Advanced Certificate in Applied Horticulture

Gain the skills to run a business or build a career in horticulture. Excellent starting point for school leavers or career changers, seeking to become a horticulture professional.

Course Code: VHT079
Fee Code: AC
Duration (approx) Duration (approx) 900 hours
Qualification
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Develop Skills for a Variety of Roles

Prepare yourself for a range of potential jobs and careers in horticulture by studying this broad-based course.

Sometimes people choose very narrow or focused courses of study which could limit the opportunities that are open to them. This course is designed to provide a wide spectrum of skills and knowledge so that students are able to apply what they learn to different tasks and positions.

An extensive LEARNING PROGRAM in HORTICULTURE 

 

Learn the skills needed to grow and identify over 1,000 different plants; and build a successful career or business as a professional horticulturist.

  • Start any time; and study at your own pace.

  • Relevant to all horticultural sectors in both amenity and production horticulture.

  • Learn from a team of professionals with decades of experience; in both Australia and the UK. This gives you a very unique and practical education, from people who actually work in the industry, as well as being teachers. Many of our teaching staff still also operate their own successful horticultural businesses.

  • We've been educating horticulturists across Australia, and around the world, since 1979; and have helped thousands forge a successful business or career in the industry. 

  • Let us help you to be our next success story.

For further details on each of the modules in this course, follow the links in the Modules section below.

 

 

Modules

Core ModulesThese modules provide foundation knowledge for the Advanced Certificate in Applied Horticulture.
 Garden Maintenance VHT100
 Horticulture I BHT101
 Horticulture III (Plant Health) BHT116
 Plant Selection And Establishment BHT107
 Workshop I BGN103
 Horticultural Resource Management BHT203
 
Elective ModulesIn addition to the core modules, students study any 3 of the following 36 modules.
 Botany I (Plant Physiology And Taxonomy) BSC104
 Horticultural Research I BHT118
 Horticulture II (Plant Knowledge) BHT102
 Landscape Construction BHT111
 Landscaping I BHT109
 Nursery Growers Course VHT101
 Nursery Hands Course VHT102
 Nursery Sales Assistant VHT103
 Outdoor Plant Production (Crops I) BHT112
 Permaculture I VSS104
 Propagation I BHT108
 Research Project I BGN102
 Soil Management (Horticulture) BHT105
 Turf Care BHT104
 Botany II (Plant Growth and Development) BSC204
 Hydroponics I BHT224
 Irrigation (Gardens) BHT210
 Permaculture Systems (PDC) BHT201
 Planning Layout And Construction Of Ornamental Gardens BHT242
 Plant Breeding BHT236
 Plant Pathology BHT206
 Plant Protection BHT207
 Practical Horticulture 1 BHT238
 Protected Plant Production BHT223
 Research Project II BGN201
 Restoring Established Ornamental Gardens BHT243
 Seed Propagation BHT237
 Weed Control BHT209
 Wholesale Nursery Management BHT212
 Horticultural Marketing BHT304
 Irrigation Management (Horticultural) BHT305
 Managing Notable Gardens BHT340
 Plant Ecology BSC305
 Practical Horticulture 2 BHT323
 Turf Repair And Renovation BHT303
 Water Gardening BHT307
 

Note that each module in the Advanced Certificate in Applied Horticulture is a short course in its own right, and may be studied separately.


Stage 1 Core Studies
Exemption is granted for this stage to anyone who has the following:

Any Certificate or Advanced Certificate from ACS.

Horticultural studies of 600 hours or more class contact duration from another approved institution (Approved institutions include universities and institutions with a teaching approach that have a strong emphasis upon foundation science and plant knowledge).

Stage II Electives

Other options may be considered, though the above are generally considered the better options for this particular course.

OTHER OPTIONS

You can design your own learning program with us.

This is a unique and very flexible opportunity that is not offered by many other schools

Use our Free Course Advice Service to find out how -click here.

WHERE MIGHT THESE STUDIES LEAD YOU?

Horticulture involves “growing plants with a known purpose”.  The purpose may be obvious (eg. food, decoration); but it could also be more obscure, such as filtering pollutants from the air, reducing the negative effects of storms, or creating an environment that is friendly to people or animals.

The broad scope of horticulture means that there are many different industry offshoots including, but not limited to:

  • Landscaping Gardens and other areas

  • Cut Flower Production

  • Floristry

  • Indoor Plantscaping

  • Home gardens

  • Turf

  • Forestry

  • Plant Nursery Production

  • Garden Centre Retailing

  • Allied Trades -manufacturing and supplying hardware, equipment, machinery

  • Providing education, media, consulting or other services

  • Fruit and Nut production

  • Mushroom production

  • Growing Vegetables or Herbs

  • Oil production (cooking oils, perfumes etc)

  • Medicinal plants

  • Fuel crops (bio-fuels)

  • Horticultural Therapy

  • Soil improvement crops – for production of composts, fertility supplements, etc.

Careers in Horticulture will Always be With Us -but they may change

The world is changing fast; and we know 50% of all jobs today are under threat from new technologies like robotics and computerization.  This is evident in all aspects of life, in business, in industry, and in our personal lives. Almost every week we are offered new and more sophisticated technology to help us communicate or to perform common tasks. The horticulture industry too has not been exempt in this evolution; plant propagation, plant care, harvesting techniques, growing systems, the way we care for golf courses and parks and even our approach to home gardening, have all changed dramatically over recent decades. These changes will continue as new techniques and new technologies are formulated and introduced.

For a sustainable career in horticulture, you need to recognise the inevitability of change. You must be able to adapt and excel, embracing and taking advantage of change. To achieve this, your knowledge and skills in horticulture must be broad based. If you understand the fundamental skills needed - across all sectors of horticulture - you will be able to see opportunities as they arise and confidently move from one sector to another, throughout your career. As an example,  anyone with underpinning knowledge of plant science and plant cultural practices:  plant growth and identification, soil management, pruning and pest control and the associated technologies,  will be able to work in landscaping for a few years, then move to turf management or nursery production and later work in crop production. 

Sound, broad-based training in the fundamentals of horticulture is a good starting point for entering this industry. However, not all courses on offer will be broad enough or in-depth enough to set you up for a sustainable, lifelong career – so you need to understand the fundamentals required in horticulture (in general) and then choose a diverse course, that enables you to achieve these aims.

WHY STUDY WITH US?

  • We've been teaching horticulture since 1979 -we've helped tens of thousands around the world. We can help you.

  • Support from a team of a dozen horticulturists, in three countries including some of the industries leading experts. The principal John Mason is the only person to have been made a fellow by both the Australian Institute of Horticulture, and the UK Institute of Horticulture. Long time tutor, Dr Lyn Morgan is one of the world's leading hydroponic experts. Gavin Cole has worked in landscaping across both Australia and the UK, and was operations manager for one of England's most prestigious landscape companies. Maggi Brown is a life member of Garden Organic in the UK, and one of England's most respected organic gardening experts. Bob James has over 50 years of experience in horticulture as a consultant, local government manager, university lecturer, nurseryman, permaculturist, and more.

  • Above all; our courses are unique, and they work. They take longer to complete than certificates in some colleges; but our graduates learn more, and because there are lots of choices throughout the course; every graduate will have a different mix of knowledge and skills to everyone else -as well as all of the basics that everyone needs to learn. This uniqueness sets our graduates apart from the crowd, and that gives you an edge on everyone else. 

 

Why Study This Course?

The course provides a solid foundation in all the key areas of horticulture which are needed for entry into a broad range of jobs in horticulture. On top of that it provides insight into higher end horticultural skills.

This course is ideally suited to people working in, or hoping to work in:

  • Horticulture management

  • Propagation & nursery work

  • Conservation & restoration of historical gardens

  • Public gardens

  • Botanic gardens

  • Horticulture research

  • Horticulture consultation

 

 

Principal of ACS Distance Education, John Mason, is fellow of the CIH.
Principal of ACS Distance Education, John Mason, is fellow of the CIH.
ACS Global Partner - Affiliated with colleges in seven countries around the world.
ACS Global Partner - Affiliated with colleges in seven countries around the world.
Member Nursery and Garden Industry Association.
Member Nursery and Garden Industry Association.
Since 1999 ACS has been a recognised member of IARC (International Approval and Registration Centre). A non-profit quality management organisation servicing education.
Since 1999 ACS has been a recognised member of IARC (International Approval and Registration Centre). A non-profit quality management organisation servicing education.
ACS is a Silver Sponsor of the AIH; and students studying designated courses are given free student membership. ACS and it's principal have had an association with AIH since the 1980's
ACS is a Silver Sponsor of the AIH; and students studying designated courses are given free student membership. ACS and it's principal have had an association with AIH since the 1980's

How can I start this course?

You can enrol at anytime and start the course when you are ready. Enrolments are accepted all year - students can commence study at any time. All study is self paced and ACS does not set assignment deadlines.

Please note that if a student is being assisted by someone else (e.g. an employer or government subsidy), the body offering the assistance may set deadlines. Students in such situations are advised to check with their sponsor prior to enrolling. The nominal duration of a course is approximately how long a course takes to complete. A course with a nominal duration of 100 hours is expected to take roughly 100 hours of study time to complete. However, this will vary from student to student. Short courses (eg. 100 hrs duration) should be completed within 12 months of enrolment. Certificates, Advanced Certificates and Awards (eg. over 500 hours duration) would normally be completed within 3 -5 years of enrolment. Additional fees may apply if a student requires an extended period to complete.
If a student cannot submit their assignments for 6 months to ACS, they should advise the school to avoid cancellation of their student
registration. Recommencement fees may apply.

Simply click on the ENROL OPTIONS button at the top of this screen and follow the prompts.

You can see the course price at the top of this page. Click 'enrolment options' to see any payment options available.

You can pay by Credit Card, PayPal, Afterpay or bank transfer.

Yes! We have payment plans for most courses. Click 'enrolment options' to see the available payment plans.
We also have Afterpay that will allow you to pay for your course or payment plans in four instalments (if you are in Australia).


What do I need to know before I enrol?

There are no entry requirements that you need to meet to enrol in our courses, our courses are for everyone.
If you are under 18, we need written permission from your parent/ guardian for your enrolment to continue, we can arrange that after you have enrolled.

You don’t need to purchase any additional resources to complete our courses.

We aim to teach you the essentials without you having to purchase any specific computer program.
We recommend that you have access to a word processing program, such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs, so that you can easily complete and submit your assignments.

You sure can. We are here to help you learn whatever your abilities.

Yes, if you are enrolling in a Certificate or Advanced Certificate, you might be eligible for credits if you have evidence of your previous studies or relevant experience. More information is here.

We recommend that you are able to browse websites, send emails and conduct online research. You will need to be able to type and submit your assignments.
If you have limited computer skills, we can make special arrangements for you.

This is possible, it depends on the institution. We recommend that if you would like to use our courses that you contact the institution first. Our Course Handbook is a good resource for this.

Our courses are written in English and we only have English speaking academic staff. If you can read and complete your assignments in English, our courses are ideal for you.

Our courses are designed to build knowledge, hands on skills and industry connections to help prepare you to work in the area, running your own business, professional development or as a base for further study.

This course is aimed at providing you with a solid understanding of the subject. It has been designed to take 600 hours, which includes your course reading, assignment work, research, practical tasks, watching videos and more. When you complete the course, will have a good understanding of the area/ industry you want to work in.

It’s up to you. The study hours listed in the course are a rough guide, however if you were to study a short course (100 hours) at 10 hours per week, you could finish the course in 10 weeks (just an example). Our courses are self-paced, so you can work through the courses in your own time. We recommend that you wait for your tutor to mark and return your assignment before your start your next one, so you get the benefits of their feedback.

The course consists of course notes, videos, set tasks for your practical work, online quizzes, an assignment for each lesson (that you receive feedback from your tutor from) and ends in an exam (which is optional, if would like to receive the formal award at the end), using our custom built Learning Management System - Login.Training.

Our courses are designed for adults to gain professional development and skills to further their careers and start businesses.

Our custom online learning portal allows you to conduct your learning online. There may be practical tasks that you can do offline. You have the option of downloading your course notes or print them to read later.

There is also the option to pay an additional fee for printed course notes and or USB (availability limited to location and deliverability).

Yes, if you don’t have access to the internet, you can receive the course as paper notes or on a USB stick for an additional fee. We can also make alternative arrangements for you to send your assignments to us.

We offer printed notes for an additional fee. Also, you can request your course notes on a USB stick for an additional fee.

Yes, your tutor is here to help you. Simply post any questions you have in your login.training portal or contact the office and we can pass on a message to your tutor.

We are more learning focussed, rather than assessment focussed. You have online quizzes to test your learning, written assignments and can complete an exam at the end of the course (if you want to receive your certificate). You will not receive a pass/ fail on your course work. If you need to add more details on your assignment, we will ask you to resubmit and direct you where you need to focus. If you need help, you can ask your tutor for advice in the student room.

Each module (short course) is completed with one exam.

Exams are optional, however you must sit an exam if you would like to receive a formal award. You will need to find someone who can supervise that you are sitting the exams under exams conditions. There is an additional cost of $60 incl. GST for each exam.
More information is here

There are practical components built into the course that have been designed to be achieved by anyone, anywhere. If you are unable to complete a task for any reason, you can ask your tutor for an alternative.

When you complete the course work and the exams (8-9 exams) and you will be able receive your course certificate- an Advanced Certificate. Otherwise, you can receive a Letter of Completion.

You can bundle the short courses to create your own customised learning bundle, Certificates or Advanced Certificates. More information is on this page.

Yes, our courses are built to be applicable for people living anywhere in any situation. We provide the fundamentals, and each student can apply their own unique flair for their own interests, region and circumstances with the one-on-one guidance of a tutor. There is also a bit of student directed research involved.

Employers value candidates with industry skills, knowledge, practical skills and formal learning. Our courses arm you with all of these things to help prepare you for a job or start your own business. The longer you study the more you will learn.

ACS has an arrangement with OAMPS (formerly AMP) who can arrange Professional Indemnity from Australian and New Zealand graduates across all disciplines. Ph: 1800 222 012 or email acs@oamps.com.au.


Who are ACS Distance Education?

ACS Distance Education have been educating people for over 40 years.

We are established and safe- we have been in education for over 40 years.
We are focused on developing innovative courses that are relevant to you now and what you will need to know in the future.
We are focused on helping you learn and make the most of your experience.
You can enrol at any time, you can work on your course when it suits you and at your own pace.
We are connected to many industry bodies and our staff participate in continuous improvement and learning activities to ensure that we are ahead of what learning is needed for the future.

Our courses are not accredited by the Australian Government. However many of our courses are recognised and held in high regard by many industry bodies.

Our courses are written by our staff, who all have many years experience and have qualifications in their speciality area. We have lots of academic staff who write and update our courses regularly.


How do I enrol my staff/ sponsored students?

Yes, you can do a request for a bulk enrolment and request an invoice on our Invoice Request Form

We can prepare an invoice, quote or proforma invoice. Simply complete your details on our Invoice Request form

We can arrange bulk discounts for your course enrolment, please get in touch with us to discuss your needs.

Yes, we have many students who are in locked facilities, such as prisons or hospitals. We can cater by also offering paper notes at an additional cost.


What if I have any more questions or need more information?

We can assist you to find the right course for your needs. Get in touch with us via email (admin@acs.edu.au) call on +61 7 5562 1088 or complete our course advice form.


What if I change my mind?

Please get in touch with studentservices@acs.edu.au if you would like to be removed from our mail list.

If you would like ACS Distance Education to delete your information at any time (whether you are a customer or a prospective customer), please contact our privacy officer and we will process this ( admin@acs.edu.au ).

If students require a reproduction of their certificate, an electronic copy can be provided at a cost of AUD$35 incl GST. Printed copies are not available.




Course Contributors

The following academics were involved in the development and/or updating of this course.

Rosemary Davies (Horticulturist)

Leading horticultural expert in Australia.
Rosemary trained in Horticultural Applied Science at Melbourne University. Initially she worked with Agriculture Victoria as an extension officer, taught horticulture students, worked on radio with ABC radio (clocking up over 24 years as a presenter of garden talkback programs, initially the only woman presenter on gardening in Victoria) and she simultaneously developed a career as a writer.
She then studied Education and Training, teaching TAFE apprentices and developing curriculum for TAFE, before taking up an offer as a full time columnist with the Herald and Weekly Times and its magazine department after a number of years as columnist with the Age. She has worked for a number of companies in writing and publications, PR community education and management and has led several tours to Europe.
In 1999 Rosemary was BPW Bendigo Business Woman of the Year and is one of the founders and the Patron, of the Friends of the Bendigo Botanic gardens. She has completed her 6th book this year and is working on concepts for several others.
Rosemary has a B Ed, BSc Hort, Dip Advertising & Marketing

Marie Beermann

Marie has more than 10 years experience in horticulture and education in both Australia and Germany. Marie's qualifications include B. Sc., M. Sc. Hort., Dip. Bus., Cert. Ldscp.

Jacinda Cole (Horticulturist)

B.Sc., Cert.Garden Design. Landscape Designer, Operations Manager, Consultant, Garden Writer.
She was operations manager for a highly reputable British Landscape firm (The Chelsea Gardener) before starting up her own landscaping firm. She spent three years working in our Gold Coast office, as a tutor and writer for Your Backyard (gardening magazine) which we produced monthly for a Sydney punlisher between 1999 and 2003. Since then, Jacinda has contributed regularly to many magazines, co authored several gardening books and is currently one of the "garden experts" writing regularly for the "green living" magazine "Home Grown".

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