Online Herbalist Certification Program
The Village Herbalist
This online herbalism course is designed for the serious herbal scholar wanting to be mentored in clinical herbalism.
In this interactive online program you will acquire the skills to help bring traditional herbal healing to your community.
At the end of Year 1, you will receive a certification of completion for the first year in your herbal studies. By the end of year 2, you will be Certified in Western Herbalism.
Students can expect to complete the course if they have submitted homework on time, completed tests and attended 80% or more of the live classes. Students should expect to spend 2 hours of study for every hour of class.
This is a 2 year online program, each year consists of 10 months of instruction.

2023 Applications Are Now Open
Step 1
Step 2
Once you've submitted your deposit you'll be provided a link to the full application.
Accepted students for Year 1 or Year 2, submit your tuition payments here.
Year One
Village Herbalist Year One Dates
Monday & Tuesday Evenings
October 2nd, 2023 until July 16th, 2024
Time
Location
Online Via Zoom
Village Herbalist Year One Price
Deposit (Due with application): $1,100
Tuition ( Due before 1st day of class): $2,925
TOTAL COST: $4,025
Overview
The course will explore the body systems and herbal actions.
We will spend time working individually with plants and report back to the group about them.
All students will receive a package with the Herb of the Week that we’ll be utilizing during the program.
Each week we will work with the different Herb of the Week plants, have a lecture and learn medicine making.
Homework will involve researching, writing monographs and making medicines.
The Village Herbalist students will have the opportunity to join an optional, but highly recommended, in person Herb Camp Intensive Training.
Village Herbalist Year One Covers the Following Topics Extensively
- Creating a materia medica
- Herbal preparation and formulation
- Herbal energetics, aromatherapy and flower essences
- Herbal first aid and home health care
- Natural cosmetics and skin care
- Organ systems and physiology
Interested in the Village Herbalist Program?
2022 Applications Are Now Open
Step 1
Step 2
Once you've submitted your deposit you'll be provided a link to the full application.
Coursework
Aside from an in-depth investigation into human physiology to understand the complex interactions among reproductive, endocrine, nervous, skin, muscular, skeletal and digestive systems, students are responsible for completing more than 80 herbal monographs, detailed plant reports, about the herbs that they will encounter throughout the program and in the wild.
Each Monday students will receive a lecture on a body system, followed by a plant medicine slide show. Tuesday evening will focus on medicine making and plant meditation.
Our coursework is taught by the Berkeley Herbal Center Staff and is built on experiential learning and knowledge handed down over the course of human healing history.
Medicinal Plant Field Studies
Enrich your online learning experience with our new in-person perk! This allows Village Herbalist students to join our in-person activities like herb walks, in depth trainings and weekend field trips! This option is perfect for Village Herbalist students who are within driving distance to the Center and would like to meet and connect with the BHC community in-person and get the field training to forage and wild craft herbal medicine!
Together with your Village Herbalist I weekly classes, this package qualifies you to transfer into our in-person Therapeutics Program.
Year Two
The Village Herbalist II program builds on the knowledge learned in year I. Students deepen their thinking into becoming holistic herbalists. It begins with a review and an understanding of Michael Moore’s constitutional system and progresses into advanced therapeutic strategies in assessing an individual and creating treatment plans.
Village Herbalist Year Two Dates
Wednesday Evenings
October 5th, 2022 until July 19th, 2023
Time
6:30 pm to 9:30 pm PST
Location
Online Via Zoom
Village Herbalist Year Two Price
Deposit (Due with application): $1,100
Tuition ( Due before 1st day of class): $2,925
TOTAL COST: $4,025
Deposit (Due with application): $1,100
Tuition ( Due before 1st day of class): $2,733
TOTAL COST: $3,833
Prerequisites
We’re now accepting transfer students who have completed a minimum of 150 hours of prior herbal training plus a minimum of 80 completed herbal monographs.
*BHC staff may ask for proof of prior education in the review process.
Overview
We revisit each body system through the lens of a holistic herbalist, studying how each system is interconnected using the endocrine system. Focusing on actual human cases we explore the beauty of physiology and track its effects on our client’s health.
Students will begin to utilize their herbal knowledge and monographs from the first year’s training program, along with their developing understanding of the endocrine system, lifestyle choices, nutrition and unique medicine making techniques, to create plans for holistic healing. Students will be required to complete an action plan for each case they are given. Each treatment plan is discussed in class, where formulation, good combinations, poor combination, detailed insight into specific plants are discussed.
Village Herbalist Year Two Covers the Following Topics Extensively
- Utilizing your materia medica
- Herbal preparation and formulation
- Herbal energetics, aromatherapy and flower essences
- Herbal first aid and home health care
- Natural cosmetics and skin care
- Organ systems and physiology
Interested in the Village Herbalist Program?
Apply to Year 1 above!
To inquire about transferring into the Year 2 of the Village Herbalist Program, contact: studentservices@berkeleyherbalcenter.org
Coursework
We continue with Herb of the week, focusing on Adaptogens with specific indication for use. We will spend time deepening our skills at diagnosis, looking at the tongue, working with the pulse, learning about the three treasures and exploring imbalances in elements.
Each student will do a research project to graduate from the program. Students choose a particular topic of interest and research the physiology of the dysfunction, and explore all the different ways to help someone with the condition.
In-Person Therapeutic Intensives
Join the 2nd Year herb walks, field trips, hands-on trainings and therapeutic intensives.
Enrich your online learning experience and meet and connect with both the plants and with the BHC community in-person!
Selecting this option will provide you the number of hours of instruction for the year needed toward AHG certification.
Together with your Village Herbalist II weekly classes, this package qualifies you to apply to our Clinical Internship Year.
Questions and Information
For more information on our certification programs, please email studentservices@berkeleyherbalcenter.org.
*This class is not available for payment plans or work trade. Unused deposits cannot be used for short-term programs, courses, or workshops. There are no exceptions.
*This class is meant to be attended live, each week. Students are not supplied with a class recording or the teacher’s slides if they are unable to attend.
Deposit Policy: To secure your space in the program, a non-refundable deposit is required. Full payment of entire tuition is required by the first class. If Berkeley Herbal Center is not able to guarantee you a space in the program, your deposit will be refunded promptly.
Refund policy: Refunds less the non-refundable deposit are given if students drop within 30 days of the first class. There are no refunds on tuition payments after this time, even if the student is no longer in attendance.
Transfer policy: Unused non-refundable deposits can not be transferred to short-term programs, courses, or workshops.
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