This course develops your academic and applied horticultural skills to degree level. You’ll deepen your knowledge of plant and crop development, as well as looking at green-space management. Your learning will include the modern production methods and management of plant crops, agronomy, and post-harvest issues. You’ll explore the current issue of international food security, developing the scientific and technical knowledge, skills and experience to help tackle this challenge.
If you have any questions about our Horticulture course, you can now chat to our experienced lecturers and course leaders through Unibuddy.
Why choose this course?
- Study at our picturesque Brackenhurst Campus where we have invested in superb teaching buildings and laboratories.
- Immerse yourself in the subject in Brackenhurst's incredible outdoor classrooms.
- Develop your skills in our specialist facilities including glasshouses, a covered hard landscape unit, workshops, Computer Aided Design (CAD) studio, general drawing studio and walled gardens.
- Use real-world projects and research to prepare you for your career.
- Gain fieldwork experience to cultivate your skills.
- Benefit from our strong links with industry through lectures from visiting guest professionals and inspiring workshops.
- Visit sites and gardens of particular interested in Britain and Europe on study trips.
- Learn from our expert teaching staff who have substantial industry experience and specialist areas of interest within the landscape and horticulture sectors.
Student profiles

What you'll study
This course explores both regional and international green spaces. You'll look at the development of spaces for specific communities, and evaluate and devise strategies for their management. You'll also examine the role of social, economic and cultural influences on the development of designed landscapes. This includes looking at the creation and management of future sustainable landscapes.
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Year One
Keystone Project
Select an original project of your choice, set within your chosen subject area, that identifies a suitable issue or topic of professional interest. With the aid of a nominated supervisor the Keystone Project is aimed at encouraging connection and engagement with real-world issues and enterprises.
International Landscape Strategies
Develop your critical understanding of the philosophy for aesthetics and style of international designed landscapes and your appreciation of the chronology of such landscapes and gardens. Create solutions for unique environments that reflect the needs of the individual. group or community. You will also devise changes that would encourage positive experiences of the developed environment. This involves reflection of the impact design elements have on the human psyche.
Project Management
You will conduct and present a 'real' integrated management project for the horticultural industry or research sector. This will help develop your professional skills for critically reviewing project management processes and evaluating the effectiveness for achieving project outcomes. Your work will be carried out as part of a project team.
Agronomy
Develop an understanding of theoretical knowledge and field based skills in plant and crop production for indoor and outdoor crops. This module includes a mixture of lab and agronomy based fieldwork, that explores the productions aspects of crops in addition to husbandry and post-harvest issues of food and plant production.
Global Politics, Issues and Ethics
Explore issues relating to sustainable production, food security and the global supply chain and gain an overview of current policy at global, EU and national level. Also investigate issues of global concern such as the implications of climate change.
Staff profiles
Careers and employability
Your future career
This broad-based degree will open up a wide range of career opportunities. Graduates find employment in professional consultancies, government bodies and local authorities.
You may also wish to pursue setting up and running your own horticultural business, which we can help you with through NTU's centre for entrepreneurship and enterprise, The Hive.
Placement opportunities
This course includes an optional year-long placement in industry. We have links with a range of horticultural and agricultural supply chains, crop and ornamental growers, government agencies, and landscapers and designers.
Placements are an excellent opportunity to both explore a potential career avenue and to build on experience, and it can lead to a Placement Diploma in Industrial Studies.
Facilities
Where will I study?
Our Brackenhurst Campus has been delivering high standards of horticultural education since 1955. It offers a friendly study environment with excellent specialist facilities set in 200 hectares of picturesque parkland 14 miles north-east of Nottingham city centre and is easily accessible by public transport.
You will have access to loads of on-site facilities including Careers Services, computer suites, cafe and bar, while the extensive facilities of our City Campus and Clifton Campus are also within easy reach.
Specialist Horticulture facilities include:
- teaching, laboratory, design and Computer Aided Design (CAD) studios
- modern glasshouses
- covered practical areas
- historic and enclosed gardens.
Green Flag status
Brackenhurst campus has been awarded Green Flag status, a national award recognising green spaces throughout the country. We received the award along with other notable green spaces such as Kensington Gardens, Regent's Park and St James's Park.
Teaching on this course is supported by a suite of glasshouses and polytunnels as well as an AutoCAD studio.
Entry requirements
What are we looking for?
- FdSc Horticulture degree; or
- HND in a relevant subject.
Other qualifications and experience
We consider equivalent qualifications and combinations, please see UCAS course search for details and use our calculator to help you work out how many UCAS points your qualifications relate to.
We may also consider credits achieved at other universities and your work/life experience through an assessment of prior learning. This may be for year one entry, or beyond the beginning of a course where applicable, for example, into year 2. Our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy outlines the process and options available for this route.
Contextual offers
As well as assessing your application and qualifications, we use contextual data and information to make offers for this course. Depending on your circumstances, we may make you an offer up to two grades below the standard entry criteria. Find out how we assess your application.
Getting in touch
If you need any more help or information, please email our Admissions and Enquiries Team or call on +44 (0)115 848 4200.
What are we looking for?
We accept qualifications from schools, colleges and universities all over the world for entry onto our courses. If you're not sure how your international qualification matches our course requirements please visit our international qualifications page.
Foundation courses
If you need to do a foundation course to meet our course requirements please visit Nottingham Trent International College (NTIC). If you're already studying in the UK at a school or college and would like to know if we can accept your qualification please visit our foundation courses page.
English language entry requirements
If English is not your first language you need to show us that your language skills are strong enough for intensive academic study. We usually ask for an IELTS test and we accept some alternative English language tests.
- For a list of our language requirements please visit our English language page.
- If you need to do a pre-sessional English language course to meet the English requirements please visit our pre-sessional English course page.
Help and support
If you have any questions about your qualifications or about making an application to the University please email our International Team for advice.
NTU may admit a student with advanced standing beyond the beginning of a course, through an assessment of that student's prior learning, whether it is certificated or uncertificated. Our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy outlines the process and options available to these prospective students, such as recognising experiential learning or transferring to a similar course at another institution, otherwise known as credit transfer.
All prospective students who wish to apply via Recognition of Prior Learning should initially contact the central Admissions and Enquiries Team who will be able to support you through the process.
How to apply
Ready to join us? Then apply as soon as you can. Just click the Apply button at the top of the page and follow the instructions for applying. Make sure you check the entry requirements above carefully before you do.
Writing your application and personal statement
Be honest, thorough and persuasive in your application. Remember, we can only make a decision based on what you tell us. So include all of your qualifications and grades, including resits or predicted grades.
Your personal statement is a really important part of your application. It's your chance to convince us why we should offer you a place! You've got 4,000 characters to impress us. Make sure you use them to show how your skills and qualities are relevant to the course(s) you're applying for. For more hints and tips, take a look at our page on how to write a good personal statement.
Keeping up-to-date
After you've applied, we'll be sending you important emails throughout the application process so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.
You can get more information and advice about applying to NTU on our Your Application page. Good luck with your application!
Getting in touch
If you need any more help or information, please email our Admissions Team or call on +44 (0)115 848 4200.
Please read our notes on the University's commitment to delivering the educational services advertised.
You can apply directly to the University for an undergraduate course if you’re not applying to any other UK university in the same year. If you are applying to more than one UK university you must apply through UCAS.
Apply as early as you can so that you have time to prepare for your studies. If you need a visa to study here you need to plan this into your application.
- For a step-by-step guide on making an application to the University please visit our how to apply page.
- For advice on applying for a visa please visit our visa information page.
- For advice on how to write a good personal statement please visit our personal statement page.
Keeping up-to-date
After you’ve applied, we’ll be sending you important emails throughout the application process so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.
Good luck with your application!
Getting in touch
If you need any more help or information, please email our Admissions Team or call on +44 (0)115 848 4200.
Please read our notes on the University's commitment to delivering the educational services advertised.
Fees and funding
Preparing for the financial side of student life is important, but there's no need to feel anxious and confused about it. We hope that our fees and funding pages will answer all your questions.
Getting in touch
For more advice and guidance, you can contact our Student Financial Support Service.
Tel: +44 (0)115 848 2494
Additional costs
Your course fees cover the cost of studies, and include loads of great benefits, such as the use of our library, support from our expert Employability team, and free use of the IT equipment across our campuses.
Library books
Most study modules will recommend one or more core text books, which most students choose to purchase. Book costs vary and further information is available in the University’s bookshop. Our libraries provide a good supply of essential text books, journals and materials (many of which you can access online) – meaning you may not need to purchase as many books as you might think! There may also be a supply of second-hand books available for purchase from previous year students.
Field trips
All essential field trip costs will be included in your course fees. There may be the opportunity to take part in optional field trips, which do incur additional costs.
Placements
If you're undertaking a placement year, you'll need to budget for accommodation and any travel costs you may incur whilst on placement. Many of our placement students do earn a salary whilst on placement which can help to cover these living costs.
Print and copy costs
The University allocates an annual printing and copying allowance of £20 depending on the course you are studying. For more details about costs for additional print and copying required over and above the annual allowance please see the Printing, photocopying and scanning information on the Library website.
Other costs
All students will also be expected to provide their own steel toe-capped safety boots and working overalls.
International fees and scholarships
For information on international and EU fees and advice on how to pay, please visit our international fees page.
We offer prestigious scholarships to new international students holding offers to study at the University. For details and an application form please visit our international scholarships information.
Additional costs
Your course fees cover the cost of studies, and include loads of great benefits, such as the use of our library, support from our expert Employability team, and free use of the IT equipment across our campuses.
Library books
Most study modules will recommend one or more core text books, which most students choose to purchase. Book costs vary and further information is available in the University’s bookshop. Our libraries provide a good supply of essential text books, journals and materials (many of which you can access online) – meaning you may not need to purchase as many books as you might think! There may also be a supply of second-hand books available for purchase from previous year students.
Field trips
All essential field trip costs will be included in your course fees. There may be the opportunity to take part in optional field trips, which do incur additional costs.
Placements
If you're undertaking a placement year, you'll need to budget for accommodation and any travel costs you may incur whilst on placement. Many of our placement students do earn a salary whilst on placement which can help to cover these living costs.
Print and copy costs
The University allocates an annual printing and copying allowance of £20 depending on the course you are studying. For more details about costs for additional print and copying required over and above the annual allowance please see the Printing, photocopying and scanning information on the Library website.
Other costs
All students will also be expected to provide their own steel toe-capped safety boots and working overalls.