Career-change package leading to RHS Level 3 Diploma

This package consists of

The full Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Level 2 Certificate in the Principles and Practices of Horticulture – the gateway to a career in horticulture

Laying the foundations for a new career in horticulture, there are two separate qualifications, equipping you with knowledge and practical skills. Together they will prepare you for a career in horticulture as an independent gardener, or to work in a large public garden, on a nursery or with a landscaping company.

The RHS Level 2 Certificate in Plant Growth and Development

Can be studied as distance online or distance correspondence courses over 18 months, or face to face, in a classroom at one of our centres (half days over an academic year).  This is assessed by two online exams set by the RHS and graded at Pass, Merit and Distinction.

The RHS Level 2 Practical Certificate

This practical course is delivered over a year at one of our centres and is assessed by two Practical Competence Assessments (PCA’s) and one Online Competency Test (OCA) of underpinning knowledge at the end of the course. This is also graded at Pass, Merit and Distinction.

It can also be studied as ‘blended learning’ if you have access to a garden or allotment or work as a volunteer in a public garden. Our online classroom has presentations, videos, course notes and other material to allow you to follow the practical course online; you carry out seasonal tasks and submit evidence to your online tutor. For one week in spring and another in early summer, you attend one of our centres for intensive practical sessions to consolidate and improve the practical skills you have learned, at the end of which you undertake the PCA’s; and finally you take the OCA at the end of the course at home online.

plus

The full RHS Level 3 Level 3 Diploma in Horticulture–  the pathway to career in professional horticulture

The RHS level 3 Diploma is the route to a supervisory or managerial role in horticulture (for those who have already completed the level 2 qualifications), especially in public or botanic gardens. The separate elements (the theory and practical certificates and an independent research project) build on the knowledge base and skills you have acquired at level 2 and apply organisational and project-management training to a horticultural environment.

The RHS Level 3 Certificate in Principles of Plant Growth, Garden Planning and Applied Propagation

Can be studied as distance online or distance correspondence courses over 18 months, or face to face, in a classroom at one of our centres (half days over an academic year). Assessed by two online exams set by the RHS and graded at Pass, Merit and Distinction.

The RHS Level 3 Certificate in Practical Horticulture

This practical course is delivered over a year at our Ryton centre and assessed by one PCA and a ‘professional discussion’ with the RHS Assessor, one OCA examining underpinning knowledge at the end of the course. This is also graded at Pass, Merit and Distinction.

From 2026-7 we hope to introduce a ‘blended learning’ option to allow students who are not close to an RHS-approved centre to study this course.

The RHS Award in Horticultural Investigation

The final element of the RHS Level 3 Diploma is running as a trial in 2025-6, organised directly by the RHS School of Horticulture.  It is expected to be released to approved Centres in 2026-7 and is a supervised written project which can be undertaken online, for submission to RHS examiners. Grading is expected to follow the other elements, but no Awards have yet been completed.

Individual course costs vary depending on whether you choose to study online, as a correspondence option with printed full colour course notes, or in person at a centre. The links above will show you the various options available.

The minimum cost (for online study of all the theory courses, and centre-based practical courses) is £6200 if they are booked separately.

The B.E.S.T career change package price is £5995

This is secured by a nonrefundable deposit of £1,499.00 followed by 3 further instalments, due 31st July in years one, two and three, of £1,499.00.

The package consists of online courses for theory; centre-based or blended-learning courses for the Level 2 practical; Level 3 practical is currently centre-based only, but we hope to have a ‘blended’ option for 2026-7.

This is not only cheaper than the individual courses but also avoids annual price rises on the courses averaging 3% per annum. (Please note, our course costs include RHS registration and exam fees, which we do not control; if these increase significantly during the course of your studies we reserve the right to pass on the increases to you.)