Courses

About The Course

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Courses are taught through a combination of lectures, seminars and practical classes using on-campus as well as local facilities. Visits and occasional study tours are used to develop awareness of the diversity of the horticulture industry.

For each campus, SAC has its own practical horticulture facilities comprising greenhouses and landscaped areas.  Additionally, we have partnerships with the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) who provide an additional garden resource for practical garden maintenance classes and work experience, and local councils who provide additional nursery facilities and parks for practical work and projects.  We have abundant links with the many facets of the horticulture and landscape industry, with scientific institutes and SAC’s own researchers and consultants, and you will find that classes at all levels involve supplementary interaction and teaching by these related professional experts.

HNC / Year 1 of HND and BSc
The HNC covers the fundamentals of the subject as well as introducing you to the different sectors of the industry which include nursery production, maintenance of gardens and greenspace, and plant retailing. During the year, the diversity of the course and work experience opportunities will help you to weigh up which areas you are most interested in for employment or further study.  Subjects covered are plant identification and plant uses, soil management, plant protection, machinery for horticulture, business management, nursery production, and plant physiology.  Practical work includes horticultural techniques for plant propagation and growing on of plants, garden maintenance, and how to conduct a plant trial on an outdoor plot.  You will propagate plants, and pot them up, prune plants, and plant trees and shrubs. Plant identification is taught through tutor-led guided walks on campus and at botanic gardens.  There are frequent visits to growers, nurseries and public gardens.  Job opportunities at the end of HNC include working for nurseries, gardens, landscape companies and local authorities.

HND / Year 2 of BSc
With an HND in Horticulture, you will have a sound practical base in horticulture and also an understanding of the theory behind the practices.  You will therefore be well equipped to enter the profession and should be eligible to take up a junior management level position after gaining experience in industry.  Gardens and greenspace optional modules provide the competencies to work in the parks, gardens and landscape sector at a professional level.  Production horticulture modules prepare you for employment in fruit, vegetable or glasshouse protected edible crop production; or alternatively, for ornamental plant production which can be small and specialist, or large scale nursery production of millions of trees, shrubs or bedding plants. 

Year 2 includes Advanced Plant Propagation, Hardy Ornamental Nursery Stock Production, Landscape Management and Maintenance, and Integrated Approaches to Plant Protection.  Elective modules allow specialisation in crop production practices or landscape horticulture.  You will go on visits to nurseries, gardens and landscapes, and also to scientific organisations to see how they conduct seed viability and plant variety tests.  You will undertake a project in an area of special interest to you, and there is usually an optional study tour.

BSc Years 3 & 4
The degree gives you a broad base so that you are equipped to go into any area of Horticulture, while allowing you to specialise in either production horticulture or gardens and green space management.  The degree is both practically based and technologically up-to-date.  In addition to full-time study, the degree can be completed on a part-time (mainly one day per week) basis over a longer period for those already in employment.  

Years 3 & 4 comprise core subjects plus a choice of specialist modules in production horticulture (including vegetable and fruit production and crop products and potential) or greenspace management (landscape horticulture, woodlands and open space management).  You will visit growers and landscapes to evaluate production methods and management requirements, and scientific organisations such as SASA (Science Advice for Scottish Agriculture) and SCRI (Scottish Crops Research Institute) to see field and lab experimentation and research.  You will prepare blueprints for plant production, management plans, and collect lab, field and landscape based data for analysis.  In Year 4, the Honours Project and Dissertation gives you an opportunity to carry out research in an area of special interest to you.

Awards Available

Click on a course title for further details

BSc/BSc (Hons) Horticulture

HND Horticulture

HNC Horticulture

Course Content

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Further information is available in SAC's undergraduate prospectus, and in our course leaflet which can be downloaded from this page. Please contact us for further information.

Years one and two are designed to develop your foundation knowledge and skills in horticulture.

The HNC Horticulture, also forms year one of the HND, and has been developed to provide a strong introduction to practical horticultural skills and abilities. The knowledge and understanding acquired also lay the foundation for possible future study.

You will study modules in horticultural practices, plant recognition, nursery production, and retailing of plants, which illustrate the breadth of the industry. These are supported by related subjects including plant protection, pesticide application, plant and soil science, mechanisation, and business management.

Modules in amenity and landscape horticulture in year two of the HND Horticulture concentrate on the management of soft and hard landscapes of public and private open space. Areas of study include landscape maintenance and management, landscape specification and estimation, construction of hard landscape features, lawn construction and maintenance, business management and the management of parks and amenities.

Modules in production horticulture provide the opportunity to further develop knowledge and skills in the management and production of horticultural crops and prepare students for supervisory and junior management positions within the production industry. Areas of study include production of hardy ornamental stock, edible and ornamental glasshouse crops, crop protection, crop physiology, and genetics.

A choice of modules in years three and four gives you the flexibility to specialise according to your interests and future career aspirations. Modules relating to Amenity Horticulture provide the competencies to work in the parks, gardens and landscape sector at professional level and cover: landscape management and maintenance, management of parks and open space, project and visitor management, and land and habitat restoration.

Production Horticulture modules prepare you to work in crop and ornamental plant production and the modules develop essential technical and scientific expertise in aspects of crop protection and nutrition, advanced plant propagation, global horticulture and business management.

Career Opportunities

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Employment opportunities are excellent with challenging and rewarding posts possible both in the UK and internationally.

Graduates have developed careers in varied sectors of the profession including management of public green space and private gardens, nurseries, fruit and vegetable crop production, retailing, journalism, lecturing and research.

There is an expanding range of possibilities in organic production and food safety, production of plants for extracts for the pharmaceutical industry, for oils and energy, and in landscaping of green space to improve health and wellbeing.

Course Contacts

Aberdeen Course Contact

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Aberdeen Campus General Contact

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Ayr Campus General Contact

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Edinburgh Course Contact

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Edinburgh Campus General Contact

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Student Experiences

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Nick Malcolm joined the course with, in his words, “very little knowledge of horticulture, but lots of enthusiasm which was rewarded with first class help from the tutors. The campus has a lot to offer and the gardens and arboretum is a perfect place to learn your plants and gardening techniques”.

Following his studies, Nick was helped to gain a year’s placement at Longwood Gardens, a world class display garden, in Pennsylvania, USA. Reflecting on his time at SAC, Nick says, “The course was an excellent start to any career in horticulture. It provided all the knowledge and skills needed to progress in the field. My favourite part of the course was the practical sessions.”

Meghan Ritchie completed her HND in Horticulture having gained her NC in Horticulture at the Barony College, Dumfries. Meghan says that “My time spent at Auchincruive was very enjoyable and challenging. After completing my NC I was sure I wanted to further my studies and made the choice to go to Auchincruive, mainly due to the beautiful surroundings of the campus and the large garden where you attend practical lessons.

The varied classes and range of topics was very good to give a wide range of knowledge on many aspects of horticulture.” Meghan said that other highlights over her two years included, “The study tour’s that were a great chance to see a range of different places and to get to know my fellow class mates better.

Also, living on campus was a great experience especially in second year when I stayed in one of the cottages with two other students.”  On completing her HND Meghan went on to gain further practical experience with the Isle of Skye Fresh Produce Company growing quality herbs and salads for some of the best hotels and restaurants in Scotland.