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With access to a national historic site and a one-of-a-kind living lab that provides students with legacy opportunities to complete campus projects, this program will help you graduate with the creative, entrepreneurial, and professional skills needed to be an industry leader. The art, science and business of horticulture are the focus of this program, ensuring students learn the skills required to create landscapes, renew historical gardens, enhance communities and express their creativity while learning the complexities involved in a broad range of professional environments. In addition, the dynamic, hands-on opportunities to experience the many aspects of the industry will make a difference as you work towards becoming a professional horticulturist.
Please note: This program may be highly competitive and have a specific selection process and application deadline. Please refer to Admission Processes for details regarding highly competitive programs.
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To help students succeed in programs with learning requirements, Durham College’s IT Services department has identified minimum technology recommendations. While these are not program requirements, these suggestions will help ensure students have the right tools to support a quality learning experience.
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Gain knowledge and hone your skills in landscape construction, nursery management and soil and plant nutrition so you are prepared to work in creating and developing dynamic residential lots, business locations and communities. A growing interest in landscaping, gardening and urban agriculture is prompting more people to spend money on these enjoyable diversions and opening new opportunities for graduates.
You will also have access to an unmatched learning environment, with more than 50 per cent of learning time focused on hands-on activities offered at the college’s W. Galen Weston Centre for Food (Weston Centre), a unique field-to-fork-focused learning environment, and Parkwood National Historic Site, which provides access to historic gardens and greenhouses, further the understanding of different concepts and designs you will face upon graduating.
You will focus on:
Please note: Students will be required to purchase green tag safety boots in order to participate in many laboratory settings.
The courses listed below are for incoming students. If you are a current student, please refer to your program of study for the year you began your program. Your program of study can be found on MyDC.
Courses and course descriptions are subject to change. Please note that as a result of COVID-19 the 2023-2024 program of study may be modified to accommodate program delivery changes.
More than 75% of this program is delivered in-person.
The rest of the coursework will be delivered using hybrid, flexible or online formats. Students will come to campus to complete in-person learning requirements. Detailed schedules, with course-specific delivery information, will be available after registration. Courses, course descriptions and delivery formats are subject to change.
Your learning experience will be complemented by a field placement opportunity in the horticultural industry. Students work in landscape design and construction companies, greenhouses, and property maintenance, among others.
Students have the opportunity to bring all their learning together and advance their skills and learning through provincial and national competitions. These valuable events see them construct landscapes and other projects on fixed timelines and with specific guidelines and expectations.
Each summer, a number of students are selected for paid work opportunities in the fields and grounds of the Weston Centre . This allows them to build on the learning from their first year and take part in legacy projects.
Durham College’s recently announced partnership with The Barrett Family Foundation will support the creation of a centre of excellence and new urban farm in Durham Region. The Barrett Centre of Innovation in Sustainable Urban Agriculture will become an internationally recognized hub of excellence in urban agriculture practices, research, education and training, creating a range of new opportunities for students.
Durham College also offers degree completion opportunities with a number of Canadian and international institutions. Sample diploma-to-degree opportunities include:
Please visit our pathways page to learn more about how you can transfer your credits towards a degree.
To help students have the best learning experience possible, Durham College’s IT Services department has identified technology recommendations for each program based on course needs and software requirements. While not required, students may want to consider these suggestions if they are purchasing a computer or laptop for the upcoming academic year.
Processor: i7 RAM: 16GB Storage: 256GB SSD Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Professional or Education x64 SP1 Internet Browser: Internet Explorer 11 or Google Chrome (newest version) or Firefox (newest version) Network Adapter: 802.11ac 2.4/5 GHz wireless adapter Camera: Webcam/built-in camera Internet connection
Questions regarding technology recommendations can be directed to the IT Service Desk or the school office.
Durham College’s recently announced partnership with The Barrett Family Foundation will support the creation of a centre of excellence and new urban farm in Durham Region. The Barrett Centre of Innovation in Sustainable Urban Agriculture will become an internationally recognized hub of excellence in urban agriculture practices, research, education, and training, creating a range of new opportunities for students.
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