ADVANCED DIPLOMA IN HORTICULTURE (CROPS) VHT009

Train to become a Professional Horticulturist

Train to be a professional horticulturist, technician or manager, to work at a management or technical level with horticultural crops.

This course normally takes 3 years full time or 5-7 years part time, but may be completed in 1-2 years with extra effort.

This course is internationally accredited through I.A.R.C.

  • Extensive 2,500 hour self paced course
  • Covers not only horticultural practices, but also management and science.


Course Contents and structure

Modules include general horticultural skills and practices as well as specific studies such as Commercial Vegetable Production, Fruit Production, Cut Flower Production, Organics, Herb Culture, Hydroponics, Irrigation, Engineering, Permaculture, Nuts, Berries and Mushrooms.

There are 24 modules (subjects) to be studied, divided into 11 core modules, 13 elective modules AND 100 hours of work experience. 

Core Modules (11)

These are compulsory as listed below:

  • Biochemistry I (Plants) BSC102
  • Horticultural Resource Management BHT203
  • Horticultural Marketing BHT304
  • Plant Protection BHT 207
  • Botany I BSC104
  • Horticultural Research I BHT118
  • Horticultural Research II BHT24
  • Protected Plant Production BHT223
  • Machinery and Equipment (Engineering 1) BSC105
  • Outdoor Plant Production (Crops) BHT112
  • Soil Management (Horticulture) BHT105

Electives (13 to be selected)

Choices include:

  • Cut Flower Production
  • Organic Plant Culture 
  • Hydroponics I
  • Hydroponics II 
  • Hydroponics III 
  • Agronomy 
  • Engineering II - Applications 
  • Irrigation Management
  • Commercial vegetable production
  • Culinary Herbs 
  • Cutting Propagation 
  • Medicinal Herbs 
  • Seed Propagation 
  • Permaculture - Advanced 
  • Aquaponics 
  • Bush Tucker Plants 
  • Engineering II (Applications)
  • Permaculture Systems
  • Nut Production
  • Warm Climate Nuts
  • Berry Production
  • Mushrooms
  • Viticulture
  • Weed Control
  • Soil Management (Crops)

PLUS 100 hours Work Experience

This can be made up of paid or voluntary employment, industry conferences or seminars. We expect you will be able to undertake this however if you're unable to complete it you can alternatively study a module from the school called Workshop 1 which comprises of three problem based learning projects. This option is easily undertaken anywhere in the world.
 
TIME DURATION: Normally 2-3 years full time and 5 years part-time.

Total: 2,500 hours.

 

AFTER YOUR STUDIES

The crop production industry has changed a lot in recent years and will no doubt be different after you complete this course, than what it is when you commence.
Nevertheless, one thing will not change: we still need to grow crops, to produce the food we eat, and a wide range of other products we use in our daily life.
 
There are different ways of growing crops, and we prepare you to work in any or all of these industry sectors:

  • on large farms or small
  • using organic methods, hydroponics, traditional or other practices
  • with controlled environments (eg. in greenhouses), or outside, exposed to the elements
  • in any climate, dry or wet, cold or hot, humid or anything else.

 

Some graduates will be farmers, and others may become involved in enterprises that support the industry, which are becoming more varied all of the time. Crop enterprises provide everything a grower needs to be successful (eg. machinery, tools, seed, fertilizer, pest control, irrigation, laboratory services, consultancy, marketing, transport, crop storage and processing, research, education and more.
 
As the industry evolves, opportunities keep shifting. At one stage, everything that we ate was grown close to home. This is not always the case today; but there are always advantages to produce being fresh; and as people have become better educated and awareness has grown, the demand for locally grown product has increased.
 

WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN MORE?

ENROL TODAY!

Just go to the top of this page for pricing and enrolment options. If you have any questions you can contact us now, by:
Phone (UK) 01384 44272, (International) +44 (0) 1384 442752, or

Email us at  [email protected]