Horticulture Technician, Certificate

What to expect

Located at Royal Roads University, this two-term, full-time program is ten months long and starts every July. Classes are scheduled for 5 days a week, 6 hours each day. The multi-faceted approach starts with theory and lectures in the classroom, which are reinforced with hands-on training, and individual and group work in the gardens, greenhouses, and landscaped areas. Field trips to prominent local gardens and nurseries provide examples of best practices and an introduction to established industry players. Performance assessment will be based upon many types of academic and practical evaluations.

You'll be exposed to on-the-job conditions so be prepared to work outdoors with work-appropriate clothing and boots. You should be in good physical health and have good hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity. You should enjoy working outside in the garden setting while utilizing a wide variety of skills and small equipment.

Your certificate will provide great skills for the gardening, nursery, golf course and parks industries. You will be able to further your education and credentials by transferring into year two of a diploma program or carrying on with level three of the apprenticeship route. After ten months of immersion in our horticulture program you will have a strong sense of the many disciplines of horticulture to pursue. We will instill a true passion for horticulture, if you have the interest.