Foundations of Gardening

An open laptop with the words

Course Overview

Foundations of Gardening (FOG) is a comprehensive 10-week online course offered by MSU Extension. Designed for adults interested in the science behind successful gardening, this course also serves as the first step toward becoming an MSU Extension Master Gardener (EMG) volunteer.

Participants who wish to apply to the MSU EMG volunteer program can proceed with the application process after earning their FOG certificate (see the link below). Those not interested in becoming an EMG have no further obligations.

Please note that receiving a FOG certificate does not guarantee acceptance into the MSU EMG program, and the timing of volunteer application steps may vary by county.

For more detailed course information, go to the Course Info page.

 

Course Fee

$350.00

For information on applying for a scholarship, go to the Scholarships page.

 

Registration

Registration for the Fall 2025 session opens July 2, 2025 
For more information on future class dates, visit the Future Classes page

To register for this course, you will need to create an account, sign in with your email/ password, and complete the registration process. Watch a Registration Tutorial video for more information or follow the step-by-step instructions below.

Step 1: Create your MSU Guest Account and password: MSU Guest Account Instructions

Step 2: Login to the registration system with your MSU Guest Account (your email) and password: Foundations of Gardening (this will be a live link during registration)

Step 3: Follow the instructions to register for the course. Upon registration, you will receive a receipt.

Note: If you need to reset your password at any time, go to https://auth.msu.edu/ and select the option for "Need help Signing in."

 

Technical Support

If you have any technical problems, please contact the Michigan State University IT Service Desk from 7am-12am Monday through Friday and 10am-12am on Saturday/Sunday, any day that the University is open.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is my username/NETID?

Your username (or NET ID) is the email address you used to create your account during registration (you use the same email address/password for registering and for taking the course).

What URL do I go to for logging into the course?

Go to: https://d2l.msu.edu/. You will see the Michigan State University at the top of the page. Login with the email address and password you set during the registration process.

I received a “not authenticated” response when trying to login – what do I do?

A “not authenticated” message is typically an issue with a password not being entered correctly.

I forgot my password – where can I reset it?

If you need to reset your password at any time go to https://auth.msu.edu/ and select the option for "Need help Signing in."

FOG Dk Green

 

 

Instructors