COURSE STRUCTURE
The Foundation Diploma in Applied Botany comprises 10 modules including a 100 hr industry project.

Course Duration: Approximately 1,000 hours of self paced studies.

Industry (Workplace) Project

There are 4 options available to you to satisfy this requirement:

Alternative 1
If you work in the industry that you have been studying; you may submit a reference from your employer, in an effort to satisfy this industry (ie. workplace project) requirement; on the basis of RPL (ie. recognition for prior learning), achieved through your current and past work experience.

The reference must indicate that you have skills and an awareness of your industry, which is sufficient for you to work in a position of responsibility.

Alternative 2
A one module credit (100 hrs) can be achieved by verifying attendance at a series of industry meetings, as follows:

• Meetings may be seminars, conferences, trade shows, committee meetings, volunteer events (e.g. Community working bees), or any other meeting where two or more industry people or people who are knowledgeable about their discipline.
  
  
• Opportunity must exist for the student to learn through networking, observation and/or interaction with people who know their industry or discipline
  
  
• A list of events should be submitted together with dates of each attended and times being claimed for each 
  
  
• Documentary evidence must be submitted to the school to indicate support each item on the above list (e.g. Receipts from seminars, conference or shows, letters from committee or organisation secretaries or committee members. All such documentation must contain contact details).

Alternative 3
Credits can be achieved by completing standard modules Workshop I, II and/or III.

Each of these modules comprises a series of “hands on” PBL projects, designed as learning experiences that involve interaction with the real world. (This approach is based upon tried and proven learning approaches that originated in American universities but are now widely used and respected by academia throughout many countries). See the web site or handbook for more detail.

Example:

Workshop I
There are 3 lessons, each involving a PBL project, as follows: 

1. Workplace Tools, Equipment and Materials: Identifying and describing the operation of tools and equipment used in the workplace; routine maintenance of tools and equipment; identifying and comparing materials used in the workplace; using different materials to perform workplace tasks. 
   
   
2. Workplace Skills: Determining key practical skills in the workplace; identifying and comparing commonly-performed workplace tasks; determining acceptable standards for workplace tasks; implementing techniques for improving workplace efficiency. 
   
   
3. Workplace Safety: Identifying health and safety risks in the workplace; complying with industry OH&S standards; developing safety guidelines for handling dangerous items. 
   
   
4. What is PBL? Problem-based learning has been defined as: “A learning method based on using problems as a starting point for acquisition and integration of new knowledge.”

Alternative 4
If you do not work in the relevant industry, you need to undertake a project as follows. 

Procedure for a Workplace Project
This project is a major part of the course involving the number of hours relevant to the course (see above). Although the course does not contain mandatory work requirements, work experience is seen as highly desirable. 

This project is based on applications in the work place and specifically aims to provide the student with the opportunity to apply and integrate skills and knowledge developed through various areas of formal study.

Students will design this project in consultation with a tutor to involve industry based activities in the area of specialized study which they select to follow in the course. The project outcomes may take the form of a written report, folio, visuals or a mixture of forms. Participants with relevant, current or past work experience will be given exemption from this project if they can provide suitable references from employers that show they have already fulfilled the requirements of this project.

Students will be assessed on how well they achieve the goals and outcomes they originally set as part of their negotiations with their tutor. During each 100 hours of the project, the students will present three short progress reports. These progress reports will be taken into account when evaluating the final submission. The tutor must be satisfied that the work submitted is original.

WHAT SETS ACS APART?

At ACS we provide you with more than just a set of course notes.

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• Course notes.
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• You can interact one on one with a professional tutor with decades of experience - just email, phone or log on to chat to connect with them.
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