New Zealand Certificate in Horticulture (Landscape Construction strand) (Level 3)

Turn your passion for outdoor spaces into practical skills for the landscaping industry. Learn how to plan, construct, and maintain landscapes through hands-on study in plant selection, site layout, hard and soft landscaping, irrigation, drainage, and maintenance planning. Graduate with the skills and confidence to contribute to residential, commercial, and community landscaping projects.

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SIT Online
Campus
SIT Online
Qualification
Certificate
Level
3
Credits
75
Duration

24 weeks full-time

Up to two years part-time

Intakes are 12 weeks long

Dates
TBC
Tuition Fees

Zero tuition fees

Direct Material Costs

$8.00 per credit (incl. GST)

International Fees

Check if this course is available to international students in our International section.

Course Outline

This qualification is intended for people who may have some general experience or have a desire to work in the horticulture industry who want to develop their skills and knowledge in a specific horticultural industry sector. 

It recognises the skills and knowledge of individuals who can assist with a range of core tasks, under limited supervision relevant to a horticulture industry sector. 

Graduates will be able to work under limited supervision with responsibility for work outcome.

The Landscape Construction aims are:

  • To gain skills and knowledge that are directly relevant to working as an effective member of a team.
  • To provide a base for learners to progress to more advanced studies in horticulture.
  • To provide a programme of study that will enhance the knowledge base of routine tasks associated with implementation of a landscape design.
Course Content

Compulsory papers


CLC300 Work in a Team for a Landscape Project

Level: 3
Credits: 10

This paper provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to work as an effective member of a team, particularly with regard to communicating and interacting with others during the development of a landscape project.

On successful completion of this paper, students will be able to:

  • Define and develop a landscape project with a client.
  • Understand and apply active listening techniques.
  • Identify and describe areas of cultural importance relevant to landscape project development.


CLC301 Identify and Select Plants for a Specific Landscape Project

Level: 3
Credits: 15

This paper provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to identify and select plants suitable for a specific landscaping project.

On successful completion of this paper, students will be able to:

  • Identify plants which would fulfil a landscape project design brief and local climate/soil conditions.
  • Identify and evaluate different sources for plants.
  • Develop a report for a client which describes both relevant plants and planting times.


Elective papers

Select 50 credits from the following papers:


CLC302 Establish a Landscape Site Set-out

Level: 3
Credits: 10

Important: To complete this paper, students must have access to a site (chosen in CLD300) which can be used for a landscape project. No permanent construction work will be undertaken; however, students must be able to set out profiles and mark out the design on the site to complete this paper.

This paper provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to identify a suitable site, identify and liaise with potentially affected parties, set out site features, establish profiles and make a final set-out of site features for a specific landscaping project.

On successful completion of this paper, students will be able to:

  • Identify a suitable site for a specific landscaping project.
  • Establish liaison with parties likely to be affected by landscaping work to be undertaken.
  • Identify and set out site features to fulfil a specific landscaping project.
  • Establish landscape profiles and finalise set-out to ensure profile pegs allow room to work between profile and feature and accommodate significant feature elements.


CLC303 Establish a Hard Landscape Plan

Level: 3
Credits: 15

This paper introduces the concepts of hard landscaping to students and provides them with the knowledge to identify and incorporate hard landscaping features into a landscape design.

On successful completion of this paper, students will be able to:

  • Develop a hard landscaping plan for a specific landscape design.
  • Identify, source and cost hard landscaping materials to meet a specific landscape design brief.
  • Describe the maintenance requirements for a hard landscape plan.


CLC304 Establish a Soft Landscape Plan

Level: 3
Credits: 15

This paper introduces the concepts of soft landscaping to students and provides them with the knowledge to identify and incorporate soft landscaping features into a landscape design.

On successful completion of this paper, students will be able to:

  • Develop a soft landscaping plan for a specific landscape design.
  • Identify, source and cost soft landscaping materials to meet a specific landscape design brief.
  • Describe the maintenance requirements for a soft landscape plan.


CLC305 Develop a Maintenance Regime for a Landscaped Site

Level: 3
Credits: 10

Important: Students will establish a developed landscape site to work with over the duration of this paper.

This paper provides students with the knowledge and skills to develop a maintenance regime relevant to a specific landscaped site.

On successful completion of this paper, students will be able to:

  • Identify the maintenance issues for a developed landscaped site.
  • Evaluate different maintenance regimes to address maintenance issues for a developed landscaped site.
  • Develop a maintenance regime that can be put in place to maintain a landscaped site.


CLC306 Develop an Irrigation or Drainage Plan for a Landscaped Site

Level: 3
Credits: 10

Important: To complete this paper, students must have access to a developed landscape site. If studying CLC305, the same site could be used for both papers.

This paper provides students with the knowledge and skills to develop either an irrigation or a drainage plan relevant to a specific landscaped site.

On successful completion of this paper, students will be able to:

  • Identify the irrigation or drainage issues for a developed landscaped site.
  • Evaluate different irrigation or drainage activities to address maintenance issues for a developed landscaped site.
  • Develop either an irrigation or a drainage plan that can be put in place to maintain a landscaped site.


CLC307 Undertake Landscaping Activities

Level: 3
Credits: 10

This paper provides students with the knowledge and skills to complete landscaping activities such as planting, weeding, construction or removal of unwanted material.

On successful completion of this paper, students will be able to:

  • Review a landscaped site or landscape plan and scope out activities required to be completed.
  • Undertake necessary activities to meet scope requirements and in accordance with all health and safety regulations and best practices.
  • Evaluate works completed against original scope requirements.
Career Opportunities

Graduates of this qualification will be able to:

  • Work as an effective member of a team including communication and interaction with team members and colleagues relevant to a role in the horticulture sector
  • Carry out routine tasks associated with implementation of a landscape design

Recent graduates of the New Zealand Certificate in New Zealand Certificate in Horticulture (Level 3) (Landscape Construction strand) have gained employment as assistants in landscape design companies, in nurseries, and in gardens, however some graduates have chosen to use the course to extend their skills for personal use.

Application Criteria

School Leavers

Applicants should be a minimum of 16 years of age, and have attained NCEA Level 2 as follows:

  • 60 credits at Level 2 or above, plus 20 credits from any level, and
  • Literacy - minimum of 10 credits at Level 1 or above through either specified assessment standards available through a range of subjects and English for Academic Purposes, unit standards 22750 and 22751 (minimum total of 10 credits), or unit standards - package of three literacy unit standards (26622, 26624, 26625 - all three required)
  • Numeracy - a minimum of 10 credits at Level 1 or above through either achievement standards - specified assessment standards through a range of subjects (minimum of 10 credits), or unit standards - package of three numeracy unit standards (26623, 26626, 26627 - all three required)

Mature Applicants
Applicants over the age of 20 years at the time of enrolment will be considered where they can demonstrate the ability to succeed in a programme. Examples of demonstration of ability to succeed are the provision of evidence of successful completion of a programme of study at Level 2 or above and/or employment in the related sector for one or more years. They may be admitted subject to programme regulations approved by the Head of Faculty in consultation with the Programme Manager as appropriate. Personal commitment and a belief in one's own ability to succeed are important personal traits and will always be taken into consideration during the selection process.

English Language Requirements

Applicants, whose first language is not English, or who come from a country where the language of instruction in schools is not English, are required to provide evidence of having achieved one of the following:

NCEA Level 3 with University Entrance, or

an International Baccalaureate Diploma or Cambridge A- level qualification for which the teaching and assessment was conducted in Englis, or

Cambridge Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA), or Trinity College London Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CertTESOL), or

Successful completion of all primary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand primary school Years 1 to 8) and at least three years of secondary education (being the equivalent of three years from New Zealand secondary school Years 9 to 13) at schools in either New Zealand, Australia­, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States one of the countries listed in Rule 18.5 where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction, or

Successful completion of at least five years of secondary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand secondary school Years 9 to 13) at schools in either New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction, or

Successful completion of a Bachelors' Degree, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Bachelor Honours degree, Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma, Masters’ Degree or Doctoral Degree, the language of instruction of which must be in English and which must be  from a tertiary education provider from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom or the United States, or

Successful completion of one of the following internationally recognised proficiency tests listed below to the level required of the programme of study and with all scores achieved in a single test during the two years preceding the proposed date of enrolment:

Certificate at Level 3

  • IELTS test - General or Academic score of 5 with no band score lower than 5
  • TOEFL Paper based test (pBT) - Score of 500 (with an essay score of 4 TWE)
  • TOEFL Internet based test (iBT) - Score of 35 (with a writing score of 14)
  • Cambridge English Examination – B2 First or B2 First for schools with a score of 154. No less than 154 in each skill
  • OET - Minimum of Grade C or 200 in all sub-tests
  • NZCEL - Level 3 (General)
  • Pearson Test of English (Academic) – PTE (Academic) score of 36 with no band score lower than 36
  • Language Cert - B1 Achiever International ESOL Written (LRW) PASS with no less than 25/50 in each skill and Spoken (S) PASS
  • Trinity ISE - ISE I with no less than distinction in any band
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