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Horticulture / Horticulture: Garden Design FdSc

  • Level(s) of Study: Foundation degree / Undergraduate
  • UCAS Code(s): D400; D401
  • Start Date(s): September 2023
  • Duration: Two years full-time, three years part-time / sandwich
  • Study Mode(s): Full-time / Part-time / Sandwich
  • Campus: Brackenhurst Campus
  • Entry Requirements:
    More information

Introduction:

Explore the life of plants on these highly vocational and practical courses. Based on understanding and interpreting the landscape around us, they explore horticultural production and growing, along with the principles of plant and soil science. Horticulture is a diverse subject area that covers plant and soil science; commercial crop production; ornamental flower and plant growing; landscape and garden design; and green-space management.

In the final year you can choose to specialise with the Garden Design pathway.

  • You will have the opportunity to become proficient in surveying a site for development, and plotting data both by hand and using AutoCAD (Computer Aided Design).
  • Brackenhurst campus is home to an entrepreneurial cut-flower business called the Flower Pod, run by the Southwell Care Project and supported by student and staff volunteers.
  • You will have access to state-of-the-art glasshouses, laboratories, and a historic walled garden.
  • We're in the top 15 in the UK for Agriculture and Forestry courses (Complete University Guide 2024).

What you’ll study

Throughout the course you'll explore the topics of:

  • plant and soil science
  • commercial crop production
  • ornamental flower and plant growing
  • landscape and garden design
  • green space management

Plants and Soil Science

Develop an understanding of the anatomy, morphology and physiology of plants and how they function in relation to their environment. Aspects include photosynthesis, respiration, and plant propagation. Learn the principles of soil science and identify and evaluate common pests, diseases and disorders.

Garden Design in Practice

This module introduces you to the basic design skills, knowledge and principles required for garden design. It also incorporates the principles of historic garden design and how they relate to design today.

Survey Planning and Construction

Develop topographical site surveying techniques using the latest recording technologies. Gain an introduction to the concept of hard landscaping, including basic bricklaying, block paving, fencing, and patio construction.

Horticultural Technology

Study the range of technologies that have application to the horticultural industry, including greenhouse systems, horticultural machinery, plant propagation technology, and total station (topographical) technology.

Plant and Botanical Knowledge

This module provides an introduction to applied botany, taxonomy and classification. Learn about the range and use of ornamental plants commonly available to the landscaping industry, and also look at ground preparation, planting and maintenance strategies.

This is a placement year for students on the three-year course.

FdSc Horticulture

Soft Landscape Design

Develop knowledge of the range of ornamental plants, and devise planting plans to cover a variety of soft landscape types in both commercial and private contexts.

Horticultural Practices

Learn practical skills in relation to fruit, vegetable and flower production, by both organic and inorganic methods.

Horticultural Employability

Undertake a short industrial placement within the horticultural or landscape sector. The module is complemented by a series of external speakers from industry, giving insight into both career and business opportunities. You’ll also develop your own professional online media profile.

Experimental Design and Analysis

This module will introduce you to research methodology, hypothesis testing, statistical analysis and data presentation

You'll also choose two optional modules:

Green Space Management

Understand the objectives, policies and organisation of the management of urban and rural green spaces, both public and private. Gain insight into how local planting, heritage and charity organisations manage green space land.

Crop Production

Develop your practical skills and knowledge of producing crops to a commercial standard. Study the principles of crop scheduling, growth manipulation and crop management.

Land Use Ecology

Explore land uses such as farming and forestry, the productivity of which is determined by the presence and products of ecological processes and the impacts of humans upon them.

FdSc Horticulture: Garden Design pathway

Soft Landscape Design

Develop knowledge of the range of ornamental plants, and devise planting plans to cover a variety of soft landscape types in both commercial and private contexts.

Horticultural Practices

Learn practical skills in relation to fruit, vegetable and flower production, by both organic and inorganic methods.

Horticultural Employability

Undertake a short industrial placement within the horticultural or landscape sector. The module is complemented by a series of external speakers from industry, giving insight into both career and business opportunities. You'll also develop your own professional online media profile.

Applied Design

Develop competency in advanced design concepts. Look at spatial analysis, organic form, and deconstruction. Also, learn the communication of design solutions over a range of site scales and client briefs.

CAD Professional Practice

Develop a range of CAD-based technology skills in various commercially available applications. Learn to produce 2D and 3D garden design drawings to a professional standard. Produce designs suitable for private garden and commercial-scale landscapes.

Experimental Design and Analysis

This module will introduce you to research methodology, hypothesis testing, statistical analysis and data presentation.

Further information on what you'll study

This course can provide progression onto the one-year BSc (Hons) Horticulture (final year top-up) degree.

Don’t just take our word for it, hear from our students themselves

Our current students and recent graduates tell you all about their time at NTU and what they've gone on to do next.

Student Profiles

Jade Lane

Horticulture / Horticulture: Garden Design

The beautiful grounds, modern facilities and brilliant staff make Brackenhurst campus a wonderful place to study, so on making the decision to take my horticultural studies to a higher level, I had no doubt that the degree course at NTU would be a great option.

Hafsah Hafeji

Horticulture / Horticulture: Garden Design

It is a fantastic course with great career prospects and the beautiful campus is an excellent environment to study and learn in.

Nicola Walter

Horticulture / Horticulture: Garden Design

The great thing about horticulture is that it’s applicable all over the world, which means lots of potential travelling! At Christmas I went to Hawaii to work with tropical plants and conservation at the National Tropical Botanical Gardens.

Video Gallery

Tim tells us about life as a student studying Horticulture at Nottingham Trent University. You can also watch our facility tour video to get an insight into the equipment you'll use and what you'll study on the course.
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How you’re taught

You will be taught through a variety of methods including group seminars, lectures and practical sessions.

Please note that field trip locations may vary and are subject to availability and change.

Contact hours

  • Year 1 lectures/seminars/workshops (26%), independent study (74%)
  • Year 2 lectures/seminars/workshops (25%), independent study (70%), placements (5%).

A placement year may be taken between year 1 and year 2 of study.

Staff Profiles

Mark Oxenbury

Senior Lecturer

School of Animal Rural & Environmental Sciences

Mark Oxenbury

David Jukes

Senior Lecturer

School of Animal Rural & Environmental Sciences

David Jukes

How you’re assessed

  • Year 1 coursework (67%), written exam (33%)
  • Year 2 coursework (83%), written exam (17%)

Careers and employability

Your career development

Graduates of this course go on to a wide range of careers including:

  • technologist
  • landscape management
  • garden design
  • self-employed roles
  • horticultural therapist
  • historic landscape management
  • green space adviser
  • agronomist.

Excellent placement opportunities

The course includes an optional sandwich year placement between Year One and Year Two, or during Year Two. You can develop their skills and experience in a working environment which is highly valued by future employers.

Recent students have taken paid placements in

  • garden centres and nurseries
  • landscape contractors
  • organisations such as the National Trust
  • crop production growers and agronomic research organisations, both private and public.

NTU Enterprise

You'll also have the opportunity to turn your ideas into a viable business with help from NTU Enterprise, NTU's purpose-built Centre for Entrepreneurship and Enterprise, a support centre to help students create, develop and grow their own businesses.

Campus and facilities

Nottingham Trent University's Brackenhurst Campus has been delivering high standards of horticultural education since 1955 and offers a friendly study environment with excellent specialist facilities set in 200 hectares of parkland.

New facilities include teaching, laboratory, design and CAD studios, state-of-the-art glasshouses, covered practical areas, and a historic walled garden.

Other facilities include:

  • teaching, laboratory, design and Computer Aided Design studios
  • ultra-modern glasshouses, covered practical areas
  • a historic and enclosed garden.

Brackenhurst Campus has recently featured in national and international press coverage and horticulture-related TV productions.

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.

Entry requirements

Looking for a place in Clearing? We are accepting applications and would love to hear from you.

To discuss our entry requirements and see what we can offer you, call us now on +44 (0)115 848 6000 or apply online.

  • We accept UCAS Tariff points from two qualifications.
  • GCSE English and Maths grade C / 4.

Other qualifications and experience

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.

Access to Higher Education courses

If you’re aged 19+ and don’t have the qualifications to meet the entry criteria, you can study an Access to HE course right here at NTU. These one-year courses are designed specifically as an alternative route to university.

Getting in touch

If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form.

Looking for a place in Clearing? We are accepting applications and would love to hear from you.

To discuss our entry requirements and see what we can offer you, call us now on +44 (0)115 848 6000 or apply online.

  • We accept UCAS Tariff points from two qualifications.
  • GCSE English and Maths grade C / 4.

International qualifications

We accept qualifications from all over the world – check yours here:

Please note this course is not open to students requiring a Tier 4 / Student Route visa.

Undergraduate preparation courses (Foundation)

If you don’t yet meet our entry requirements, we offer Foundation courses through our partner Nottingham Trent International College (NTIC), based on our City Campus:

English language entry requirements

You can meet our language requirements by successfully completing our pre-sessional English course for an agreed length of time, or by submitting the required grade in one of our accepted English language tests, such as IELTS:

Advanced standing (starting your undergraduate degree in year 2 or 3)

You may be able to start your undergraduate course in year 2 or 3 based on what you have studied before. This decision would be made in accordance with our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy.

Would you like some advice on your study plans?

Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.

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

Non-residential UK day excursions are included in the tuition fee. You will be charged a maximum of 20% of the price per student cost for any compulsory residential trips or courses in the UK, as a contribution towards travel, accommodation and entrance fees where applicable. For example, a typical 5-day UK residential field trip cost would be approx. £500 per student, and we would ask for a £100 contribution from students. You will be charged a maximum of 30% of the price per student cost for any compulsory overseas residential courses, as a contribution towards travel, accommodation and associated trip fees where applicable. For example, a typical 6-day residential overseas field trip cost would be approx. £600 per student, and we would ask for a £180 contribution from students. Other non-compulsory field trip opportunities, in the UK and abroad, may also be offered, and these will be charged at 80% cost to students. A valid passport and any associated visas will also be required for field trips outside of the UK.

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.

Tuition fees for September 2023 entry

Mode of study

International tuition fee

Full-time

£16,500

Full-time with placement

£16,500 + £1,850 (placement year)

Tuition fees are payable for each year that you are at the University. The level of tuition fees for the second and subsequent years of your undergraduate course may increase in line with inflation and as specified by the UK government.

Scholarships

We offer scholarships of up to 50% of your tuition fee. You can apply for your scholarship when you have an offer to study at NTU.

Living costs

Get advice on the cost of living as an international student in Nottingham and how to budget:

Paying fees

Find out about advanced payments, instalment plan options and how to make payments securely to the University:

Would you like some advice on your study plans?

Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.

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

Non-residential UK day excursions are included in the tuition fee. You will be charged a maximum of 20% of the price per student cost for any compulsory residential trips or courses in the UK, as a contribution towards travel, accommodation and entrance fees where applicable. For example, a typical 5-day UK residential field trip cost would be approx. £500 per student, and we would ask for a £100 contribution from students. You will be charged a maximum of 30% of the price per student cost for any compulsory overseas residential courses, as a contribution towards travel, accommodation and associated trip fees where applicable. For example, a typical 6-day residential overseas field trip cost would be approx. £600 per student, and we would ask for a £180 contribution from students. Other non-compulsory field trip opportunities, in the UK and abroad, may also be offered, and these will be charged at 80% cost to students. A valid passport and any associated visas will also be required for field trips outside of the UK.

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.

How to apply

Ready to join us? Then apply as soon as you can.

To apply for the full-time and sandwich routes of this course 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.

To apply for the part-time route, please apply directly to NTU via our applicant portal.

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.

You can apply for this course through UCAS. If you are not applying to any other UK universities, you can apply directly to us on our NTU applicant portal.

Please note this course is not open to students requiring a Tier 4 / Student Route visa.

Application advice

Apply early so that you have enough time to prepare – processing times for Student visas can vary, for example.  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.

Writing your personal statement

Be honest, thorough, and persuasive – we can only make a decision about your application based on what you tell us:

Advice on writing a good personal statement

Would you like some advice on your study plans?

Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.

The University's commitment to delivering the educational services advertised.

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