University of Arizona faculty

Grow the Future of Food, Anywhere, Online

Master the fundamentals of hydroponics and controlled environment agriculture (CEA) in a fully online, asynchronous course from the University of Arizona, built on more than 20 years of hydroponic research and teaching. Learn how to grow more with less water, fertilizer, and pesticides, skills you can apply to a career in sustainable agriculture or a backyard growing system of your own, on a schedule that fits your life.

What Is Hydroponics?

Hydroponics is a method of growing plants without soil, using nutrient-rich water solutions to deliver everything a plant needs directly to its roots. Combined with controlled environment agriculture (CEA), which means growing in greenhouses, vertical farms, or indoor systems where temperature, light, and humidity are managed, hydroponics allows growers to produce food more efficiently, with significantly less water and fewer chemical inputs than traditional field agriculture. It's a rapidly growing field at the intersection of agriculture, engineering, and sustainability.

What You'll Learn

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

• Explain the basic principles of hydroponics and controlled environment agriculture (CEA), including benefits, applications, and challenges.
• Describe the components and operation of common hydroponic systems, including deep water culture (DWC), nutrient film technique (NFT), and drip systems.
• Compare hydroponic substrate types based on water-holding capacity, air porosity, reuse, and application.
• Explain the purpose and management of hydroponic nutrient solutions, including essential nutrients, electrical conductivity (EC), pH, and crop-specific recipes.
• Describe how concentrated nutrient stocks are prepared, dosed, and managed to maintain balanced nutrient solutions.

From Professional to Personal Use

Developed and taught through the University of Arizona, a top-tier public research institution, giving learners a credential backed by real academic rigor and decades of applied research, not just a generic online certificate.

Course Details

This course is developed and taught through the University of Arizona, a top-tier public research institution, giving learners a credential backed by real academic rigor and decades of applied research, not just a generic online certificate. This is a fully online, self-paced course delivered through the University of Arizona Online Professional Studies. 

Enroll and begin on your own schedule. 

A score of 80% or higher is required to pass each module quiz, each hands-on challenge, and the final certification exam. Pass the final exam to earn your Digital Badge of Completion from Arizona Online Professional Studies.

You do not need to be located in Arizona or be a University of Arizona student to take this program.

Instructor

Taught by Dr. Triston Hooks of the University of Arizona. Dr. Hooks is an Assistant Professor of Practice in the Department of Biosystems Engineering and serves as the Hydroponic Specialist at the Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (CEAC). He earned his Ph.D. in Plant and Environmental Sciences from New Mexico State University and completed a postdoctoral appointment at Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center, where he focused on urban agriculture and CEA technology, including hydroponic systems and LED lighting. His current research covers greenhouse hydroponic specialty crop production (tomatoes, peppers, cucurbits, strawberries, and more), nutrient solution management, bio-circular substrates, and integrated pest management for CEA. Dr. Hooks teaches this course through hands-on, experiential learning at the CEAC Teaching Greenhouse.

Research Backing

This course is built on more than 20 years of hydroponic research and teaching, applied to real lettuce and tomato greenhouse production, the same principles used in commercial CEA operations today. Learners come away with a practical foundation they can apply immediately, whether that's toward a career path in controlled environment agriculture or a personal hydroponic growing project.

Get Started with the Introduction to Hydroponics Certification

Registering is easy. No application required. Start anytime.

Cost: 

• $299

Credential: 

• Digital Badge from the University of Arizona Online Professional Studies

About: 

• Schedule: Open enrollment, start anytime.

• Format: 100% online, self-paced (asynchronous), no set class times.

• Prerequisites: None. No required textbooks.
• Grading: Module quizzes and discussions; 80% required to pass and to earn credit for each module and the course.
• Course Length: 8-10 hours
• Structure: 8 modules, each with lecture videos, knowledge checks, a discussion topic, a quiz, and optional lecture slides.

Questions about Introduction to Hydroponics? View answers to commonly asked questions below.

Plan a Real Project. Build a Career-Ready Portfolio.

Beginning Project Management is a 35-hour, self-paced Arizona Online course that walks you through every stage of planning a real project, no experience required.

Project management is one of the fastest-growing, most in-demand professional skill sets today. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects roughly 78,200 project management openings each year through 2034, with a median annual wage of $100,750.

But breaking into project management can feel like a catch-22: most roles ask for experience, and most experience comes from already having held the role. Beginning Project Management removes that barrier. Instead of studying project management theory in isolation, you plan a real project of your own choosing from the very first module, building the kind of hands-on portfolio that hiring managers want to see.

Whether you're managing projects informally at work, returning to the workforce, or exploring a new career direction, this course gives you a practical, low-risk way to build skills that apply across every industry, from healthcare and construction to marketing and nonprofit work.

What You Will Learn

By the end of the course, you'll have a complete Foundational Project Management Portfolio built around a real project, ready to share in interviews or apply immediately at work.

Course Information

This is a fully online, self-paced course delivered through the University of Arizona Online Professional Studies. Enroll and begin on your own schedule. 

A score of 80% or higher is required to pass each module quiz, each hands-on challenge, and the final certification exam. Pass the final exam to earn your Digital Badge of Completion from Arizona Online Professional Studies.

You do not need to be located in Arizona or be a University of Arizona student to take this program.

Meet the Instructor

Kenneth Gyure, Lecturer, Eller College of Management, University of Arizona

Beginning Project Management is taught by Kenneth Gyure, a Lecturer in the Eller College of Management's MIS Department, where he has taught Project Management, Operations Management, and Supply Chain Management since 2006. He has developed course content from the ground up across in person, online, and hybrid formats, and served as lead Project Management instructor for the University of Arizona's Global Microcampus program, mentoring instructors in Peru, Indonesia, and Cambodia. 

Before joining the University of Arizona full time, Kenneth spent more than 15 years in senior executive roles at Raytheon Company, leading organizations of 300 or more employees. He built his teaching around that same real world discipline: scaling production, cutting costs, and managing complex, high stakes projects from the ground up. Kenneth holds an MBA from the University of Arizona and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University, and is a member of the Project Management Institute and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

Backed by the University of Arizona

Beginning Project Management is developed and delivered by Arizona Online, the continuing and professional education division of the University of Arizona. The course is built entirely in-house using an original, project-based instructional design model, rather than adapted from an outside curriculum.

Unlike programs that teach project management concepts in isolation, this course is anchored in a single cumulative project that learners build module by module. This applied, portfolio-first design is a distinct instructional approach within Arizona Online's project management offerings.

Beginning Project Management is the first course in an expanding Arizona Online project management series, with additional applied and advanced courses in development.

Course content is designed around widely recognized project management terminology, frameworks, and planning tools used across industries.

Get Started with the Beginning Project Management Certification

Registering is easy. No application required. Start anytime.

Cost: 

• $699

Credential: 

• Digital badge of completion from the University of Arizona Online Professional Studies

About: 

• Format: Fully online, self-paced, asynchronous
• Time commitment: approximately 35 hours of coursework
• Schedule: Open enrollment, start anytime
• Prerequisites: None. No required textbooks.
• Grading: Module quizzes and discussions; 80% required to pass and to earn credit for each module and the course
• Structure: Delivered in six modules, each pairing interactive lessons, readings, and scenario activities with a quiz and a module assignment that builds one piece of a single project plan, culminating in a Course-Long Project Assignment and Final Exam.

Questions about Beginning Project Management? View answers to commonly asked questions below.

About this course

The Digital Marketing: Social Media Strategy Certification is a fully online, self-paced course that teaches professionals how to plan, execute, and measure digital marketing campaigns across every major channel and platform.

Learners develop a thorough understanding of digital marketing strategy, including how to use social media, SEO, SEM, content marketing, mobile marketing, and AI-powered tools to reach target audiences, build brand equity, and drive measurable results. The course also addresses the ethical responsibilities that come with marketing in a data-driven digital environment.

No prior marketing knowledge is required. This course is designed for working professionals, business owners, entrepreneurs, and career changers at all experience levels. Earn a Digital Badge of Completion from the University of Arizona Online Professional Studies upon successful completion of the course.

What You'll Learn

Apply What You Learn

The course content connects directly to real marketing work. Here is what you will be able to don on the job.

• Plan and launch campaigns across social media, search, email, and mobile channels
• Target the right audiences using platform data, demographics, and behavioral insights
• Optimize content for search using SEO best practices and keyword strategy
• Manage paid search ads in Google Ads and track performance against ROI goals
• Read analytics dashboards and use data to improve campaign results
• Recognize and respond to ethical risks in digital advertising and data privacy

Who Should Take This Course

This course is designed for anyone who wants to build practical, in-demand digital marketing skills. No prior marketing experience is required.

• Marketing professionals looking to formalize their digital skills and stay current across channels, tools, and platforms
• Business owners and entrepreneurs who want to grow their brand, reach customers online, and manage their own digital marketing efforts
• Career changers seeking to move into digital marketing, social media, content, or communications roles
• Communications and PR professionals expanding their skill set to include digital strategy, SEO, and paid media
• Recent graduates building foundational marketing knowledge to compete in a digital-first job market
• Anyone managing social media for an organization who wants a stronger strategic foundation behind their day-to-day work

Course Information

This is a fully online, self-paced course delivered through the University of Arizona Online Professional Studies. Enroll and begin on your own schedule. The course takes an estimated 25-30 hours to complete. Access to the online course is granted for six months.

A score of 80% or higher is required to pass each module quiz, each hands-on challenge, and the final certification exam. Pass the final exam to earn your Digital Badge of Completion from Arizona Online Professional Studies.

You do not need to be located in Arizona or be a University of Arizona student to take this program.

Get Started with the Digital Marketing: Social Media Strategy Certification

Registering is easy. No application required. Start anytime.

Cost: 

• $595

Credential: 

• Digital Badge from the University of Arizona Online Professional Studies

About: 

• Format: Fully online, self-paced, asynchronous
• Time commitment: 25-30 hours of coursework
• Schedule: Open enrollment, start anytime. Access is granted to the course for six months.
• Prerequisites: None. No required textbooks.
• Grading: Module quizzes and discussions; 80% required to pass and to earn credit for each module and the course
• Structure: Delivered in fifteen modules, each pairing lessons, readings, assignments, and a quiz with a final exam at the course end.

Weight Inclusive Health is a four-part non-credit certificate program that aims to provide healthcare providers with foundational knowledge of weight inclusive care.

Weight inclusive approaches use non-weight based markers for health promotion and are rooted in health equity.

The Certificate in Weight Inclusive Care offers four different courses that are meant to explore weight bias, weight inclusive frameworks, eating disorders, and counseling from a weight inclusive lens.

Who Should Take the University of Arizona Weight Inclusive Health Certificate Program?

This noncredit program is open to all. You do not need prior healthcare experience. This program is ideal for:

• Recent college graduates working in the helping professions.
• Experienced healthcare professionals looking to update their skill sets, including Dietitians, Physicians, Therapists, Pharmacists and Public Health professionals.
• Those who are looking to make a shift into weight inclusive care or become more knowledgeable about other aspects of weight bias and eating disorder awareness.

What You Will Learn

• Personal bias awareness and introspection about your relationship with food and bodies.
• Addressing weight bias in health care by considering the social determinants of health, and practicing addressing and modifying weight-centric approaches.
• Weight inclusive approaches to counseling using an overall trauma-informed approach; this includes how to start conversations, practice motivational interviewing, hold space for weight concerns, and the whole person.
• Eating disorder and body image support with an intersectional lens and understanding of body autonomy.
• Overall weight inclusive framework applications in practice, from counseling, to nutrition and healthcare visits.

Schedule and Format

The program is completely online, asynchronous, and self-paced. You will have three weeks to complete each course.

You should expect to spend about five hours per week on course work, including watching videos, reading, participating in online discussions, completing assignments and taking quizzes.

Weight Inclusive Health Certificate Program Courses

What is Included?

• Approximately fifteen hours of learning per course.
• A digital (PDF) Certificate of Completion from Arizona Online Professional Studies upon successful completion of each individual course.
• Additionally, upon successful completion of the full four-course program, earn a digital (PDF) Certificate of Completion from Arizona Online Professional Studies.

Continuing Education Units: Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available from Arizona Online Professional Studies for an additional fee. One CEU = 10 clock hours of instruction, so each course is eligible for 1.5 CEUs. Note that these CEUs are not occupation-specific.

Some of these courses are pending approval through the Commission on Dietetic Registration for 15 CEUs per course and will provide updates on that as needed.

Learn from University of Arizona Faculty 

Image

These courses are designed and facilitated by University of Arizona School of Nutritional Sciences and Wellness faculty members and graduate students:

Katelyn Barker, MS, RDN is an Assistant Professor of Practice and Assistant Director, Didactic Program in Dietetics at the School of Nutritional Sciences and Wellness.

Ashley Carrillo, MPH, RDN, CDCES is an Instructor at the School of Nutritional Sciences and Wellness.

A Message from the Weight Inclusive Health Team: "We look forward to providing this information and would like to share that the aim of this program is to be the start of a continuing education journey. We acknowledge the importance of learning from a variety of individuals, especially those with lived experience. It is vital that throughout our career we have ongoing and critical evaluation of our learning."

In addition to this non-credit professional certificate program, the School of Nutritional Sciences and Wellness also offers credit-bearing Weight Inclusive Health courses. Learn more about undergraduate weight inclusive health courses. 

Paying for Your Weight Inclusive Health Courses

A 10% discount is available for those who register for all four courses at once. The discount is not applied immediately, please contact UACE-info@arizona.edu for inquiries on paying for all four courses at the same time.

A 10% discount is also available for group registration (three or more individuals from the same organization). Contact us at UACE-info@arizona.edu if you are interested in group registration.

Registration

You do not need to be located in Arizona or a University of Arizona student to take these courses.

Registering is easy. There is no application required. Just click the red button below to choose your classes and register in our convenient online registration system.

The Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-based Preventive Controls for Human Food regulation (referred to as the Preventive Controls for Human Food regulation) is intended to ensure safe manufacturing/processing, packing and holding of food products for human consumption in the United States.

The regulation requires that certain activities must be completed by a “preventive controls qualified individual” who has “successfully completed training in the development and application of risk-based preventive controls”.

This course developed by the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) is the “standardized curriculum” recognized by FDA. Successfully completing this course is one way to meet the requirements for a “preventive controls qualified individual.”

What You Will Learn

• Introduction to preventive controls, food safety plans, Good Manufacturing Practices and other programs, and related regulations
• Biological food safety hazards
• Chemical, Physical and Economically motivated food safety hazards
• Developing a food safety plan
• Process, food allergen, sanitation and supply-chain preventive controls
• Recall plans
• Verification, validation and record-keeping procedures

Who Should Get Food Safety Preventive Controls Training?

This course is appropriate for anyone wanting to better understand food safety, especially individuals who work in or want to work in food production, distribution, or preparation.

The course will be particularly useful for individuals who will be involved in the preparation or analysis of food safety plans, validation of preventive controls or food safety record reviews.

There are no prerequisites for this course, and no application is required.

What is Included?

• Three days of live, in-person training, taught by University of Arizona faculty
• Opportunities to ask questions and get the individual feedback you need to master the material
• All course materials
• Lunches
• Upon successful completion of the workshop, you will receive a certificate from the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance and a certificate of completion from University of Arizona Online Professional Studies

Discounts

A 50% discount is available for current University of Arizona students. To receive the discount, complete course registration and select "3rd party payment" as your payment method at checkout. Include in the "Notes" area your eligibility for the discount. An AZO staff member will be in contact with discounted course information.

Instructor

These courses are taught by a Lead Instructor trained by the FSPCA who has been instructed in how to teach the FDA-recognized standardized curriculum: Dr. Margie Sánchez-Vega, a University of Arizona Assistant Professor of Practice in Animal and Food Science with over 9 years of experience in food safety teaching.

 

 

Image

There are millions of professionals working in mining and related industries worldwide, and not all of them are engineers, geologists or miners.

The University of Arizona Mining 4.E program is designed to provide a comprehensive introduction to mining for professionals with no background in mining.

Who Should Take this Introductory Mining Course?

This introductory mining engineering course is designed for seasoned professionals in mining and related industries, as well as individuals from other fields who find themselves working with or impacted by the mining sector.

Whether you are a field geologist seeking deeper technical understanding, an economic analyst needing a grasp on resource extraction or a lawyer navigating mining regulations, this course will equip you with the fundamental knowledge and language to excel in your role.

No prior mining experience is required, just a desire to expand your horizons and gain valuable insights into this crucial industry.

The convenient online format allows individuals in any location to take the Mining 4.E course.

What Will You Learn in Mining 4.E?

This course provides an overview of the complete life cycle of a mine from discovery to reclamation. Emphasis is placed on safety, sustainability, innovations and technologies that are driving improvements in all aspects of mining in a responsible manner.

The program takes its name from "Industry 4.0" (also called the "Fourth Industrial Revolution") and ‘E’ for ‘eLearning’. Industry 4.0 technologies like automation, machine learning, artificial intelligence and data analytics are revolutionizing industries around the world, and the mining industry is no exception.

The course will also help participants explore the Industry 4.0 evolution of the mining cycle in the next 20 years by discussing topics such as automation, biomining, sensing technologies, data analytics and space mining.

Mining 4.E Class Schedule and Format

The seven-week Mining 4.E course is completely online and self-paced, and the course material is available 24/7. You will learn via video lectures, virtual field trips, recorded interviews with industry professionals, quizzes and other online activities.

There are no weekly assignments or deadlines, and you don't need to be online at a specific time to participate. There is a recommended weekly schedule to help keep you on track, but as long as you complete the course within seven weeks, you are welcome to work at your own pace.

What is Included?

• All course materials
• Seven weeks of access to course materials
• A digital badge and certificate of completion from University of Arizona Online Professional Studies, upon successful completion of the course

Image

Learn from University of Arizona Mining & Geological Engineering Faculty

Mining & Geological Engineering (MGE) at the University of Arizona is one of the top-ranked mining engineering programs in the nation.

Academic Program Director: Moe Momayez has been an MGE faculty member since 2007, and he serves as the energy and geosensing team leader in the Department of Mining and Geological Engineering. He was interim department head from 2020 to 2022 and was the inaugural David & Edith Lowell Chair in Mining & Geological Engineering.

Momayez centers his research on developing new technologies to improve mine safety and productivity, including methods to mitigate heat-related emergencies.

Momayez is also a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors. He holds 14 patents and patent applications related to thermally insulating materials, heat stress prediction for mine workers, rock slope stability prediction, comminution, material characterization and renewable energy generation from mines.

Instructors: Mining 4.E is taught by University of Arizona MGE faculty, including professors Isabel Barton, Gail Heath, John Kemeny, Eric Lutz, Moe Momayez, Brad Ross, Victor Tenorio, Muhammad Waqas and Jinhong Zhang.

Registering for Your Mining Course

You do not need to be located in Arizona or a University of Arizona student to take this course.

Registering is easy: just click the 'Register for Class' button below, choose your start date and pay for your course. 

Join us and unlock the hidden potential within the world beneath your feet!