SRUC Scotland's Rural College
UCAS Code: HHPL | Higher National Diploma - HND
Entry requirements
A level
To include a science subject
GCSE/National 4/National 5
Applicants should be able to offer National 5 (A-C) or equivalent pass in English (for literacy) and Maths (for numeracy)
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
To include a science subject
Scottish Higher
To include a science subject
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
This HND in Horticulture (Plantsmanship) has been designed by subject specialists and has a unique focus on plantsmanship. This course is delivered in unique partnership with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE), which enhances course delivery by being a high-profile advocate for plant biodiversity and conservation research and outreach work. This partnership adds immense value to the course due to their respected presence and the immersive learning experience it provides.
Throughout the course, you will develop the skills, knowledge, professional behaviours and values that are required to enter the horticulture sector or progress to further academic study.
This course is delivered by skilled horticulturalists and plant scientists to enhance the learning experience. The course structure is centred around authenticity, allowing you to gain real-world experiences that enhance your learner journey. In the first year, you will study a broad range of specialisms to give you a better understanding of the horticulture sector. In the second year, you will begin to focus more closely on plantsmanship specialism and begin to develop higher levels of inquiry skills by carrying out research into a preferred area of study.
The units that you will study are project-based and aim to develop your planning, initiative and practical skill. The course integrates self-management, social intelligence and innovation meta skills at its core which complement the vocational and technical elements of the course, developing your personal skills which you can employ and adapt in future for further study or in your career.
This HND is the equivalent first two years of the BSc (Hons) in Horticulture (Plantsmanship), but can equally be studied as a stand alone qualification.
Modules
This HND in Horticulture has 6 mandatory units in the first year or study and 6 mandatory units in the second year of study. By studying this HND in Horticulture (Plantsmanship), you can expect to study the following modules as part of the course:
Botanical and historic garden horticulture - This unit provides you with knowledge and experience of the history, current roles, and management of botanic and historic gardens. You will use case studies to develop your knowledge of the evolution of the gardens through time and how they are currently used and managed as landscapes, places for research and learning, and visitor attractions.
Ecological and conservation horticulture - This unit provides you with the knowledge and skills needed to work in ecological and conservation horticulture. It focuses on plant ecology and how an understanding of plant ecology can help with planning and decision making in plant conservation and wider conservation.
Applied horticultural research – this unit provides you with the knowledge and skills needed to understand and apply research techniques in the context of horticultural research and plant trials. You can pursue your own interests to develop specialist knowledge.
Horticulture: Professional practice - This unit provides you with the knowledge and skills needed to enter the horticulture industry at an appropriate level. You will gain authentic, practical and professional skills, in collaboration with industry partners. You will carry out and reflect on two meaningful simulated and/or work-based learning placements throughout the year in areas of industry that are of interest to you.
Advanced plant biology - This unit develops your knowledge of plant biodiversity in the context of evolution and adaptation, contextualises mechanisms of plant physiology, advances your knowledge of plant breeding principles, and allows you to apply a range of practical laboratory techniques relevant to the topics discussed.
Assessment methods
This HND in Horticulture (Plantsmanship) is assessed primarily through portfolio and project-based assessments. All assessments within the course are designed to be authentic; incorporating realistic objectives that are reflective of industry activities. The authenticity of the assessments will foster innovation and creativity skills.
Personalised learner journeys are championed by providing opportunities for students to select from a range of topics for an assessment, or by providing different methods of completing assessments such as by incorporating different media types into a portfolio of evidence.
Tuition fees
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The Uni
Edinburgh
Horticulture, Landscaping and Garden Design
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Agriculture
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Agriculture
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
About 70% of the UK's land area is given over to agriculture, so this is a subject representing an important part of the country's economy. Typical starting jobs for graduates in agriculture include agricultural science, farming and farm management, but graduates also go into other areas, such as the horticulture trade, auctioneering and conservation. Agriculture graduates are also in increasing demand for one of the hardest-to-fill jobs in the country - surveying. Jobs for agriculture graduates are often in rural areas - in 2016, areas like Essex, Lincolnshire, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Yorkshire and Kent were all important for agriculture graduates.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Agriculture
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£21k
£26k
£26k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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