Why does a plant science course include resource management?

Because most people use plant science inside a working operation. The fourth module, Horticulture Resource Management, covers the people, physical resources, inputs and decisions that let you apply plant knowledge commercially. If you want plant science without the business module, the Advanced Certificate in Horticulture covers the first three modules on their own.

Do I need a science background, experience or a garden?

No. The course starts with the foundations in Horticulture 1 and builds from there, so no prior study or science background is needed. Where an assignment asks you to examine plants, damage or growing conditions, you can use any site you have access to, such as a workplace, a friend's garden or a local park.

How long does the Horticulture Certificate in Plant Science take?

It's self-paced. The four core modules add up to about 400 study hours, and most students finish in 20–30 weeks studying part-time. You have 12 months' access, and you can apply for an extension of up to 12 months if you need more time (an extension fee may apply).

What's the difference between horticulture and agriculture?

Horticulture is the intensive growing of plants such as fruit, vegetables, nursery stock, turf and ornamental gardens, usually on smaller areas with more hands-on care. Agriculture is broader and includes broadacre crops like cereals and pulses, pasture and livestock. The two overlap: Horticulture 3 applies to both. If field crops interest you, you can add Agronomy I to this course.

What will I receive when I finish?

A Certificate of Completion, a Certificate of Attainment and a transcript listing every unit you've completed across all four modules. They're issued electronically, and you can request a hard copy for a fee.

Horticulture & Landscaping Courses

Horticulture Certificate in Plant Science (Online)

The science of plants, plus the know-how to apply it commercially.

Our most comprehensive horticulture course. Study plant classification, growth, propagation and plant health in depth, then learn to manage the people, inputs and resources that turn plant knowledge into a working operation.

100% online
4 core modules
approx. 400 study hours
12 months' access
Tutor support 6 days a week
Certificate + transcript

Download the brochure Speak to a course consultant

Hand checking ripening tomatoes on the vine

What is the Horticulture Certificate in Plant Science?

The Horticulture Certificate in Plant Science is our most comprehensive online horticulture course. Across four modules (Horticulture 1, 2 and 3 and Horticulture Resource Management) you'll study plants in depth, from taxonomy and propagation to plant health and integrated pest management, then learn to manage the people and resources a commercial horticulture operation runs on.

Course overview

Understand plants in depth, then put that knowledge to work

Want plant knowledge that holds up in a nursery, a production business or a parks team, not just in your own backyard? This course takes you from how plants are classified and named through to diagnosing and managing their health. Then it adds the resource management side (people, inputs, decisions and obligations), so you can apply the science commercially.

Plants in depth – Classify and name plants using botanical conventions, and understand edible and ornamental plant groups, propagation and aftercare.
Plant health and protection – Diagnose pests, diseases and damage, compare natural, chemical and integrated controls, and manage the OHS risks involved.
Growing systems and the rules – Compare natural and artificial growing environments such as greenhouses, and learn the regulations behind commercial horticulture.
Resources and decisions – Manage people, physical resources and inputs such as herbicides and pesticides, and research a horticulture business before you commit to it.

Want the full picture, from botanical names to running the operation? Your plant science course starts the day you enrol.

Who this course is for

Committed career changers who want the broadest horticulture grounding we offer before moving into nursery, production or parks work.
Horticulture workers aiming for team leader or supervisor roles who need both plant expertise and resource management skills.
Growers and nursery operators who want to understand the science behind their stock and manage inputs and staff more efficiently.
Serious amateur growers and plant collectors who want to go well beyond gardening, from taxonomy to plant health programs.

What you'll study

You'll start with a short Student Induction module that sets you up on the learning platform and introduces your tutor. Then you'll work through four core modules.

Module 1: Horticulture 1 – Introduction to Horticulture (approx. 100 hours)

The base layer. You'll cover how plants are classified and selected, and how soil, water, pests and the wider environment affect them.

Technical Classifications and Identification of Plants – classify plants, use common and botanical names, and read leaf and flower structure.
Plant Types - Selection Criteria – match plants to local climate, frost, rainfall and wind, and understand the value of native vegetation.
Creating a Plant Landscape – the design, construction and planting steps behind a planted landscape.
Water Management – how the environment shapes water needs, and how irrigation and sprinkler systems work.
Soils – soil structure and classification, soil testing, nutrients and natural soil supplements.
Pests and Diseases – common plant problems, nutrient deficiencies, water-related issues and safe chemical handling.
Growing, Managing and Maintaining Plants and Gardens – propagation from seed, plant and lawn maintenance, and general garden care.
Plant Uses and Plant Conservation – plants for food, windbreaks, stock shelter, habitat and commercial use.
Impact on the Natural Plant Environment – climate extremes, urbanisation, rural land management, soil degradation and waterways.

Module 2: Horticulture 2 – Plant Data (approx. 100 hours)

The "science" in plant science. This module assumes basic plant anatomy and goes deeper into classification, plant groups, growing environments and evolutionary and life cycles.

Introduction to Taxonomy – the taxonomic ranks and how plants are classified.
Scientific / Botanical Names – botanical naming conventions and plant families.
Plant Types: Non-Edible – ornamental and other non-food plant groups.
Plant Types: Edible – food-producing plant groups.
Plant Disease and Pest Management – recognising and managing common pest and disease problems.
Plant Care and Maintenance – the everyday care practices that keep plants healthy.
Commercial Horticulture Regulations and Processes – the rules and processes behind commercial horticulture.
Natural and Artificial Environments – growing in natural settings compared with controlled ones such as greenhouses.
Plant Propagation and Care – propagation methods and aftercare.
Applications of Horticulture – how horticulture is applied, including relationships between plants and fauna.

Module 3: Horticulture 3 – Health & Welfare of Plants (approx. 100 hours)

Plant health from both the pathology and physiology side, including plant nutrition, with conventional, organic and integrated management compared.

Health and Welfare of Plants – what plant health means, from disease to plant physiology.
Plant Damage Variances – telling apart the different kinds and causes of plant damage.
Pest Categories – the main groups of plant pests.
Pest Management – monitoring and controlling pests.
Diseases – identifying and managing plant diseases.
Natural Control Methods – organic, biological and cultural controls.
Chemical Control Methods – choosing and using chemical controls responsibly.
Environmental Impacts – the off-site and environmental effects of control methods.
Ensuring Plant Health – integrated, preventative plant health programs.
OHS Risks - Assessments and Management – workplace risk assessment and safety in plant health work.

Module 4: Horticulture Resource Management (approx. 100 hours)

This module turns plant knowledge into a working operation. You'll look at the human, physical and natural resources horticulture relies on, how decisions get made, and what your professional obligations are.

Research – Due Diligence Checks – researching an opportunity before you commit.
Decision-Making – structured ways to make business decisions.
Starting a New Business – the steps to set up a horticultural enterprise.
Established Business – Background Checks – assessing an existing business before you buy it.
Business Focus – defining your market and business direction.
Physical Resources – land, equipment, materials and inputs.
Human Resources – staffing and managing people.
Professional Obligations – legal, ethical and compliance duties.
Management Processes and Procedures – the systems that run a business day to day.

How you'll learn and be assessed

Online, in your own time – study materials, quizzes and assignments are on the learning platform 24/7, on any device.
Quizzes and written assignments – a short online quiz after each unit, and about five tutor-marked assignments per module, each with personalised feedback.
From the lab bench to the business – assignments run from plant taxonomy and growth environments to a plant health case study, then resources and business management in the final module.
Competency-based – if an assignment isn't quite there yet, your tutor tells you what to improve and you resubmit. There are no exams to sit in a centre.

Tailor your course with add-on modules

Make the course fit where you want to apply your plant science. Any certificate can be tailored with add-on modules from our catalogue, so you can extend into design, field crops or natural areas.

Landscaping I

Design-led landscaping: design procedure, garden history, drafting, basic construction, surfaces and features, and designing home gardens and public parks. Puts your plant knowledge to work in garden and park design.

Landscaping II

Build and plant the landscape: materials, trees and ground covers, walls, fences, paths and paving, slopes and problem areas, low-maintenance design and managing landscape projects. Adds the planting and construction side, so you can take a design through to a finished site.

Agronomy I

Learn how field crops grow and how to manage them, from seed and sowing to cereal and broadleaf crops, harvest and a hands-on crop management project. Extends your plant science from intensive horticulture to broadacre cropping.

Nature Park Management I

Manage natural areas as living landscapes: ecology, park design, soils, plant and tree care, weed and pest management, indigenous plants and rehabilitating degraded land. Applies your plant health and propagation skills to bushland, reserves and revegetation.

Ask a course consultant about adding modules when you enrol.

Career pathways and earning potential

With plant science and resource management together, you can work with plants and help run the operation around them. Roles graduates often explore include:

Nursery or production horticulture worker – growing and protecting plant stock, with a path toward team leader and supervisor roles as you gain experience. Median advertised salary $76,000 (SEEK).
Horticulturist – growing, monitoring and managing plants for growers, parks teams or plant research work, from propagation to plant health. Median advertised salary $74,940 (SEEK). Employers usually want an accredited qualification, such as the Certificate III in Horticulture (AHC30722).
Parks and gardens worker – maintaining council or public grounds, from plant selection and pest control to planning resources for the season. Gardeners: median advertised salary $70,000 (SEEK).

Figures are advertised salaries (SEEK, Jora) or median full-time earnings (Jobs and Skills Australia), accessed October 2026. Pay varies with experience, location and employer. Figures are a guide only.

Research and scientist roles in plant science usually require a university degree; this course is a practical, applied grounding.

Course details

Study mode: 100% online, self-paced
Core modules: 4 (plus Student Induction)
Study time: approx. 400 hours at your own pace (most students finish in 20–30 weeks part-time)
Access: 12 months
Support: tutor support 6 days a week, by phone, email or video call
You'll receive: Certificate of Completion, Certificate of Attainment and transcript
Payment: upfront or interest-free payment plan

Download the brochure Speak to a course consultant

Download your Horticulture Certificate in Plant Science brochure

See all four modules, how assessment works and payment options in one place.

Frequently asked questions

No. This is an applied horticulture course: plant science as it's used in nurseries, production and parks, rather than laboratory botany. Our certificates are non-accredited short courses, not nationally accredited VET qualifications (such as a Certificate III) or university degrees. Research and scientist roles usually need a degree. If a role legally requires a specific qualification, check with the employer, and our course consultants will be upfront about what this course can do for you.