The Introduction to Natural Perfumery course is suitable for anybody with an interest in perfumery and requires no experience or prior knowledge. Anybody who wants to learn more about fragrance or who wants to make their own perfume using natural ingredients is welcome.

The Diploma in Natural Perfumery is suitable for people who have completed the introductory course or equivalent. However, if you’re a complete beginner and wish to enrol in the advanced course, we’ll give you access to the introductory course so you can have a strong foundation for the advanced course. This course is recommended for:

• People who want to develop their understanding of natural fragrance and natural ingredients.

• People interested in creating complex perfumes using only natural ingredients.

• Aromatherapists who wish to develop their perfumery skills.

• Retail staff in the beauty and perfume industry.

• Perfume hobbyists who wish to expand their knowledge and develop their professional skills.

The Working with Natural Isolates course (included in the advanced course) is only suitable for people who are already confident in the creation of perfumes with other natural ingredients.

The Perfumes and Incense of Ancient Egypt course is suitable for anybody with an interest in the subject and requires no experience or prior knowledge.

Other than the specified above, there are no qualifications required to enrol in our courses. However, you should note the following:

• All courses are taught in English and in Spanish. You should be proficient in one of these two languages.

• For online courses you should have basic computer skills, and the ability to create text documents and spreadsheets, to use email and to do research using internet sources.

• Chemistry and maths... We know that these two subjects can be scary for people who have never studied them before, or who studied them at school but felt they never understood them. Let us put your mind at ease on the next question.

Chemistry: A basic knowledge of chemistry can be useful but it’s not essential or required. Everything you need to know for the course will be taught over several short lessons to make it as easy as possible to learn.

Maths: Maths is important in perfumery. You’ll be required to use basic skills and perform essential calculations, including calculating percentages and ratios. For the advanced course, you’ll also need to understand the basic principles behind spreadsheets and the formulae used within them.

However... Everything you need to learn will be taught during the course. Don’t panic, it’s not complex and we make it as easy as possible! Marina is not only an experienced Perfumer, she’s also a Space Scientist and a Science Communicator with years of experience making science easy to understand for anybody without a science background, from children as young as 7 to adults in their 80s and 90s. You couldn’t be in better hands.

Our online courses are available via the school’s online platform. You’ll have your own account to log in as and when you wish to access all your course materials. You’ll be guided at all times so you know what module or lesson you should study next, and you can check your progress every time you log in.

• Each course is divided into several modules.

• Modules are made up of lessons that need to be completed in the right order. There will be an online group tutorial at the end of each module.

• Lessons are a blend of any of the following: course notes, practical exercises to do at home, assignments, videos, audio files, supplemental reading and/or supplemental files. You’ll need to complete a quiz at the end of each module before you can progress to next one.

• All course notes can be read online or downloaded. Documents will not be emailed or posted.

• Videos can only be accessed while logged into your account and cannot be downloaded.

• Group tutorials will be held online and recorded. As with other videos, they’ll be available to watch as many times as you want.

• Students of the Diploma in Natural Perfumery will also have access to a private forum where they can discuss their studies and work with other students, ask questions of more advanced students and moderators, and interact with course tutors.

For short courses, a minimum of 3 hours per week are required. However, we recommend 4-5 hours per week to get the most out of the course.

The Diploma in Natural Perfumery requires more commitment and 3 to 6 hours of work per week. However, learning perfumery requires practice, so we encourage all students to practice as much as possible.

You’ll have to complete a short test at the end of each module, as well as practical assignments that will include the design and blending of accords and fragrances. To complete the Diploma in Natural Perfumery, you’ll have to document some of your work and email this to your tutor. You’ll also have to submit samples of your perfume to your tutor for assessment; we have ways of working around this if you live in a country where this is not practical or possible.

Yes. We encourage you to complete the course in the time specified; however, we understand that many things can happen. In this case, we ask you to get in touch with your tutor to discuss any changes or problems so we can look at alternative arrangements in exceptional circumstances. You’ll continue to have access to all the course materials and lectures for the duration of your extension, and for a further 18 months following completion of the course.

We’re not going to lie to you and tell you that you’ll be a perfumer after one or two years of studying with us. Becoming a perfumer requires time and dedication, but most of all, it requires practice, and that’s something that only you can do! Our Diploma course will provide you with the necessary knowledge to understand perfumery as an art, as a creative pursuit, as a technical subject and as a profession. It will train your nose and help you develop the skills required to create fragrance. More importantly, it will equip you with the tools to keep learning and developing your perfumery skills by yourself for years after the course has finished.

Professional perfumers spend several years learning, training and practicing accord and fragrance creation. We can give you an excellent foundation with training and support; the practice is up to you. But hey, listen... the practice is the fun part!

Each short course comes a with a list of recommended materials and suppliers so you can decide what you already have and what you need to purchase before the course starts. To complete the Diploma in Natural Perfumery, you’ll probably need to purchase natural perfumery materials or to supplement the ones you currently have. You can find a list of recommended materials HERE. We have created a basic ingredient kit available to students who are resident in the UK, the EU or the USA. The kit is heavily subsided and can be purchased at the time of enrolment on the Diploma in Natural Perfumery, or separately if you’re studying any of the shorter courses. For other necessary equipment, please refer to the essential tools and supplies page HERE.

We’re very sorry that we’re unable to ship the kit to other countries outside the UK, the EU or the USA. We’ve put together a list of reputable and trusted suppliers where you can purchase natural ingredients, many of which are provided by the same producers that we use. Have a look HERE.

For the Introduction to Natural Perfumery course beginning on 7 March 2022 APPLY HERE.

For the Diploma in Natural Perfumery beginning on 22 March 2022 APPLY HERE.

The payment options available for each course can be seen under each course listing.

Payments can be made via debit or credit card, and via PayPal. Please contact us if you want to pay via PayPal, as you won’t be able to do it via the teaching platform.

All short courses must be paid in full before the course starts.

The Diploma in Natural Perfumery can be paid in four instalments.