Distance Education Course -Become a Landscape Designer, Consultant or Landscape Architect
How do you become a leading Landscape Designer?
Landscape Design is part art, part science, and for most who are successful in this industry, also business. The best starting point for most successful landscapers will be a sound education that involves learning all aspects (art, science and business). Some of the top landscape designers have started with little more than a certificate, then built their knowledge and experience on the job. Others have started with a much more substantial course like this one. Success tends to come faster and surer if you begin with a more substantial course like this; but passing a course is never alone going to be a guarantee of a successful career. Education can provide a foundation; but success also requires a mind that can cross between artistic inspiration and practical application of scientific principles. Artistic flair alone is not enough; and the ability to build structurally sound landscapes is not enough either.
We strongly recommend you talk to us before enrolling. Staff here at ACS have decades of experience in the industry and we can help you sort out whether this is the right career for you.
Course Structure
This course is made of 25 modules. These modules are best undertaken in the order outlined below.
Students studying more than ten hours a week however are advised to take two or more modules at a time (In for every 10 hours per week or part thereof).- Exams should be taken after submitting the final assignment for each module. Exams can be undertaken anywhere in the world. Exam fees are an additional cost, payable each time you apply to sit an exam. The Industry Meetings and Workshop modules do not require exams. As such, you need to sit a total of 22 exams. If an exam is failed, you have unlimited options to reapply and resit exams until they are passed (but a new exam fee applies with each application).
Course Duration: 2500 hours
Articulation:
This Diploma incorporates the Diploma in Landscaping VHT025 (Which equates with modules 1 to 21).
As such, an alternative is to undertake the Diploma first, then upgrade to the Advanced Diploma by completing modules 22 to 25 later on.
Upon completing this Advanced Diploma, it is possible to upgrade to further qualifications through our UK school. For these options contact our UK office
Modules
Note that each module in the ADVANCED DIPLOMA IN LANDSCAPING VHT026 is a short course in its own right, and may be studied separately.
Studies are undertaken in the following order:
Module 1. Landscaping I
Module 2. Horticulture I
Module 3. Landscaping II
Module 4. Landscaping III (Landscape Styles)
Module 5. Plant Establishment and Selection
Module 6. Landscape Construction
Module 7. Horticulture II
Module 8. Horticulture & Research I
Module 9. Water Gardening
Module 10. Playground Design
Module 11. Planning Layout and Construction of Ornamental Gardens
Module 12. Cottage Garden Design
Module 13. Permaculture Systems
Module 14. Horticultural Management
Module 15. Natural Garden Design
Module 16. Project Management
Module 17. Restoring Established Ornamental Gardens
Module 18. Horticulture & Research II
Module 19. Workshop I
Modules 20 and 21. Two relevant electives from horticulture or another area of study of value to people working in landscaping. For example … Advanced Permaculture; Irrigation – gardens; Trees for Rehabilitation; Horticultural Marketing; Plant Ecology; Conifers; Roses; Perennials; Australian Natives I; Tropical Plants; Photoshop; Starting a Small Business, Amenity Horticulture I.
Module 22 Workshop 2
Module 23 Industry Meetings 100 hrs
Modules 24 Professional Practice for Consultants
Module 25
One module elective eg;
Operational Business Management I or Water Conservation & Management or Photoshop
RECOMMENDED E BOOKS -Written by our Principal and founder, John Mason
Buy, download and rad immediately on your computer, i pad or reader ... or download a sample extract for free.
Garden Design Volume 1 (e book with around 300 colour photos) http://www.acsbookshop.com/products/2243-garden-design-part-1-pdf.aspx
Garden Design Volume 2 (e book with around 300 colour photos) http://www.acsbookshop.com/products/2245-garden-design-part-2-pdf.aspx
Starting a Garden or Landscape Business (e book) http://www.acsbookshop.com/products/2241-starting-a-garden-or-landscape-business-pdf.aspx
THE ACS TEAM APPROACH
ACS was founded by John Mason in 1979 as Australian Horticultural Correspondence School.
Right from these very early times, we've always believed that the best education only comes when the student is learning from the experience of a whole range of industry experts (rather than just a single teacher).
Every ACS course is a work in progress, continually evolving, with new information being added and old information being updated by our team of internationally renowned professional horticulturists.
Over the decades more than 100 horticulture experts from across the world have contributed to these courses, bringing their individual knowledge and experiences from as wide afield as England and Spain to Australia and America.
While may colleges and universities focus on providing courses that relate only to the country where they are based, ACS has always strived to make it's courses relevant to all parts of the world; any climate, economic or cultural situation. This has been achieved by involving a large number of professionals in the course development.
When it comes to tutoring, marking papers and mentoring students, the team approach is just as strong as with our writing. ACS students have the ability to obtain advice and support from staff across the world, with horticulture tutors located in the UK, Australia (both the north and south) and New Zealand.
The ACS team approach and global focus to both course content and student support, ensures our graduates have a unique and "real world" skills set. This unique approach is highly regarded by our colleagues in horticulture.
Contributors to ACS Courses over the years have included:
John Mason -former parks director (Melton, Essendon and Heidelberg), Landscape Designer (Playgrounds and recreation Association of Victoria), Nurseryman, President Australian Institute of Horticulture (Victoria), Committee International Year of the Child (Australia), Author ove over 40 books, Editor Garden Guide Magazine, Editor Your Backyard Magazine.
Maggi Brown - Education officer, Henry Doubleday Research Association (UK), gold medal winner Chelsea Flower Show, Garden consultant.
Adriana Fraser - Horticultural Consultant, TAFE Lecturer, Project Manager - Parks and Gardens, Horticultural writer.
Iain Harrison -Garden Manager Fibremakers, Garden Consultant, Lecturer Swinburn TAFE
Katie Freeth - Manager Commonwealth War Graves (France), Horticultural Consultant (France & UK), Board member Institute of Horticulture, and International Federation Parks & Recreation Administration
Tony Bundock -Horticulture Businessman, Consultant, Head of Horticulture Dept. TAFE
Jim Davis -Horticulture Businessman, Lecturer TAFE (NSW), Principal VCAH Burnley College
Dr Lyn Morgan -author and internationally renowned hydroponics consultant (New Zealand)
Dr Valeria Astorga -horticultural consultant, lecturer (Spain, Peru, Australia)
Alison Bundock -Editor (Kangaroo Press; Southern Cross University), Technical Writer (APM), Consultant
Rosemary Davies -Horticultural concultant, journalist, media personality (Victoria)
