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Washington Gardener Certificate registration & Master Gardener volunteer applications – 2026 update

Registration for the Washington Gardener Certificate at Green School will open August 17-September 30, 2026.

If you’re interested in becoming a WSU Extension Master Gardener volunteer, the application period for the 2026–2027 class will begin in late Spring 2026.

There are significant differences between our gardening training courses, and you should carefully choose what works best for you:

• Washington Gardener Certificate: This is a training course that provides a certificate upon successful completion. The training is the same basic horticulture training required of our WSU Extension Master Gardener Program volunteers. Benefits of earning a Washington Gardener Certificate.
• WSU Extension Master Gardener: The WSU Extension Master Gardener (EMG) Program is a volunteer program that requires an application, interview, reference checks and a background check. EMG’s serve as WSU volunteers in local counties through a local WSU Extension office. EMG’s have volunteer service hours and continuing education required annually. Volunteers serve at least 40 hours in their first year followed by 25 hours in subsequent years in addition to earning 10 hours of continuing education each year.​ The program offers unique opportunities to learn and educate about gardening in local communities through various projects, ask a master gardener clinics, and social events. Master Gardener Program | Washington State University

Washington Green School is a flexible online learning platform where you can earn the Washington Gardener Certificate at your own pace. It offers the same research‑based training required of Extension Master Gardener volunteers, making it an accessible pathway for anyone who wants to build strong, science‑grounded gardening skills.

The Pacific Northwest Gardener’s Handbook: Growing for the Future | Washington State University is our official course text. It is fully web-based, accessible, and embedded directly into your learning modules. We do not offer a printed version, but you may print individual chapters from your computer browser, if desired.

There are no prerequisites for Washington Gardener Certificate course. You will need reliable internet and a computer/laptop to access all courses.

Green School courses are offered through Washington State University (WSU) Extension, part of the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences. WSU is a fully accredited institution, which means all its academic programs undergo rigorous quality assurance processes. Our courses are developed and peer-reviewed by WSU faculty, staff, and specialists. Green School offerings are considered “noncredit,” meaning they don’t lead to a formal academic degree. However, they still benefit from the same high standards of content development and review as credit-bearing courses, as they are offered through an accredited university.

We regularly have folks that complete the Washington Gardener program and then at a later date apply for the EMG program in their local county. In some counties, this is an option within 1 year of successfully earning the Washington Gardener Certificate. For example, if you earn the Washington Gardener Certificate in February of 2026, and then decide to apply to become a WSU Master Gardener during the 2026 open application period in your county your Washington Gardener Certificate may be valid for the 2026 and 2027 training. Find your county

We do not provide refunds for the price difference if you choose to become an EMG later, but you will have free access to re-take all online training classes if desired. Additionally, we offer many continuing education classes to all EMG volunteers annually both at the state and local level.

To become a WSU Extension Master Gardener volunteer, participants must be 18 years old upon the start of the program. 

To earn a Washington Gardener Certificate, we recommend that you are at least 15 years of age. Participants will NOT have unsupervised interactions with other students in the course. Participants will be able to ask questions of the instructor during supervised Live Review Q & A sessions.  

We subsidize the price of the Washington Gardener Certificate course for our volunteers since they’ll be required to provide at least 40 hours of service in their first year following training. If a volunteer does not complete their service hours, they are billed $20/hour up to $275. We know many people cannot commit to volunteer service, so we offer the Washington Gardener Certificate course to non-volunteers at a non-subsidized rate of $550.

Yes! We offer need-based scholarships for WSU Extension Master Gardener volunteers. Scholarship recipients pay $125.  Scholarships are subject to availability and are only offered to those who apply by the deadline in the local county.

We are unable to offer scholarships for the Washington Gardener Certificate course learners. However, a self-paced learning option is available via the free The Pacific Northwest Gardener’s Handbook: Growing for the Future | Washington State University. This is the official course text.

Employee discount code does not apply to scholarship or current extension master gardener volunteer rate. 

No, unfortunately, we cannot offer refunds. Please ensure you’re prepared to commit to the program before registering and paying.

The GI Bill only applies to academic credit courses and Green School is a non-credit school. If you have another sponsoring source (employer, partner/family member, AmeriCorps, etc.) we can accept sponsored payments.

However, the Pacific Northwest Gardener’s Handbook is free. This is the textbook that the Washington Gardener Certificate curriculum follows. The Pacific Northwest Gardener’s Handbook: Growing for the Future | Washington State University

We have limited options for gifting registration but will try to work with you. Please contact us at Contact | Master Gardener Program | Washington State University

No. Our payment process during registration requires a credit/debit card.

Most classes require up to 4-6 hours to complete. There are defined start and end dates with four “Break and Catch-up” weeks included in Washington Gardener Certificate course schedule to keep everyone on-track. Our goal is for you to be successful and learn as much as possible. The first week of class provides an overview of the course, requirements, how to access/complete online classes AND an introduction to WSU Extension. We strongly recommend scheduling time to complete online trainings and weekly live class reviews. Weekly reviews are recorded and posted promptly. If your schedule doesn’t align – it’s OK.

It might also be helpful to know that you’ll have access to all classes and course recordings for a full year.

Following online classes, we offer two sessions for students to join us online for a live class review including Q&A with a subject-matter expert. These are offered Wednesday evenings and Thursday mornings – students are only expected to attend ONE of the sessions. A recording will be available if you have to miss and a complete Q&A document is provided for most sessions.

No need to dress up or worry about camera and microphone technology – we don’t allow students to share video because we’ve found it to be distracting and sometimes difficult to manage. Instead, we utilize the Q&A feature in Zoom as well as the chat box to connect.

No, we don’t take roll. These live sessions are highly encouraged – but optional to attend live. You can always watch the recordings.

You’ll have access to our online course site (known as ‘Moodle’) for one year from the time you enroll.

You’ll have two weeks to complete an online exam of 100 multiple-choice questions. While we recommend completing the test in one sitting, you can leave and return to the final in multiple sessions. The test is open-book, open-note, and researching is encouraged. Whether taking the course to earn the Washington Gardener Certificate, or to become an Extension Master Gardener, you have ONE attempt and must achieve a score of 80% or higher to earn your certificate. Given the open-book and open-note nature of the test, we believe this requirement is fair.

Achieve a cumulative average score of 80% or higher across all 25 required chapter quizzes. Pass the comprehensive final exam with a score of 80% or above. The final is open-book and encourages the use of course materials and external research to support learning.

Upon successful on-time completion of the Washington Gardener Certificate course, all participants receive a Washington Gardener certificate of completion. However, not all participants become WSU Extension Master Gardeners. Only those who apply, are accepted to a local WSU Extension Master Gardener Program, earn the Washington Gardener Certificate, and fulfill the county specific volunteer commitment become WSU Extension Master Gardeners. The title of ‘WSU Extension Master Gardener’ is controlled by WSU and is only to be used for WSU Extension events and purposes.

The Washington Gardener certificate of completion may be displayed in a place of business and used in business marketing. Learn more about what a Washington Gardener Certificate can do for you. Benefits of earning a Washington Gardener Certificate

This option is no longer available.
The deadline to request an extension has passed.

While we can’t issue an extension for the final exam, you still have access to the full curriculum — including all online courses and session recordings — until October 4, 2026.

Please note that earning a certificate of completion requires on‑time submission of all quizzes and the final exam. You’re welcome to continue learning at your own pace within the access period, but a certificate will not be awarded.