You are viewing entry year 2025/26.

Horticulture (Commercial), FdSc (Hadlow)

The commercial horticulture foundation degree is both hands-on and theoretical, laying the groundwork for careers in plant science, sustainability, landscaping, and food crop or biofuel production.

Recognised by the Institute of Horticulture, this course enables you to specialise in an area of your choice: nursery production, fruit production, medicinal plant production or retail. With a mix of theory and practice, you'll develop skills in propagation, harvest and post-harvest care for a range of crops, from ornamentals to medicinal crops and fruit.

This course is hands-on, so you'll visit a range of sites, gardens and parks, building up your own network of contacts. You can also progress to our BSc Hons degree in commercial horticulture.

The course is offered by one of the university's partner colleges: Hadlow College in Kent.

UCAS points

64 (view full requirements)(full requirements below)

Course/institution codes

D417 H FdSc/H

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We received Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023. This recognises our outstanding performance in student experience and outcomes.

Duration

2 years full-time

Start month

September

Home fees 2025/26

£6,165

What you should know about this course

  • Specialise in either nursery production, fruit production, medicinal plant production or retail
  • Benefit from a wide range of links with commercial nurseries, research institutes, organic producers, public and privately owned gardens as well as exposure to the retail world through our onsite garden centre

What you will study

View course outline

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Course information is currently unavailable for this programme. Please contact course-info@gre.ac.uk for more information.

Entry requirements

  • 64 UCAS Tariff points. We accept A Levels, T Levels, BTECs, Access to HE and all other qualifications with UCAS Tariff points.
  • In addition, you will need: GCSE Mathematics at grade 4/C and GCSE English Language/Literature at grade 4/C. Equivalent qualifications may be considered.

Applicants without the required UCAS Tariff points that have relevant experience may be considered.
We make Contextual offers to this programme. Applicants that meet specific eligibility criteria will be made a contextual offer with a reduced tariff of up to 16 UCAS Tariff points. Other entry requirements such as GCSEs, Interview, etc., will still need to be met. For further information, please see our Contextual Admissions policy.

Please contact Admissionshadlow@northkent.ac.uk.

For more information, use our contact form or call us on 020 8331 9000.

You can also read our admissions policy.

Available to overseas students?

No

Can I use Prior Learning?

Find out more on our Recognition of Prior Learning pages.

How you will learn

Teaching

Learning takes place through a combination of timetabled learning and independent study.

You can view more information about how each module is taught within our 'What you will study' section.

Seminars and workshops enable you to discuss and develop your understanding of topics covered in lectures in smaller groups. You will also be able to meet your personal tutor. Timetabled learning may fall between 9am and 9pm depending on your courses and tutorials.

Class sizes

As a degree student at Hadlow College, you will enjoy the friendly atmosphere of a campus university with the smaller class-sizes more common in colleges. Your experience will include individual one-to-one meetings with your personal tutor, who is there to advise you on any problems you may be having, as well as comprehensive additional learning support should you need it.

Overall workload

Rather than being spread over a whole week, we try and condense our teaching into 2-3 days. This gives you time for other things.

Assessment

You can view how each module is assessed within our 'What you will study' section.

Each course has formal assessments which count towards your grade. Some courses may also include 'practice' assignments, which help you monitor progress and do not count towards your final grade.

Feedback summary

Assessment feedback on the programme will be delivered through a range of mechanisms depending upon the assessment method. Assessment feedback will be given in a timely manner that adheres to Hadlow College's Assessment Policy, within 15 working days on assessment feedback being given to the students on formal summative assessment. Examination results will be available within 28 days.

Dates and timetables

The academic year runs from September to June. Full teaching timetables are available at the start of term. For any queries, please email admissionshadlow@northkent.ac.uk.

Official statistics on Discover Uni

Full time

Fees and funding

University is a great investment in your future. English-domiciled graduate annual salaries were £10,500 more than non-graduates in 2023 - and the UK Government projects that 88% of new jobs by 2035 will be at graduate level.

(Source: DfE Graduate labour market statistics: 2023/DfE Labour market and skills projections: 2020 to 2035).

Cohort Full time Part time Distance learning
Home £6,165 N/A N/A
Fees information

Scholarships and bursaries

We offer a wide range of financial help including scholarships and bursaries.

The Greenwich Bursary

This bursary is worth £700 for new undergraduate students with a low household income, entering Year 0 or 1 who meet the eligibility criteria.

The Greenwich Bursary

EU Bursary

Following the UK's departure from the European Union, we are supporting new EU students by offering a substantial fee-reduction for studying.

The EU bursary

Financial support

We want your time at university to be enjoyable, rewarding, and free of unnecessary stress, so planning your finances before you come to university can help to reduce financial concerns. We can offer advice on living costs and budgeting, as well as on awards, allowances and loans.

Funding your studies

Some courses have additional costs associated with them, such as trips, clothing and materials. Students may also need to purchase some specialist equipment.

For this course, you will need the following:

  • Steel toe capped boots (c. £30)
  • Secateurs (from £20. We recommend Felco at £50-60.)
  • Propagation knife (not essential. £10-15.)

Full details of costs are provided at interview or can be obtained by contacting the College Information and Recruitment Services. More information.

Careers and placements

What sort of careers do graduates pursue?

Successful students can progress onto the BSc (Hons) Horticulture - Commercial programme. Alternatively, career prospects are excellent at technical sales and managerial levels. This programme is recognised by the Institute of Horticulture as leading towards membership. Typical employers include nurseries, fruit farms, garden centres and glasshouses in a horticultural research and new product development capacity.

Do you provide employability services?

Hadlow College has a team of qualified Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) advisers who can provide you with free and impartial careers advice to help you make decisions about your future. The team can help you to find a career that suits your skills and abilities and have a variety of resources to help you such as internet tools and skills assessments to make sure you choose the next step that’s right for you.

Support and advice

Academic skills and study support

We want you to make the most of your time with us. You can access study skills support through your tutor, our subject librarians, and our online academic skills centre.  If you need to use particular IT packages for a specific module, we can provide training for this.

Mode of study

Select from the dropdown below.

Course level
UCAS code
Duration
Location

Apply now

If you are a UK student or have settled/pre-settled status (EU) and you want to study full-time then you apply through the Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS).

Apply via UCAS

If you are a UK student or have settled/pre-settled status (EU) and you want to study part-time then you can apply directly via our online application form.

Apply directly

If you are from outside the UK, you can apply via UCAS, directly via our online application form or via one of our in-country representatives. If you require a student visa, you cannot study part-time at undergraduate level.

Apply directly Apply via an agent Apply via UCAS

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