
• Integrated Pest Management Canada (IPM Canada)
• Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA)
• Canadian Society for Organic Urban Land Care (SOUL)
• Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)
• WorkSafe BC

You can take more than one course at a time. We recommend a maximum 3 courses per semester as each course requires 6-10 hours per week. We have had some students take more than that and be successful.

The question may arise why we are offering this course over a specific time frame, rather than letting each student study at their own speed. Our experience is that without firm deadlines most students do not finish the longer online courses - and we really want you to succeed!

So, for optimum student success, this course is being offered in an interactive online classroom format. The “virtual classroom” includes group interaction in structured activities such as discussions, experiments, and demonstrations, yet still maintains flexibility for the individual.

Our vast learning resources and networking facilities are always available to students, even after completion of the course. So if for some reason you are not able to complete the course on time you will still retain access to the information to review it at your own pace. However, to earn the Certificate of Completion all course work must be completed by the end of the course term.

Q: How much time each week should I commit to a course?
A: We recommend 6-10 hours per week for each of our courses.

Q: Is it a problem if a lesson cannot be completed in the specified week?
A: Each week covers a different topic and you'll want to complete one topic before moving on to the next. Students are expected to complete their work on their own time during each week. If you are not available during the week, discuss it with your instructor and they will guide you in how to work ahead or catch-up.

Q: Am I able to see a detailed syllabus? I wasn't able to find one on the website
A: A detailed course calendar is available in the online classroom once the course starts. In the meantime, you can view the course outline associated with each course on the course overview page.

Q: Do you have a Course Outline available?
A: Yes, the course outlines are within the course overview of our website, on the tab marked 'Overview and Outline'.

Q: Are printed materials available or provided for your courses?
A: No, we are unable to provide printable versions of the slideshows from our courses.

Q: How long is the course?
A: Courses run 14 weeks.

Q: How often is the classwork? I would like to organize my time.
A: Each of the online classes have specific weekly hand-in dates which you will see when you start the course. Other than that, it is up to you to organize when you do your work; we recommend a regular daily routine (early morning, before work - last thing at night, before bed). We recommend a minimum of 6-10 hours per course per week, depending on the course. Specific information is available in the 'Studying Online' tab of each course. 

A: No. Students do not have to participate in live sessions. All lessons are completed on the student's own time.

That is indeed a challenge, but frankly, allowing "enough" hands-on experience is always difficult even in a classroom course. So the hands-on portion of the course has been incorporated into the assignments, where students get to put their newly acquired knowledge to practice. This is even more fun if you can get a friend to take the course with you!

Depending on the course, some of these activities may require access to soil and composting materials. Students living in climates where the ground may be covered in 2 feet of snow for the duration of the course have the option to choose an alternative assignment, or take the course at another time of the year.

1. Create an account

• Create a Gaia College student account by visiting www.gaiacollege.ca/Register
• Enter your email, and on the next page your personal information, clicking NEXT each time.
• Once your account is created you will be automatically logged in. Please record and save your username and password.
• You can now enrol in any course.

2. Enrol in your course

• Find your course and select your preferred semester.
• Follow through the payment process, selcting "Pay Online" or "Invoice Me" if you want to pay by e-transfer.
• Information about accessing your online classroom will be sent out the week prior to the course start date.

Courses are only available on the course start date. We are unable to grant students access beforehand. On the course start date you can login to the Gaia College website and find Online Campus in the main menu. Once you're in the Online Campus you will see your course listed in the “My Courses” block in the top center of the page.

When completing the course in the winter, before the ground freezes solid, collect a 1 cup soil sample from an area you'd like to have the soil tested for. You can keep it in a plastic bag in the freezer until needed for the course. This article describes how to take a soil sample: https://www.finegardening.com/article/how-is-your-soil-texture

Tip: The soil can crust over with frost/ice but just below the surface, with a good spade or pick the soil is usually dig-able; also, closer to buildings the soil freezes last.

There is no time limit to complete the diploma. Many of our students work through the courses over a few years as their personal and professional committments allow.

Q: Can I access the online resources even after I finished the course?

A: Yes, you will have access indefinitely to the resources of this course. Once the course is closed, you will get transferred into the Alumni course where the most up to date resources are made available. This may take some time...please be patient.

Q: I am registered, but I can't get into my course. Is there a problem?

A: You will be able to access your course on the course start date. The first module is about introductions and getting to know the system. You will have time to get familiarized with the online platform.

If you registered after the course start date, please allow up to 24 hours for our systems to update so you have access to your course. You will receive an email when your course is accessible to you.

A: Congratulations! We know how much work that was. Certificates of completion will be mailed within a month of your course ending. If you've completed all the requirements for the Diploma, you can apply for that now here: https://www.gaiacollege.ca/diploma-in-organic-land-care.html.

Please make sure your contact information is current in our system, so we send the Certificate or Diploma to the right place. All this usually takes up to a month. If you haven't heard from us by then, call or email info@gaiacollege.ca 

Also remember to keep in touch. You can send us a Testimonial to use on our website and social networks or share your projects with us on social media or let us interview you for a newsletter profile.

A: We don't provide transcripts. We issue certificates of completion for successfully completing a course and can provide necessary information for continuing education credits. We can send a copy of your certificate to a professional organization (there is a $25 fee for a duplicate certificate as outlined in our Policies section). Please contact us or email info@gaiacollege.ca if you require a duplicate certificate. If you took the course through an educational partner (Royal Roads University) then you will have to contact them. 

You may retake an online course taken since January 2020. The retake must be within 1 (one) year of the semester originally registered in. There is a $400 administration fee. You can view our Course Retake Policy under our policies.

T2202s are sent out in February each year by mail or email. Log in (gaiacollege.ca/login) and navigate to Account Info - T2202 info in the top menu bar. Here you can update your SIN and delivery method (mail or email). If you do not specify a delivery method, it will be sent by mail. 

T2202s sent by mail are sent to the address we have on file (you can confirm your address under Account Info - Edit Account). Forms sent by email come from assistance@gaiacollege.ca. CRA requires they be sent by the last day of February of the tax filing year.

I registered for a course in December - how come I haven't received my T2202 yet? 
If you registered for a course in December, your T2202 will be prepared for the year the course is taken. 

Where can I find my T2202 for a previous tax year?
Email us at assistance@gaiacollege.ca

Once you've logged in, mouse over "Join Us" to find "Diploma Application". Proceed with your purchase and we will prepare and mail your diploma once we've confirmed you've succesfully completed all of your courses.