ADVANCED DIPLOMA IN HORTICULTURE -NURSERY VHT009

Successful completion of this course may assist the student to gain employment in the following fields: Nursery Manager, Technical Officer, Marketing Manager, Consultant, Vocational Trainer.

RECOGNITION:

This course is written to satisfy all relevant  competencies of the International Accreditation and Recognition Council.

DURATION:

2,600 hours minimum nominal duration, including:

2,050 hours approximately of off-campus correspondence study

150 hours minimum of on-campus workshop

100 hours minimum of off-campus industry conference/seminars/meetings

300 hours minimum of off-campus workplace project(s)

Being a self paced learning program, the student can study at a rate according to their ability and capabilities.

This course may be studied over 3 years or less on a full time basis, or up to 8 years on a part time basis.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

There are no academic pre-requisites for this course but it is expected that successful applicants have achieved an educational level that will enable the completion of the course objectives.

Entry to this course is based on:

a person with 5 years industry experience;

Year 12 standard of education;

mature age student.

COURSE CONTENT

a/ Compulsory core modules

The following FIVE modules are compulsory: Biochemistry (Plants), E Commerce,  Instructional Skills, Business Studies, and Workplace Health and Safety.

b/ Stream Core Modules

800 hours of study in compulsory modules (normally 8 x 100 hour modules).

Horticultural Management, Horticultural Marketing, Botany I, Advanced Propagation, Horticulture I, Soil Management, Plant Protection, plus either Wholesale Nursery Management or Garden Centre Management.

c/ Stream Elective Subjects

600 hours of study in modules (normally 6 X 100 hour modules), selected from the following:

Wholesale Nursery Management or Garden Centre Management (whichever was not previously chosen), Horticulture II, Irrigation, Landscaping I, Fruit Production, Commercial Vegetable Production, Advanced Hydroponics, Australian Native Plants I, Herb Culture, Orchid Culture, Roses.

d/ Optional Electives

200 hours of study in modules (normally 2 X 100 hour modules), which can be chosen from any advanced diploma accredited modules, from a wide range of disciplines, excluding Recreation Administration & Management I, II & IV, Agricultural Marketing, Farm Management.

* Students are to attain a current Senior First Aid Certificate during the course of study.

WORKPLACE ORIENTED RESEARCH

Three Research projects must be undertaken to satisfy the 300 hour nominal duration. Well organised study guides have been developed for Research Project I, II & III to work through in order to satisfy this part of the course.

Each project will deal with a distinct aspect of workplace activity, and culminate in a written formal report of a length appropriate to the nature of the project.

WORKSHOPS

Curriculum documents have been developeed as a guide to 150 hours of learning through either face to face workshops or equivalent on the job learning. This documentation can be supplied to students living anywhere in the world so they  may work with either an ACS tutor, or a similarly qualified professional in their own workplace, or locality, in order to achgieve tyhis requirement. This part of the course is often left till near the end.

INDUSTRY CONFERENCE/SEMINARS/MEETINGS

You must attend 100 hours (minimum) of industry seminars within the period of the course. These may include such things as industry conferences, seminars, or professional society meetings.

COURSE STRUCTURE SUMMARY