Biomimicry Professional Training FAQ

Immersion Workshops
These hands-on, immersive trainings are led by biomimicry professionals and experts in biodiverse ecological settings all around the world. Each workshop is a week-long course, packed with observations of Life guided by a naturalist: either learning how to transform inspiration found in the living world into biomimetic solutions (‘Discover Nature’s Genius’), or taking a challenge into nature and gaining the ability to see and think like a biomimic, quieting your human cleverness, and spotting relevant innovative strategies in your environment (‘Biomimicry Thinking’). Each offers a deep dive into a world teeming with life, innovation, and biomimicry community—drawing like-minded professionals from a diversity of industries and backgrounds.

Remote Graduate-Level Courses
Biomimicry 3.8 collaborates with Arizona State University (ASU) to offer different types of semester-long courses: core courses that comprehensively cover the biomimicry process and elective courses that explore biomimicry as applied to various specific fields (i.e. design, engineering, business); the essential elements of biomimicry (i.e. Emulate, Ethos, (Re)connect; and tools of a biomimicry practitioner (i.e. case studies, communication, iSites, and more). These courses are offered remotely, run on a calendar schedule throughout the year, and are asynchronous, allowing you to work at times that suit your schedule. Additionally, biomimicry courses introduce you to a community of other biomimicry students from all around the world.

Certification Programs
Certificate programs combine remote ASU courses with in-person Biomimicry 3.8 trainings. This blend of hands-on training guided by biomimicry experts and graduate-level courses that dive deep into the methodology offers a balanced and thorough learning experience that will prepare professionals for a biomimicry career. Two certification options are currently available:

The Biomimicry Professional (BPro) Certification Program is the highest level of biomimicry training offered, requiring a Master of Science (MS) in Biomimicry degree through Biomimicry 3.8’s collaboration with ASU. Applicants are chosen every two years to form a close cohort that embarks on six week-long immersions, providing not only in-depth biomimicry education but also leadership training. These immersions cover a diversity of ecological settings across the planet and various biomes that will give any biomimicry practitioner an unparalleled breadth of understanding of the natural world. This certification program is designed for professionals interested not only in pursuing a career in biomimicry but also becoming a leader in the field. Learn more about the BPro program here.

The Biomimicry Specialist (BSpec) Certification Program is a combination of two Immersion Workshops (‘Biomimicry Thinking’ and ‘Discover Nature’s Genius’) and either the Graduate Certificate in Biomimicry or the MS in Biomimicry degree through Biomimicry 3.8’s collaboration with ASU. This program typically takes 15 months to complete and the immersion workshops can be taken in any sequence. The Graduate Certificate and two immersion workshops must be completed within 3 years of submitting the Intent to Certify form.This certification program is designed for professionals interested in infusing their career with biomimicry expertise. Learn more about the BSpec program here.

We encourage anyone and everyone to begin exploring biomimicry with the "Biomimicry Resource Handbook: A Seedbank of Best Practices" in our Shop. Our Immersion Workshops and certification programs are open to professional- and university-level participants who want to join a hopeful, curious, and inspiring community ready to discover the tools they need to integrate biomimicry into their work and career. See a full breakdown of our trainings and programs on our Professional Training page.

Yes! In 2014, we collaborated with Arizona State University to create the Biomimicry Center at the ASU campus. Currently, the Center offers the world’s first accredited Graduate Certificate in Biomimicry and the first accredited Master of Science in Biomimicry. Both programs are taught completely online by Biomimicry 3.8 and ASU instructors, and they are a core component of Biomimicry 3.8’s professional training certifications. Full program overviews and tuition costs are online at Biomimicry.asu.edu.

We believe that investing in formal training in biomimicry with us rather than relying solely on the many free online resources can offer several advantages:

1. Structured Learning Journey: Biomimicry 3.8’s professional training programs provide a structured path, guiding you through the nuances of the practice of biomimicry in a logical and comprehensive manner based on our decades of experience. 


2. Direct Access to Experts: You will learn directly from biomimicry experts with considerable experience as biomimics, including the opportunity for personalized feedback, mentorship, and asking questions in real time. 


3. Networking Opportunities: Our training programs offer networking opportunities with other students, professionals, and experts in the field. These connections can be invaluable for future collaborations, job opportunities, and staying updated on the latest developments in biomimicry.


4. Certification and Credibility: Completing one of our training programs results in an accredited degree or certification, which can enhance your credibility in your field and can be a significant addition to your resume.


5. Hands-On Experience: Our training programs include practical, hands-on experiences, which are hard to replicate through online resources. Understanding the application of concepts in real-world scenarios is essential in the field of biomimicry.


6. Comprehensive Content: The curriculum of our training programs is continuously updated and is comprehensive, covering the latest advancements, research, and practical tools in the field of biomimicry. 


7. In-Depth Education: If you're looking to make a significant career move or to specialize in biomimicry, an intensive and focused training program will be more beneficial than piecemeal learning through various online resources.


In summary, while free online resources are a great way to start learning about biomimicry, investing in formal training can provide a more comprehensive, structured, and professional approach to mastering the field. This can mean the difference between biomimicry “light” and really becoming a biomimic.

Biomimicry 3.8 is the world's premiere biomimicry consulting and professional training company—co-founded by Janine Benyus and Dr. Dayna Baumeister, who have been instrumental in establishing the field of biomimicry.

For over 25 years, Biomimicry 3.8 has empowered thousands of individuals globally to drive innovation and sustainability through our biomimicry training. All of Biomimicry 3.8’s Professional Training programs are led by biomimicry practitioners and leading experts in the field.

Costs vary by program and offering. All costs are listed on individual offering pages. Visit the Professional Training page for a list of all offerings and pricing.

Start at our Immersion Workshop page, where the upcoming workshops are listed. From there, you can access the individual workshop page and find the "Register Now" button.

Learners come to our professional training programs from a diverse range of countries and backgrounds. Biologists, engineers, designers, business leaders, policy makers, innovators, and educators all share a passion to learn from nature in order to make a positive difference in the world. Our workshops are designed to inspire new ways of thinking for anyone open to discovery, no matter their professional background or experience with biomimicry. You’ll join a motivated, hopeful, interdisciplinary crew of participants to discover how biomimicry can unlock a new way of thinking and drive meaningful change.

Each immersion will give you experience looking at nature in a new, hands-on way. They each focus on employing a different biomimicry skill set:

1) Discovering nature’s genius in the field. Discovering Nature’s Genius workshops are very biology oriented, allowing you to learn in the field from the incredible strategies that nature applies. These workshops emphasize a biology-to-design approach.

2) Applying the Biomimicry Thinking methodology. Biomimicry Thinking workshops are focused on the methodology of biomimicry and sometimes have a focus area such as the built environment. These workshops emphasize a design-to-biology approach.

Fee includes:

Participants are responsible for the cost of travel to and from the shuttle meeting location (most often the closest international airport) and any needed lodging and transportation before and after the workshop.

Discounts are offered to current ASU and other university students. More details are provided on the individual immersion workshop webpages.

Whenever possible, scholarships are made available for workshops. These partial scholarships are intended to make the workshops accessible to individuals who are early adopters, innovators, and change agents in their fields, and who can help empower the world with nature’s genius. The purpose of the scholarships is to build a broad and diverse cohort of participants, and the workshop leaders will award them based solely on the applicant’s answers to the application. More details are provided on the individual immersion workshop webpages.

For all of our workshops, the pricing is a package offering and cannot be discounted to remove lodging or meals. The workshop agenda is built for a true immersion in nature, so the pricing allows for participants to be onsite, contributing to the full experience.

Yes! You can choose to register for BMY 598 to receive one elective credit through ASU for attending a Biomimicry 3.8 immersion workshop. The workshop fees do not cover the cost of the credit, and payment must be made to ASU to gain credit for the course. Taking BMY 598 satisfies an elective credit for the Master of Science in Biomimicry—of which students are required to complete 11 elective credits. Additionally, the course supplements the Master of Science program with an in-person learning opportunity, and the added benefit of acquiring an elective credit in just one week.

Keep in mind, you can only register for BMY 598 once—no matter how many immersion workshops you attend. However, you are welcome to attend as many workshops as you like!

The globally renowned Biomimicry Professional (BPro) Certification program is a part-time, two-year course that integrates an accredited Master of Science (MS) in Biomimicry degree through Arizona State University with an in-person cohort-based immersion program. It is designed to empower change-agents who are passionate about a world mentored by nature’s genius. The core purpose of the BPro program is to train and mobilize an international, networked community of professional biomimics who become the leaders in this flourishing practice. Graduates work toward innovative and sustainable solutions to the most pressing global challenges, from the way we conduct business, design buildings and products, run governments, provide healthcare, and manufacture our goods, to how we educate future generations, drawing upon time-tested sustainable solutions that have evolved from nature during the last 3.8 billion years.

You must have completed at least one semester of the MS program by the time the first BPro in-person session takes place. To be eligible for the next cohort, which begins in December 2024, you must be enrolled in the MS program by the fall semester of 2024.

Previous applicants to the BPro program have followed various paths: some enrolled at ASU and applied to the BPro program simultaneously, while others had already completed their MS or were in the middle of the program.

For the 2024-2026 cohort, apply to ASU at any time before the fall of 2024. For the Biomimicry Professional Program, the application period will be open from February 1 to June 1, 2024. If you're selected for an interview, you will be notified, and these interviews will take place via Zoom in early July 2024. The cohort for the program will be selected in early August 2024.

Some areas we look for in individuals applying for the BPro program include a demonstrated leadership ability, a healthy balance between left and right brain thinking, and a sense of entrepreneurial and creative thinking. We also try to ensure the cohort is as diverse and well-rounded as possible (we like to have a balance of disciplines represented).

No, the six cohort-based sessions pertain only to the BPro program, which requires a separate application and interview process (as detailed above).

Yes! You can receive Financial Support from ASU for the MS portion of the program. Exceptional (US employment eligible) students are also frequently invited to be teaching assistants for courses which comes with a stipend. Additionally, Biomimicry 3.8 offers partial scholarships specifically for students in our Biomimicry Professional cohort. Scholarships will be awarded on a case-by-case basis; all information and scholarship eligibility questions are included in the application form.

The Biomimicry Specialist (BSpec) Certification program offers professionals in every industry a focused, flexible, and affordable way to learn the practice of biomimicry. You’ll gain a cutting-edge skill set that can help drive sustainable innovation, creativity, and collaboration at your own pace through a combination of online coursework and immersion workshops. The BSpec program is a resume booster that both allows you to apply your knowledge directly to your work, and helps foster a deeper connection to nature in your work and personal life.

The BSpec program requires, at minimum, the Graduate Certificate in Biomimicry accredited through ASU and two immersion workshops from Biomimicry 3.8. The Graduate Certificate is a 15-credit program comprising four courses focused on biomimicry methodology and a Virtual Design Lab (an intensive practicum as a culmination of the ASU coursework). Receiving an MS in Biomimicry and taking the two immersions also qualifies you for the BSpec certification.

Two in-person immersion workshops are required to complete the BSpec program. You must attend one of each type of workshop* (‘Discover Nature’s Genius’ and ‘Biomimicry Thinking’). Each focuses on employing a different biomimicry skill set:

1) discovering nature’s genius in the field, and
2) applying the Biomimicry Thinking methodology

* Biomimicry 3.8 collaborates with Biomimicry for Social Innovation to offer the ‘Discover Nature’s Genius for Social Innovation’ which can also count for BSpec certification. This is a hybrid offering so it can count toward either of the workshop requirements.

Read the step-by-step instructions on the Biomimicry Specialist webpage to learn about the process.

Yes! You can receive Financial Support from ASU for the Graduate Certificate portion of the program. Additionally, Biomimicry 3.8 also offers partial scholarships and ASU student discounts for most immersion workshops.

In 2014, Biomimicry 3.8 partnered with Arizona State University Online to launch the world’s first Master of Science (MS) in Biomimicry. In addition, Biomimicry 3.8 and ASU collaborate to offer the 15-credit
Graduate Certificate in Biomimicry.

Biomimicry 3.8’s (B3.8’s) professional certification programs are a combination of ASU’s online degree programs plus B3.8’s in-person training sessions. Participants have the option of earning just the online degree from ASU, or applying to go deeper with the in-person segments required for the professional training certifications—the Certified Biomimicry Professional or Biomimicry Specialist programs.

B3.8’s in-person workshops and programs center around taking people outside to (re)connect with nature, allowing the sustainable strategies that have evolved in nature over 3.8 billion years to be discovered. When it comes to practicing biomimicry—applying lessons from nature to your challenges—immersing yourself in nature, learning among an interdisciplinary community, and being guided by expert instructors in biomimicry is essential.

When Biomimicry 3.8 formed a partnership with ASU, it was a priority to try to allow students into the program without a bachelor's degree. However, ASU decided against changing their application requirements, as the Graduate Certificate and the MS are both part of the graduate school. While we would like to be accommodating, Biomimicry 3.8 must comply with ASU's guidelines in order to keep offering our biomimicry programs through them. However, we do have students currently working to complete a bachelor’s degree so they can apply to the biomimicry programs at ASU.

All ASU courses are offered remotely and asynchronously online, so you can take them from any time zone, anywhere in the world.

90% of the Biomimicry Master students are working professionals, so the program is built to be flexible and all classes are required to be offered asynchronously. The only exception is that some classes have a group work component, but in those cases, you will work with your group to find meeting times that work for all. Occasionally an instructor will offer an optional live meeting with multiple times to choose from.

All of the classes have assignments posted at the beginning of the semester so you can choose to work ahead. The only exception is when you are asked to respond to a classmate's post within a certain time frame. In those cases, minimal work is required to read through classmates' posts and make a reply. Late work can be accepted up to one week late with a deduction in points.

Full-time graduate students should aim to finish a master’s program within 2-2.5 years. However, the program is designed for working professionals, who likely will be taking just 3-4 credits/semester. In this latter case, you can expect 10 semesters (3 ⅓ years) to graduate. You technically have five years to complete your MS, but you must be enrolled for at least 1 credit per semester, not including summer.