DESIGN A QUALIFICATION

The Australian Correspondence Schools offers around 400 short courses or modules (most are approximately100 hours in duration). Around 200 of these are in areas related to horticulture.

These modules can be taken as stand alone courses, or they can be combined to create a formal qualification that meets your own very specific needs or interests.

HOW TO DESIGN A COURSE

You can create a certificate by selecting six (6) modules that meet your needs and together add up to 600 nominal hours of study. You should then submit your selection to a member of our academic staff (via email, phone or fax) for approval. As long as your selection is sensible, it will then be approve, at which point you can then enrol. The standard certificate fee applies

Any other standard ACS qualification (from Proficiency Award to Advanced Diploma) can also be self designed, and approval sought in this way.

This system offers our students some distinct advantages over courses offered elsewhere:

• If you already work in industry, you can pick and choose what you study to create a study program that is more relevant and useful to your needs.
• You can create a unique combination of subjects, which helps distinguish you from other job applicants throughout your career.
• You can prepare yourself better for setting up and running a specialist business

Example:

There are very few opportunities anywhere for a course to be designed that focuses on just one type of plant; but with this system you could for example decide to focus on preparing to run a cottage garden plant nursery, in which case your certificate may be built to encompass:

• Cottage Garden Design
• Perennials
• Bulbs
• Herb Culture
• Wholesale Nursery Management 
• Propagation I

If you were wanting to operate a landscape business specialising in Natural Gardens you might choose a combination such as:

• Natural Garden Design
• Water Gardens
• Landscape Construction
• Australian Natives I
• Australian Natives II
• Workshop I (focussing on Natural Garden design projects)

QUALIFICATIONS AVAILABLE

Proficiency Award (Prof.Awd.)
A proficiency award is a specialist qualification, for people who already have a “foundation” knowledge of a subject; but who wish to undertake limited specialist study in that field. This award allows you to attain a formal qualification without needing to make as much of a commitment as a full certificate.

Prerequisites: A reputable certificate or higher qualification; or significant industry experience which demonstrates a foundation knowledge in the subject; or over 21 years of age; or equivalent (contact school for more information).
This qualification is not accredited through the International Accreditation and Recognition Council, though it’s modules can be used as credits toward higher, accredited qualifications

Certificate (Cert.)
This would be generally considered equal to or higher than a trade level qualification.
Requires: 6 modules (combined nominal duration of at least 600 hours)
Prerequisites: Year 10; or 1 year of relevant full time work following year 9; or over 21 years of age; or equivalent (contact school for more information).
This award is accredited through the International Accreditation and Recognition Council.

Advanced Certificate (Adv.Cert.)
This would normally be considered equal to, or higher than a supervisory qualification.