Biomimicry Masters and Degrees (2026/27): Every Programme Compared

To BSc or not to BSc ... that is the question.

You can study biomimicry at a Master's level online through Arizona State University's MS in Biomimicry, which ASU describes as the world's only MS in biomimicry, or through related Master's programmes in the Netherlands, France, the UK, Italy and Germany.

At PhD level, the University of Akron runs an industry-sponsored biomimicry fellowship.

A degree is right for you if you need the academic credential; if you mainly want to apply biomimicry at work, a shorter route may suit you better, and our complete guide to biomimicry courses covers those.

Prices and dates checked in October 2026.

Biomimicry master's degrees and PhDs at a glance

So which Biomimicry Degree or Masters is right for you?

That depends on your background, location, budget and time. Here is a visual overview of the Top Biomimicry Master Programmes around the world:

Biomimicry Masters Degree Infographic and Map: this infographic covers the leading biomimicry master's, degrees and PhDs around the world, and you can download the complete Biomimicry Masters list and view an interactive map here. The table above reflects our October 2026 checks. We've included our Biomimicry Practitioner Programme too, for those who are less interested in accreditation and want to dive right in.

The main options side by side, with details for each further down.

Free download: sheet and map

Every biomimicry master's, in one sheet and one map

Compare 20+ programmes side by side: fees, length, language, learning mode and links for each, plus an interactive world map of where they are.

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Updated October 2026. Sent straight to your inbox.

Biomimicry is increasingly attractive to professionals of all kinds, from engineers and designers to social innovators and consultants. By studying nature's time-tested strategies, they bring efficient, environmentally friendly solutions into their work.

Before we dive deeper into these programmes, there are two important questions worth considering:
- Is a university degree what I need to master biomimicry?
- Is there real demand for working professionals with expertise in biomimicry?

What does it actually take to master biomimicry?

Firstly, do you seek qualifications or experience, grasshopper? Studying is not for everyone: time and cost are the obvious hurdles. And one point often goes unspoken: there are more ways to learn than university.

If you are a student, the need for an academic accreditation is likely to be much higher, so a university degree or Biomimicry Masters makes more sense.

If you're a working professional and are not seeking an accreditation, and are mainly interested in acquiring biomimicry knowledge and applying it, check out the Biomimicry Practitioner Programme. This six-month, part-time journey is purpose-built for working professionals to practise biomimicry with confidence.

What is the current and projected demand for professionals with expertise in biomimicry?

Green jobs are on the rise, and demand for professionals with expertise in sustainability (and biomimicry) has been growing steadily.

According to LinkedIn's Global Green Skills Report 2023, hiring for green jobs in the global workforce is rising faster than for any other category. Trends vary across regions and sectors, but the takeaway is the same: at this pace, moving towards a green economy will require workers to upskill. At Learn Biomimicry, we created the Biomimicry Practitioner Programme for any working professional to upskill and advance (or green) their career.

Sectors such as architecture, product design, materials science and environmental consulting recognise the value of biomimicry, and demand is expected to rise as the focus on climate change and resource conservation intensifies.

Great. Now let's look at the top accredited and well-regarded Biomimicry Masters and PhDs.

The top biomimicry master's and degree programmes

If you are a designer, entrepreneur, engineer, or simply interested in integrating biomimicry and nature-positive practices into your work, take a look at these options. (If your focus is people-centred spaces and buildings, our guide to biophilic design courses covers that side.)

Arizona State University (ASU): Master of Science in Biomimicry

Cost: $605 per credit for 2026/27, about $18,150 base tuition plus fees
Duration and format: 30 credits plus a portfolio, fully online
Next start: 11 January 2027 (priority deadline 1 November, final deadline 7 December)

ASU's online MS in Biomimicry is offered through the Rob Walton College of Global Futures and is designed for working professionals in biology, design, business and engineering. It focuses on applying biological principles to design and innovation, with an emphasis on sustainability and problem-solving. ASU describes it as the world's only MS in biomimicry. Check ASU for exact costs before you budget.

Link to ASU's MS in Biomimicry.

Arizona State University (ASU): Graduate Certificate in Biomimicry

Cost: $605 per credit for 2026/27 (about $9,075 base tuition) plus fees
Duration and format: 15 credits (five classes), fully online
Next start: 11 January 2027

The smaller step into ASU's teaching: five online classes, delivered with Biomimicry 3.8. You need a bachelor's degree with a 3.0 GPA to apply.

Link to ASU's Graduate Certificate in Biomimicry.

Arizona State University (ASU) and Biomimicry 3.8: The Biomimicry Professional Program (BPro)

Cost: check with Biomimicry 3.8
Duration and format: 2 years, hybrid

This programme is probably the coolest one to date! From the Sonoran Desert to the coniferous forests of California, BPro is an elite, two-year hybrid programme that combines online coursework with six intensive, week-long sessions in different biomes. It is designed to turn participants into leaders in the field. Each cohort has a maximum of 20 people.

BPro is only open to students or alumni of ASU's MS in Biomimicry. The current cohort runs from December 2024 to December 2026. Biomimicry 3.8 says the next application period is in 2026, but had published no dates when we checked in October 2026, so keep an eye on its site.

Link to Biomimicry 3.8's website.

Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD): Biomimicry Certificate

Cost: $1,800 per course non-credit ($5,400 in total) or $2,967 per course for credit ($8,901 in total)
Duration and format: any three online courses

MCAD's Biomimicry Certificate is built from its online Master of Arts in Sustainable Design: you take any three courses from the MA to earn the certificate. The focus is biomimicry in design and innovation, with a strong emphasis on sustainability.

Link to MCAD's Biomimicry Certificate.

Utrecht University: MSc Bio-Inspired Innovation

Cost: 2026/27: EUR 2,694 (EU/EEA) or EUR 25,306 (non-EU). 2027/28: EUR 2,771 (EU/EEA) or EUR 26,100 (non-EU)
Duration and format: 2 years, on campus, taught in English, starts each September

This interdisciplinary programme combines biology, technology and innovation; the degree you graduate with is formally titled MSc Biosciences. Students work on projects that bring biological principles to technological and societal challenges.

Link to Utrecht University's MSc Bio-Inspired Innovation.

ENSCI Les Ateliers (Paris): Mastère Spécialisé Nature-Inspired Design

Cost: EUR 12,000 (individual) or EUR 15,950 (employer-funded)
Duration and format: 15 months, part-time, taught in French
Next run: November 2027 to April 2029 (applications 1 July 2026 to 15 October 2027)

This Mastère Spécialisé is a postgraduate qualification at RNCP level 7 (master's level in the French system), run with Ceebios, a partner since 2020. It suits French-speaking professionals who want to keep working while they study.

Link to ENSCI Les Ateliers' Nature-Inspired Design programme.

Central Saint Martins (UAL): MA Biodesign

Cost (2026/27): £8,305 per year (home) or £22,175 per year (international)
Duration and format: 2 years, extended full-time
Next intake: 2027/28, with applications opening in autumn 2026

Biodesign is a close cousin of biomimicry rather than the same discipline: where biomimicry learns from nature's strategies, biodesign works with living organisms and biological materials.

Link to Central Saint Martins' MA Biodesign.

Biomimicry Practitioner Programme

Not sure a master's is right for you yet? Start with practice

6 months, part-time and online, with a mentor and a real project of your own. Endorsed by the Biomimicry Institute, and you keep your job while you learn.

See the programme →

$2,799, or 7 x $399. Next cohort: 1 February 2027.

Biomimicry Masters and Programmes for Engineers, Industrial Designers and Product Designers

If you are an engineer or industrial/product designer interested in the more technical and material applications of biomimicry, read on:

University of California, Berkeley: Greener Solutions (Berkeley Center for Green Chemistry)

This is a graduate course, not a degree. Greener Solutions introduces students to biomimicry methodology through real problems presented by large businesses, not hypothetical case studies. You can learn more about the Berkeley Center for Green Chemistry here.

University of Akron: BRIC Biomimicry Fellowship (PhD)

Cost: industry-sponsored, with an assistantship of up to 20 hours a week
Duration: typically 5 years

Akron is the place to look for a PhD in biomimicry. The BRIC Biomimicry Fellowship is an industry-sponsored PhD within the Integrated Bioscience PhD, which lists biomimicry as an area of excellence. Akron's undergraduate certificate is covered below.

Learn more about the University of Akron's BRIC Biomimicry Fellowship here.

POLI.design (Milan): Design for Sustainability and Regeneration

Cost: EUR 15,500
Duration and format: Specialising Master, 60 ECTS, in person in Milan, taught in English, 23 November 2026 to 31 January 2028

Now in its 3rd edition, "Design for Sustainability and Regeneration: Ecodesign, Biodesign and Circular Approaches" builds on the idea that 80% of a product's environmental impact is determined at the design stage. Applications closed around 24 September 2026, so check POLI.design for availability.

Link to POLI.design.

Hochschule Bremen: Bionik: Mobile Systeme MSc

Cost: check Hochschule Bremen
Duration and format: 3 semesters, on campus, taught in German

Bremen lets you study bionics (the German term for biomimetics) from bachelor's to master's level. This master's applies bionics to mobile systems.

Link to Hochschule Bremen's bionics programmes.

Biomimicry Masters for Biologists

If you are a biologist interested in biomimicry, read on:

University of Stuttgart: MSc Technical Biology

Cost: EUR 184 per semester, plus EUR 1,500 per semester for non-EU students
Duration and format: 4 semesters, on campus, taught in German only
Deadlines: 15 July (winter start) and 15 January (summer start)

This is a technical biology programme rather than a biomimicry programme: the official page does not mention bionics or biomimetics. It can still give you a strong scientific foundation for biomimetic work. Learn more about the University of Stuttgart MSc in Technical Biology here.

University of Freiburg: MSc Biology (Plant Sciences major)

Duration: 4 semesters, starting in the winter semester
Applications: 1 March to 15 July

Freiburg's MSc Biology with a Plant Sciences major teaches functional plant morphology and bionics, a direct route into biomimetics for plant biologists. Learn more about the University of Freiburg's Plant Sciences major here.

Can you get a biomimicry degree?

Yes, but very few degrees carry the word "biomimicry" in their title. In practice, a "biomimicry degree" usually means one of three things: ASU's MS in Biomimicry, a bionics (Bionik) degree in Germany, or a certificate or specialisation that sits alongside a degree in biology, design or engineering.

Undergraduate options we found:

• Arizona State University: an undergraduate Biomimicry Certificate (19 credits, on campus in Tempe).
• University of Akron: Undergraduate Certificate in Biomimicry Research, Design and Application (15 credits).
• Hochschule Bremen: International Degree Programme Biomimetics BSc (7 semesters, taught in German and English, including a semester abroad; applications close 15 July).
• Westfälische Hochschule (Bocholt): BSc Bionik (6 semesters, taught in German).
• Hochschule Rhein-Waal: Nature-Inspired Materials BSc (taught in English).

We found no biomimicry master's in Belgium, Spain, Brazil, India, South Africa or Australia. Spain does have short courses, and you'll find the best online options in our complete guide to biomimicry courses.

Here are some FAQs we've received that might address your uncertainties:

How does a degree in biomimicry align with my long-term career goals?

Biomimicry works well in combination with another degree or established skillset. A degree in biomimicry can advance your long-term career goals if you are interested in working at the intersection of nature and innovation.

It can lead into environmental consulting, sustainable architecture, green technology, research, education or policy. For a closer look at the roles people hold, see our guide to types of jobs in biomimicry.

Don't fit any of these categories? Don't give up just yet! There are many ways to bring nature's wisdom into your work.

Do I need a background in biology, design, engineering or sustainability?

Although it is not a requirement for some programmes, a background in biology, design, engineering or sustainability helps when pursuing a biomimicry degree, as the field is inherently interdisciplinary.

What should I do if I am not yet ready to commit to a Masters Programme or PhD?

If you're not ready to commit to a degree, or an academic route might not be your first choice, consider enrolling in the Biomimicry Practitioner Programme, a specialised six-month, part-time online course for working professionals looking to develop a biomimicry skillset and create nature-inspired innovations.

The Biomimicry Practitioner Programme is focused on project-based learning, so you'll gain practical skills in biomimicry principles and methodologies that are relevant to your world. Think less cookie-cutter, more hands-on. The programme includes expert mentorship, and foundational learning too, through the Biomimicry Short Course Set.

You'll also join a global community of Biomimicry Practitioners and Educators on the Learn Biomimicry Communitree platform.

Our eBooks and courses can be applied to any context, from leadership lessons to product design. Our learners include architects, business founders, designers, teachers and sustainability consultants.

In closing, what should your deeper journey into biomimicry entail?

Diversity. Networking. Lifelong learning. Biomimicry is a lifelong and life-wide practice. Whatever your experience or qualifications, the more you practise it, the better you'll get.

Before you go, one final thought we hope to leave you with: theory alone will not change the world. That's why the Biomimicry Practitioner Programme helps you practise and apply biomimicry in a way that is unique to your career, business or next project.

Use this resource to connect the dots and create your own journey. Whether you choose to start with us and move all the way up to the Master of Science, or decide that a specialisation course is your best move, it's up to you.

Are you ready to accelerate your career with biomimicry and start asking 'what would nature do'?

Never stop learning,
Alistair Daynes, Biomimicry Practitioner

References:

• Further list of other biomimicry degrees > https://www.environmentalscience.org/degree/biomimicry-degrees
• https://www.biomimicryne.org/accredited
• https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/arizona-state-university/postgrad/master-science-biomimicry
• https://degrees.apps.asu.edu/masters-phd/major/ASU00/LABMYMS/biomimicry-ms
• https://www.learnbiomimicry.com/blog/top-biomimicry-courses
• https://www.mygermanuniversity.com/subjects/biomimetics
• https://www.mastersportal.com/studies/334752/biomimicry.html
• https://asuonline.asu.edu/online-degree-programs/graduate/master-science-biomimicry/
• https://biomimicry.net/what-we-do/professional-training/b-professional-certification/
• https://biomimicry.org/education-old/
• https://www.findamasters.com/masters-degrees/

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