Certificate Course · Horticulture Science

Get Hired In Smart Farming.

Whether you come from growing or from science, this course covers the technical end. Soil and nutrients, hydroponics, plant disease, pest control, and the tech now running modern growing.

From $29per week, flexible plan
~80 hoursof study at your own pace
6 monthsof course access
No examsever
Anytimestart today, fully online
At a Glance

Course Snapshot

Study AreaEducation & Teaching
Course TypeCertificate
Study Time~80 hours
Access6 months
Study ModeFully online, study whenever suits you
AssessmentNo exams, ever
PaymentsFrom $29 a week
Comes with
  • 10-day money back guarantee
  • Unlimited tutor support
  • Start anytime, study at your own pace
  • Career coaching included
Who It’s For

Why Do This Course

Get Into The Technical Side

Research stations, labs, big greenhouses and agritech all need people who can read a soil result and spot disease. This course covers that ground. The career centre helps you use it.

Understand What Is Killing The Crop

Already growing and losing yield you cannot explain? Plant pathology, soil and nutrient management and sustainable pest control name the causes so you can act on them.

Learn Where Growing Is Heading

Smart farming tech, hydroponics and aquaponics, genetics and climate. These are the parts of the trade that are growing, taught while they are still new.

Where The Skills Fit

Where These Skills Could Take You

The technical end of growing runs through nurseries, research stations, labs and big greenhouses. The day is easy to picture: taking samples, reading what the numbers say, and telling the grower what to change before the crop turns.

Plant Nursery Assistant

Raising healthy stock, where soil and disease knowledge shows up every day.

Research Technician (Entry Level)

Supporting trials and recording what happens. The pathology and genetics topics point straight here.

Soil Sampling Technician

Taking and reading soil samples in the field. Soil and nutrient management is the whole role.

Crop Health & Pest Control Assistant

Identifying problems and applying controls. Pathology and sustainable pest control are covered directly.

Greenhouse Worker

Growing under cover, where hydroponics and climate control are the working knowledge.

Smart Farming Assistant

Running the sensors and systems on a modern operation. The technology topic is built for this.

Roles where these skills are useful, not promised outcomes. Every role is different, and some need more study or experience. Agronomy and laboratory science roles usually need accredited tertiary study, and chemical handling has its own certificates.

The Course

What You'll Learn

Eight topics, from what is in the soil to the technology now running the operation.

01
What The Plant Is Growing In
Soil, nutrients, and growing without either.
Soil and Nutrient Management
Hydroponics and Aquaponics
02
Keeping The Crop Healthy
Spotting disease, and dealing with pests without collateral damage.
Plant Pathology
Sustainable Pest Control
03
The Bigger Pressures
What is changing around the grower, and what to do about it.
Impact of Climate Change
Environmental Sustainability
04
Where Growing Is Heading
The technology and the science moving fastest.
Smart Farming Technologies
Innovations and Genetics
Included

What You’ll Get

In the Course

  • Eight topics, soil through to smart farming
  • Soil and nutrients, where most crop problems start
  • Hydroponics and aquaponics, growing without soil
  • Pathology and pest control, naming the problem, then fixing it

As a Student

  • Unlimited tutor support, phone and email in business hours
  • 6 months of access, study at your own pace
  • No exams, ever, assessed on understanding instead
  • Career centre access, CV, LinkedIn and interview help
Why This One

What Makes It Different

Here is what stands out in this course.

01
Soil Treated As A System

Soil and nutrient management is its own topic, not a paragraph. Most crop problems trace back to the soil, and this is where you learn to read it.

02
Growing Without Soil, Too

Hydroponics and aquaponics are covered directly. That is how a lot of commercial fresh produce is now grown, and it is a skill set on its own.

03
Disease And Pests, Named

Plant pathology and sustainable pest control sit together, so you learn to identify a problem and then deal with it without wrecking the rest.

04
Climate And Genetics In The Frame

Climate change, innovations and genetics, and sustainability. The forces changing what gets grown, and where.

The Credentials

What You'll Earn

CERTIFICATE

Certificate in Horticulture Science

Certificate of Achievement · The Career Academy

A Certificate of Achievement

Finish the course and the college awards you its Certificate of Achievement in horticulture science.

CPD Credits

You earn Continuing Professional Development credits when you finish, so the study counts on your record.

A Student ID Card

Yours while you study, for student rates on travel, accommodation and more.

Getting Started

How It Works

Step one

Ask About the Course

Send an enquiry and a course advisor gets back to you with the course guide and straight answers on whether it fits.

Step two

Enrol When You're Ready

Start anytime. Pay on a flexible weekly plan, or pay upfront in one payment.

Step three

Study At Your Own Pace

Work through the eight topics online, with unlimited tutor support by phone and email in business hours.

Step four

Finish With Your Certificate

Complete the course and receive your Certificate of Achievement, with CPD credits on your record.

The Investment

How to Get Started

$29 / week
Flexible weekly payment plan, or pay upfront in one payment.
Pay weekly on a flexible plan
10-day money back guarantee
Start anytime, fully online
Unlimited tutor support
Enquire Now
Good to Know

Common Questions

Do I need any experience?

None needed. The topics build from the ground up, though a bit of growing behind you makes it land faster.

What does it cost each week?

The plan is $29 a week. You can also pay upfront in one payment. Enquire for the full options.

How long does the course take?

Around 80 hours at your own pace, with 6 months of access. There are no set class times, so it fits around work.

How is this different from the practices course?

This one is the science: soil, disease, pests, hydroponics and farming technology. The practices course is the growing itself, including crop production and propagation. Many people do both, and your advisor can tell you which suits your plans.

Are there exams?

There are none, ever. You are assessed on what you understand, with tutor support behind you.

Is this course accredited?

It is accredited by ICOES and the CPD Standards Office, which is accreditation for professional development. It is not NZQA accredited, so it is not a national qualification. That is a different thing. For nursery, greenhouse and technician work it is no barrier: what people judge you on is whether you can read what the crop is doing.

Can I get my money back if it is not for me?

Yes. There is a 10-day money back guarantee. If it is not right, you get your money back.

Delivered By

About the College

This course is delivered by The Career Academy, an online course provider in New Zealand.

The college has been running for over 15 years and works with more than 25,000 students a year. Courses are online and self paced, with unlimited tutor support by phone and email in business hours. Career coaching opens as soon as you enrol, including CV help and a LinkedIn profile review.

Over 15 years runningUnlimited tutor supportNo exams, everCareer coaching included
One Step Left

Enquire Today

Picture the morning you spot the problem in a crop before anyone else does, and you can say exactly what it is. Ask your questions and see where this leads.

Enquire Now