The entry requirements to study horticulture will vary based on the course you want. Academic requirements will differ between educational institutions and the level of study you undertake. For the most accurate information, you should view the course information on the institution’s website.
Typically, you’ll need to have an Australian Senior Secondary Certificate of Education (Year 12) or the overseas equivalent to complete an undergraduate degree.
For postgraduate courses, satisfactory completion of an undergraduate degree is required. However, some institutions may take relevant work experience or research ability into consideration as well.
For Vocational Education and Training (VET) Courses, most students will need to have reached a level of study equivalent to the Australian Year 10. Some courses may require extra prerequisite subjects or work experience.
If you prefer computer work or working indoors, horticulture is not for you. If you struggle to keep a houseplant alive, you might also struggle completing a horticulture course. However, if you have a real interest in plants, appreciate nature and enjoy working outdoors, you will excel in a horticulture career. Apart from a love of nature and plants, you’ll also need good observation to identify plants and the environments that will suit them. You also need to be able to work alone, as many horticulture jobs require you to work by yourself.
There are several pathways to study horticulture courses, from TAFE certificates to university-level degrees. To find the best course in Australia, you need to decide where you want your horticulture career to take you, while also considering your current level of knowledge and any previous study you’ve done.
Here are some of the different horticulture courses available in Australia:
Horticulture falls into several major sectors, including floriculture, arboriculture, landscaping, parks and gardens, nursery, viticulture (winemaking), turf management, pest management and horticultural research)
There are several career pathways following a horticulture course. Here are some potential jobs:
Charles Sturt University, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Polytechnic are some of the leading institutes in the world to study horticulture. University of Technology Sydney, Queensland University of Technology, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology are also excellent choices. Institutions like TAFE, as well as online education platforms like Open Colleges also offer a range of certificates and diplomas in horticulture.
The national average salary for a Horticulturist is $59,720 in Australia. With further study, you could earn roughly $100,000 as a landscape designer.
Employment levels in the horticulture industry have risen steadily in the past five years, with gardeners or landscapers rising 16.6%, and park rangers rising 6.2%. So, if you’re interested in studying horticulture, you can rest assured employment trends are on the up, making horticulture an in demand industry now and into the future.
Government funding assists students by subsidising their tuition fees, with funding varying between states and territories. In NSW, for example, Smart and Skilled is a reform of the NSW Vocational Education and Training (VET) system. It helps people in NSW get the skills they need to find a job and advance their careers. Under Smart and Skilled, the NSW Government contributes to the cost of each course with the student paying the balance. There are currently no horticulture subsidies.