Kew Diploma in Horticulture

Study for the world’s foremost qualification in botanical horticulture.

Horticulturalists working at Kew

Duration

3 years

Allocated space

Up to 14 students

About the course 

Introduction

The increasing challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss mean we really need practical, knowledgeable horticulturists to enable change. Plants and fungi are vital to the future of food, clean air and medicine. 

The Kew Diploma is internationally recognised as one of the foremost botanical training programmes. Our graduates are vital in helping with our plant scientists stop biodiversity loss and develop nature-based solutions to some of humanity’s biggest global challenges.

Horticulture is an applied science and the Kew Diploma, very much follows this by offering a curriculum that provides a unique combination of practical and theoretical study, providing the opportunity to study top-level scientific and technical subjects, whilst gaining practical experience and responsibility working with one of the most comprehensive botanic collections in the world. 

The Kew Diploma is a passport to worldwide horticulture and graduates can be found in leading horticultural positions/organisations around the globe.

As employees, Kew Diploma students receive a salary for the duration of the three-year course (including the three lecture blocks). There are no course fees.

The Kew Diploma is an independent qualification, and is self-accredited by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It is viewed as a higher education qualification and many universities accept an Honours grade in lieu of a bachelors degree (QCF level 6).

Course content  

The course content can be divided into several main areas, these being: 

  • Lecture Blocks
  • Practical Work Placements
  • Field trips
  • Dissertation
  • Travel Scholarship Trip

Lecture Blocks

There are three lecture blocks, one in each year of the course, each lecture block is around three-months in duration.  They form the formal academic element of the course. 

Lectures are delivered via a mixture of internal Kew experts, professional teaching staff from colleges and universities and external industry professionals.

Currently the lecture block topics contain:

Year 1

  • Structural Botany
  • Plant Systematics              
  • Entomology          
  • Plant Physiology                
  • Plant Propagation                           
  • Soil Science  

 

Year 2

  • Garden Ecology 
  • Introduction to Mycology
  • Protected Cropping & Environmental Controls        
  • The Management of Tree Collections 
  • Introduction to Ecology 
  • Soil Science 2
  • Genetics   
  • Introduction to Landscape Surveying           
  • Introduction to Landscape Design 

 

Year 3

  • Horticultural Management 
  • Garden History   
  • Sustainable Practices, Planting & Landscapes 
  • The Management of Living Collections 
  • Plant Health, Biosecurity & Invasive plants 
  • Landscape Design 

                                 

Practical Work Placements

Practical work experience is gained as assessed, three-month practical work placements in the Gardens Department at Kew. There are nine placements over the three years of the course, each around three-months in duration, experience being gained in the following areas:

  • Temperate Collections - Arboretum (three placements)
  • Temperate Collections - Gardens (three placements)
  • Glasshouse Collections (three placements)

Students are assessed while in work placements and must also continue to complete and submit projects and assignments and sit regular plant identification tests.

Field Trips

1st Year: Wakehurst Trip. The first week working and learning about seed and fruit morphology in the Millennium Seed Bank and the second week, exploring the work on meadow and woodland management within the Wakehurst gardens department.

2nd Year: North Wales Ecology Field Trip. A week looking at the flora, fauna, and geology of North Wales.

3rd Year: South of France Field Trip. A ten-day trip to explore Mediterranean flora and gardens, along with looking at various conservation projects.

Dissertation

Students are required to undertake a dissertation of 10,000–12,000 words on a horticultural subject of their choice (subject to approval). 

Travel Scholarship Trip

Students are provided with two-weeks special leave, to undertake a travel scholarship trip, which can be a mix of visits and work experience to further an interest of horticulture they may have. Travel Scholarship trips can be overseas or UK based.

 

Course assessment

The Kew Diploma Course is assessed by:

  • Written examinations
  • Coursework assignments
  • Landscape plans and construction drawings
  • Research projects
  • Verbal presentations
  • Practical appraisals

All assessments are moderated by external examiners; students have to gain sufficient credits and convince a panel of external assessors that they have successfully completed the course. Successful students are awarded the Kew Diploma at Pass, Credit or Honours level. 

Holders of the Kew Diploma may place 'Dip. Hort. (Kew)' after their name and receive a Transcript of Practical Training. This is a bespoke programme managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Application process 

Each year, up to 14 students are selected via competitive interview to join one of the most rigorous and stretching educational programmes of any botanic garden. 

The Kew Diploma is suited to dedicated professional horticulturists determined to succeed. They should be able to express themselves clearly and be willing to accept increasing responsibility preparing themselves for managerial positions.

Kew Diploma Students are employees and receive payment throughout the three-year course, including during the lecture block trimesters at £25,164 per annum. Limited opportunities exist to care for the collections at weekends and these receive additional payment. This means our students should not have to take out a loan, and do not have to pay tuition fees.

Minimum entry requirements 

Good standard of general education. 5 GCSEs including English, Mathematics and a Science. 

A full vocational qualification in horticulture at QCF level 2 (or equivalent).

Horticultural experience, equivalent to two years full time horticultural work experience in a recognised horticultural establishment prior to the start date for the course.

A good standard of IT literacy. Familiarity in using MS Office, Office 365.

For applicants, whose first language is not English, we require internationally recognised evidence that you have obtained proficiency in reading, writing, listening and spoken English, for example the IELTS (International English Language Testing System).

You must be eligible to work in the United Kingdom.

Kew welcomes international students, as we firmly believe in this ethos. However Kew is unable to sponsor applicants to work in the United Kingdom for the Kew Diploma in Horticulture.

It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure eligibility to work in the United Kingdom for the duration of the appointment (for the latest regulations visit the website of the United Kingdom Home Office). All successful applicants called to interview will be required to provide documentary evidence of their right to work in the United Kingdom at interview.

 

Application deadline and start dates 

Online applications generally go live on the Kew vacancies page in October and should be received by 31 January in the year of admission (e.g. 31 January 2025 for September 2025 start).

Interviews are scheduled from February through to April, and successful applicants will begin the Kew Diploma in the September of the same year.

 

General

Kew Diploma students are employees on a fixed-term contract and receive a salary throughout the three-year course, including during the lecture blocks at present the salary starts at  £25,164 per annum and rises to £26,182 in the third-year. Limited opportunities exist to care for the collections at weekends and these receive additional payment (overtime). 

Students receive 30 days of annual leave plus bank holidays per year.

There is an expectation that as a student you may be required to undertake learning opportunities outside of standard work hours.

A horticulturist waters plants in the Temperate House

School of Horticulture

Study for one of our world-renowned qualifications.