Diploma in Garden Design (Dip.PSGD)
Overview
Comprehensive and demanding, our diploma course is for those who wish to design gardens professionally. It is challenging, vocational, intensive yet enjoyable, and equips students with all the practical and business skills needed to develop their own garden design businesses.
We find that the demanding nature of the course and the teaching approach creates energetic, creative and committed student groups and with this in mind, our class sizes are restricted to ensure all our students receive adequate personal attention.
We have been teaching the Diploma since our establishment in 1991. Our Diploma graduates’ record in setting up their own successful design businesses is second to none, and their record with award winning show gardens is as impressive. In recent years, our graduates have won Silver Flora (2001), Silver Gilt (2003), Silver (2004), Bronze Flora (2006), Silver Gilt (2007) and Bronze (2008) medals at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, in addition to awards at many other shows including RHS Hampton Court (Bronze, 2003), RDS Spring Homes and Gardens Show in Ireland (Best Show Garden, 2003) and RHS Malvern (Silver, 2008, and winner of the Chris Beardshaw Mentoring Scholarship).
Diploma Course Objectives
To produce professional garden designers with a high degree of design creativity allied to strong technical and project management skills together with a thorough understanding of business and marketing issues.
Time Commitment
The course is taught one day a week over one academic year, with three terms of academic study and a fourth term of home study, when you will work on a major final project.
Students should allow approximately 24 hours a week study time, which includes the college day.
Selection Criteria
Formal entrance qualifications are not required; applicants interested in joining the course should contact the school for an informal chat following which the application form below should be completed and posted to the School. Overseas students should have passed an English exam to a minimum of the International Language Testing System (IELTS) Band Score 6.0. Please go to www.ielts.org for further information.