• About

    In 2009, Zaytuna College was founded in Berkeley, California, with a mission that called for grounding students in the Islamic scholarly tradition as well as in the cultural currents and critical ideas shaping modern society.

  • Academics

    As a Muslim liberal arts college in the West, Zaytuna offers a curriculum that provides its students with a foundation in the intellectual heritage of two major world civilizations: the Islamic and the Western.

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  • Admissions & Aid

    Our mission is to educate students to become morally, intellectually, and spiritually accomplished individuals ready to contribute to our contemporary world in ways that are proportionate to their gifts and to the needs of human society.

     

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  • Campus Life

    Zaytuna’s campus is on Holy Hill and students enter the College as part of a cohort, a community of learners that travel together through the curriculum.

Permaculture Design Course

Winter 2024

Permaculture Design Certificate Course

What is the Permaculture Design Certificate Course?

Zaytuna College's Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) course is a 72 credit-hour course taught over 12 days by permaculture consultant and instructor Mr. Rhamis Kent that results in an internationally recognized certificate.

The course provides an in-depth introduction to permaculture design, as set forth in the 1970s by Bill Mollison, the Australian biologist and author credited as the “father” of permaculture. The PDC course uses Zaytuna College's upper campus and permaculture garden as a functional classroom. The next session will take place from January 6th to January 18th, 2024.

What is the course about?

The PDC course covers sustainable living systems for a wide variety of landscapes and climates. It includes the application of permaculture principles to food production, home design, construction, energy conservation and generation, and explores alternative economic structures and legal strategies supporting permaculture solutions. Course time will be divided between classroom instruction and permaculture garden instruction.

What is Zaytuna College?

The PDC course will take place at Zaytuna College, which is a Muslim liberal arts college that offers a BA in Liberal Arts and Islamic Studies and an MA in Islamic Texts. The PDC course is open to all, and its participants attending the program are asked to abide by the College’s policies on general conduct and expectations. Please read our policies here.

Key Program Dates
  • Application deadline: November 20th, 2023
  • Interview dates for applicants: November 25th - December 5th, 2023 
  • Selected candidates will be informed about scholarship and tuition fee totals: December 9th, 2023 
  • Last day for paying tuition fees: December 17, 2023 11:59 PM PST
Course Schedule

View and Download Program

About the Instructor

Mr. Rhamis Kent is a consultant with formal training in mechanical engineering (University of Delaware, B.S.M.E. ’95) and permaculture-based regenerative whole systems design serving as a registered certified Permaculture Design instructor with PRI Australia. He is a former co-director of the Permaculture Research Institute (PRI), a member of United Designers International (UDI), and on the Supervisory Board of The Netherlands-registered non-profit Ecosystem Restoration Camps Foundation.

Rhamis serves as a Zaytuna College scholar-in-residence overseeing its permaculture garden under Zaytuna's ZCELL (Zaytuna College Center for Ethical Living and Learning) initiative.

Rhamis currently serves as a Trustee and an Implementation Team member at Plant for Peace Foundation (UK) and was a key contributor to the India-based Shivansh Farming initiative of the Hans Foundation.

Rhamis has taught Permaculture Design (formal certification and short intensive courses) in Palestine/Occupied West Bank, Egypt, Greece, Ethiopia, Yemen, Turkey, Thailand, Malaysia, Italy, Spain, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Australia, and the United States (Michigan, California, and Vermont).  He has also performed additional consultancy work on projects in Spain, UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Oman, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Somaliland, and Western Sahara.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where will I be staying?

This is a nonresidential program; students are responsible for their own accommodation.

Will meals be provided?

  • Students will be provided with lunch only.

  • All meals will be prepared according to Islamic dietary laws. Ingredients will be organic and locally sourced when possible. Vegetarian options are available upon request; please mention this request at the time of registration.

Will there be parking?

Yes, course participants will have free access to ample parking space on campus for the duration of the course.

Do I have to be Muslim to attend?

No, all are welcome.

Is there an age limit for attending the program?

Participants must be 18 or older. Given the rigorous nature of the course, in order to promote a positive learning environment for all, we encourage you to attend only if you are interested in the subject matter and fully committed to the program. If anyone less than 18 and above 14 is interested in applying, they should provide parental consent. 

Whom should I contact to learn more about the program?

Please email permaculture@zaytuna.edu for any further questions about the program.

What is the cost for this course?

$1300 per individual

Who can take this course?

This course does not have any prerequisites. Anyone over the age of 18 may attend.

How can I get around in the area?

  • The upper campus, where the course instruction will take place, is located at the top of Berkley Hills. Given the high elevation of the location, walking anywhere is typically not convenient. However, there is a bus stop near the campus, which will take you to the UC Berkeley Campus, Downtown Berkeley, and the Zaytuna lower campus.

  • All information can be accessed directly at the SF Bay Transit website. The bus you will need to take is the AC Transit bus #65. The schedule is subject to change, but the tentative times and schedule updates can be found at the aforementioned website under Euclid Ave/Grizzly Peak.

  • You can find information on transit fares here.

  • Information on Clipper Cards can be found here.

What is the refund policy?

No candidate will receive any refund after the beginning of the program. If a candidate drops out one week prior to the course, they will receive a partial refund (50 percent) in case they have paid in full. If the candidate receives a scholarship, they will not receive any refund. If the candidate drops out from the course more than a week prior to the beginning of the course and pays the full tuition fees, they will receive a full refund.

Contact Us

For additional questions and information, please email permaculture@zaytuna.edu.

The course will be located at Zaytuna College's upper campus located at 2770 Marin Ave., Berkeley, California, 94708.

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