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Photo of an in-progress garden landscape sketch.

Nurture your passion for nature

Imagine stepping out of your house into your very own backyard oasis. With beautifully designed flowerbeds and carefully selected native plants, it’s the perfect place to spend your day.

For many, gardening has always been an opportunity to spend time outside, work with their hands and create something beautiful. But in a world that spends much of its time on screens, finding ways to connect with nature is more important than ever. It’s time to make your outdoor space just as inviting and beautiful as the inside of your home. The Micro-certificate in Amateur Landscape and Garden Design provides new and avid gardeners with the knowledge and skills to design a welcoming, ecologically sustainable yard or garden to enjoy all year round. Nurture your passion for nature and start learning how to create the outdoor retreat of your dreams.

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Description

Courses and fees

Application information

Questions?

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Program at a glance

Program description

The online Micro-certificate in Amateur Landscape and Garden Design (ALGD) is a 16-week, two course micro-credential focused on providing core landscape design knowledge, tools and skills to learners interested in making outdoor spaces functional and beautiful.

While the perfect home is about "location, location, location," creating a perfect garden landscape is all about putting plants and design features in the right place! This process involves learning both the art and the science behind sustainable, eye⁠-⁠catching outdoor spaces. The ALGD micro-credential will give participants the confidence to design a professional looking outdoor oasis or explore more advanced work and training in the field of horticulture.

With the instructional support of trusted landscape and garden design experts, participants will learn the key processes and skills to create aesthetically pleasing, accurate landscape and garden design plans.

Participants can expect the program to be inspiring, challenging and rewarding as they gain knowledge and hands-on skills that build towards the completion of a garden landscape design project.

The program will provide the elements of the design process, coupled with manageable assignments to practice and build new skills in each course.

Program features

Short, flexible, online program
This program is made up of two courses that are each delivered in an Online Hybrid delivery style. 
Essential tools
Provides essential tools in planning and design to create a professional looking garden landscape.

Creative and technical design skills
Practical eight-week courses that build your design skills from the ground up by teaching you technical and creative processes.

Final project
Modularized learning assignments that lead you to the completion of a final project.
Excellent instructors
Guided instruction by trusted experts in the field.

Career options

Program outcomes

Upon completion of this program, participants will be able to:

  • Apply foundational principles, strategies and design requirements to residential landscape design projects
  • Describe the purpose of landscape and hardscape features in garden design
  • Identify and differentiate landscape styles
  • Identify and select plants appropriate to a Pacific Northwest garden
  • Articulate the ecological benefit and role of plants in nature and the use of native plants in garden design
  • Produce residential landscape design plans using hand-drawn techniques to effectively communicate ideas and plans

Who is this program for?

This program is for new and avid gardeners who wish to gain knowledge and skills to design welcoming, ecologically sustainable yards and gardens. They have an eye for detail and a passion for outdoor home improvement projects. They are keen to develop essential hands-on skills and knowledge to take on new outdoor design projects for their home or explore skillsets needed to pursue work or further training in the field of horticulture. Although designed primarily for hobbyists and amateur gardeners who are looking to access trusted experts in the field, this micro-credential will also up-skill those looking for entry-level careers in garden and landscape maintenance or related fields.

Instructors

Courses and fees

Both courses must be completed to receive the micro-certificate. Courses can be completed in any order.

Apply online
= Courses open for registration

Two (2) required courses

Program planning

We anticipate running each course twice per year: in the January to April term as well as the September to December term.

Estimated fees

Description Fee
Program Fee $20.00
Course 1 $270.00
Course 2 $270.00
Estimated Total $560.00*
*IMPORTANT NOTE:
Fees listed in this section are an estimate. Total program fees may vary depending on delivery format, course selections, student fees, textbooks and taxes.

Application information

Admission requirements

None.

How to apply

No application is necessary, simply select any of the two courses required for the micro-certificate and register for them independently. When registering, you will have the option to purchase the Micro-certificate in Amateur Landscape and Garden Design fee at an additional cost of $20. You are only required to select this when registering for one of the two courses. 

Once you have completed your second course, your certificate will be automatically issued and to you. Certificates will be sent approximately one month after the completion of your second course. 

Note: We are unable to retroactively issue a micro-certificate. Students must purchase the $20 program fee prior to the last day of the last course in the program.

Application dates

Starting in
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Availability
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Apply online Contact us for more info

Questions?

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 Tel {{ data.responsibleStaffPhone || '250-472-4747' }}

RELATED TOPICS: Horticulture and Nature

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