Writtle College has 2 new courses in horticulture, which aim to provide a very flexible approach to study.  

In the past 5 years there has been an increasing interest from mature students to study on higher education courses.  However, many of these students cannot fit into the usual mould of taking a 2 year full-time foundation degree, or a 3 year honours degree in horticulture.

There are many reasons why this is the case. Some mature students already have a degree in another subject and cannot afford a further 3 years of study. Students may have a horticultural qualification and are just looking to update certain areas or take additional modules as part of a CPD programme. Others may only have limited time available due to work commitments, or in the case of some international students they choose to experience a short period of study in the UK.

In response to these changes Writtle launched two new courses last year.  The Higher Certificate in Horticulture requires students to pass 120 credits from the undergraduate scheme whilst the Certificate of Continuing Education in Horticulture needs 60 credits.  The courses attracted 12 students in the first year with the enrolment increasing to 29 students this year.

Erich Dauzacker from Brazil was one of the full-time international students on the course in February this year.  He was attracted to Writtle by the very flexible nature of the new courses, "on my return to Brazil I wanted to move into commercial horticulture, but my Master's degree is in engineering so I decided to enrol on the Higher Certificate course and took 8 specialist modules in Plant Production, Organic Crop Production, Glass and Nursery production, Tropical Horticulture, as well as a supporting module in plant science."  Erich successfully completed his course and left the UK to progress into his career.

Closer to home Lee Bloomfield runs his own landscape business in Essex "I had already studied several modules from the horticulture degree and I decided to continue on to the HE course as a part time student.  I studied specialist modules in landscape construction and garden design."

Both the Higher Certificate in Horticulture and the Certificate of Continuing Education in Horticulture are available as part-time courses and can be provided as a Continued Professional Development (CPD) programme. Entry to both courses can be in October or February each year.

Details of both courses can be found on the website www.writtle.ac.uk or contact the admissions tutor Mick Lavelle.