QUALIFICATION - ADVANCED DIPLOMA IN HORTICULTURE - PARKS & RECREATION (VHT009)

• ACS has established an outstanding international reputation in horticulture and parks industries.
• Staff who have worked on, and continue to work on these courses include internationally renowned experts in parks management, horticulture and related fields.
• This course is also accredited through the International Accreditation and Recognition Council.

Requirements:

• 2,500 hours minimum nominal duration, including:
• 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.

Exemptions

Exemptions on past studies at diploma or higher levels may be granted (to cover no more than 33% of the entire course). A formal submission of Recognition of Prior Learning may be made, to achieve exemptions based on formal studies and experience (RPL forms are available on request).

COURSE CONTENT 

Compulsory core modules

The following four modules are compulsory:

• Biochemistry (Plants),
• Instructional Skills,
• Business Studies, 
• Workplace Health and Safety.

Stream Core Modules

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

• Leisure Management I,
• Leisure Management II,
• Leisure Management III,
• Horticulture I,
• Arboriculture I,
• Turf Care, 
• Irrigation,
• Playground Design.

Stream Elective Subjects

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

• Landscaping I,
• Landscaping II,
• Facility Management I,
• Facility Management II,
• Recreation Administration & Management IV,
• Plant Protection,
• Engineering I,
• Soil Management, 
• Irrigation Management,
• Event Management,
• Horticulture II.

Optional Electives

200 hours of study in modules (normally 2 X 100 hour modules), which can be chosen from any advanced diploma accredited modules, selected from stream electives not studied yet (electives must be approved by academic staff at the school).

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

WORKPLACE ORIENTED RESEARCH

Two Research projects must be undertaken to satisfy the 200 hour nominal duration. Well organised study guides have been developed for Research Project I & II to work through in order to satisfy this part of the course.

Each project will deal with distinct aspects 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 developed as a guide to 200 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 achieve this 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 or seminars, or professional society meetings.

COURSE STRUCTURE SUMMARY

OTHER OPTIONS

• Design your own Associate Diploma, Diploma or Advanced Diploma
• Our system is very flexible.
• It is possible to choose any fifteen modules (for example), to create an Associate Diploma; provided the combination is sensible and approved by one of our academic staff.
• Email the school for assistance with compiling a qualification that is unique, giving you a totally different mix of skills to graduates from other courses!