Advanced Master Gardener Program

What are the Goals of the Advanced Master Gardener Program?

The goals of the Advanced Master Gardener Certificate Program are to better serve the NH community by strengthening the caliber of the Master Gardener Program and recognize Master Gardeners who have made a commitment to expand their horticultural knowledge beyond the initial training.


Who is Eligible to participate in the Advanced Master Gardner Program?

All Master Gardeners who have attained Active Status (completed 45 hours of initial service and continue to volunteer for 15 hours per year).

How do I enroll in the Advanced Master Gardener Program?

Submit a completed application form  with a $45 registration fee to: Advanced Master Gardener Program Coordinator, UNHCE/ Master Gardener Program, 200 Bedford Street, Manchester , NH , 03101.


What are the Certification Requirements of the Advanced Master Gardener Program?

To receive Advanced Master Gardener Certification (ADV. MG), master gardeners must:

• Register in the advanced master gardener program.
• Accumulate 30 continuing education units (CEUs) within three years from the enrollment date and maintain active status.
• We will acknowledge certification at the annual Master Gardener conference with a name tag and certificate. Certification is valid for three years.

What are the Maintenance and Re-certification Requirements of the Advanced Master Gardener Program?

• Volunteer a minimum of 25 hours per year in the master gardener program.
• Earn a minimum of 9 CEUs every 3 years for re-certification.
• Participants must maintain a CEU Record Report of earned CEUs and submit the report each year.
• Advanced Master Gardeners can apply for re-certification every three years after receiving the initial award.  Recertification costs $30

• Continuing Education Units (CEUs): The Joint Continuing Education Committee will oversee the designation of the number of CEUs assigned to specific workshops and conferences.  One hour of actual class time is equal to one CEU. We will round fractions of an hour up if .5 hours or over or down if less than 0.5 hours. The exception is approved college classes; CEUs will equal the number of credits assigned by the college for that class.

Because researching questions at the Ed Center is a valuable learning opportunity for the Master Gardener, those who volunteer at the Ed Center can earn 1 CEU for every 10 hours of volunteer time up to 3 CEUs every 3 years.

Refresher courses or sitting in on MG training for new interns will not count towards CEUs.

CEU Approval for Outside Programs: MGs can earn CEUs through participation in courses from the NHMGA Spring Symposium, New England Wildflower Society, Massachusetts Horticultural Society, Arnold Arboretum and similar organizations.  Obtain approval for CEU credit from the Master Gardener Coordinator by submitting a Request for CEU Approval form one month prior to attendance at the event.

An organization can also petition the committee for assignment of CEUs for a specific workshop by submitting an application with a course description, instruction time, and instructor credentials up to one month prior to the event. The JCEC will evaluate the workshop and assign the CEUs.

Submission of CEUs:

• Submit a record of earned CEUs with the names and the dates of the workshops attended and the number of CEUs earned.
• It is the responsibility of the MG to submit for approval information on workshops that are outside the continuing education offerings. The MG must submit a completed Request for CEU Approval form 1 month prior to attendance at the event. The MG must also submit a certificate of attendance or confirmation from the organization verifying that she/he attended the program when submitting their yearly CEU Record Report of accumulated CEUs.