Transform your appreciation for landscape design into a career in the ever-evolving horticultural industry.

In the two-year Horticultural Industries Ontario College Diploma program you learn how to create landscapes from design to implementation. By offering a condensed format over 16 months, the Horticultural Industries program allows you to fast track your career.

Learn the key aspects of this dynamic industry, including:

• urban and rural landscape design, installation and maintenance
• nursery production and management
• sustainable urban agriculture
• green roof and living wall technology

The program offers a hands-on learning experience during the industry`s prime production period in the spring/summer/fall. Practise skills in Algonquin College`s extensive campus gardens surrounding the Horticulture Centre and within the attached greenhouse complex.

The various plant collections and the vegetable garden provide you with the perfect opportunity to study plant identification, plant selection and ideal growing conditions. You take active part in further developing and maintaining the grounds in smaller work-groups, simulating the industry.

Students also gain real-world experience through a paid co-operative education (co-op) work term(s) (see Additional Information for more details). Please note that places in the co-op work term(s) are subject to availability and academic eligibility. Please note admission to a co-op program does not guarantee a co-op placement.

Graduates may find work, either as employees or self-employed, in:

• construction and maintenance firms
• landscape design
• nurseries and garden centres
• urban food production
• tree care industry
• park systems
• consulting or teaching

Most industry jobs are seasonal (April to November), but many nurseries keep employees on in the winter.

You may also choose to continue your education by completing a degree in Landscape Architecture, Horticulture, and Plant Science.

SUCCESS FACTORS

This program is well-suited for students who:

• Place a high personal priority on enhancing the environment.
• Have an affinity for plants.
• Enjoy physical activity and working outdoors.
• Work well in a team environment.
• Are interested in landscape design from conception to implementation.
• Are concerned about the safety of the environment and food source sustainability
• Enjoy problem solving.
• Appreciate working in a professional environment.
• Are able to identify various plants, memorize plant names and ideal growing requirements.

Careers

Graduates may find employment in urban food production; nurseries and garden centres; park systems; landscape design, construction and maintenance firms; the tree care industry; sales and service and consulting.

Pathways

Please use our Pathways tool to search for pathway options.

The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

1. Design, estimate, install and maintain sustainable and ecologically sound green infrastructures in the urban and rural environments.
2. Install and maintain green roofs and living walls.
3. Grow food crops employing the principles of sustainable urban agriculture.
4. Plan and implement personal, site and equipment safety procedures.
5. Complete all work in accordance with professional and industry guidelines.
6. Identify, propagate, produce and market plant material.
7. Participate in applied research that contributes to the advancement of the urban agriculture, nursery and landscape industries field.
8. Manage urban agriculture, nursery and landscape industry projects and small divisions of a business.
9. Handle plant material competently, utilizing knowledge of plant culture, anatomy, physiology and integrated pest management practices.
10. Identify and apply discipline-specific practices that contribute to the local and global community through social responsibility, economic commitment and environmental stewardship.

Application Information

HORTICULTURAL INDUSTRIES (CO-OP)
Program Code 1406X03FWO

Applications to full-time day programs must be submitted with official transcripts showing completion of the academic admission requirements through:

ontariocolleges.ca
60 Corporate Court
Guelph, Ontario N1G 5J3
1-888-892-2228

Students currently enrolled in an Ontario secondary school should notify their Guidance Office prior to their online application at www.ontariocolleges.ca.

Applications for Fall Term and Winter Term admission received by February 1 will be given equal consideration. Applications received after February 1 will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis as long as places are available.

International applicants please visit this link for application process information: https://algonquincollege.force.com/myACint/.

For further information on the admissions process, contact:

Registrar`s Office
Algonquin College
1385 Woodroffe Ave
Ottawa, ON K2G 1V8
Telephone: 613-727-0002
Toll-free: 1-800-565-4723
TTY: 613-727-7766
Fax: 613-727-7632
Contact: https://www.algonquincollege.com/ro

Program Resources

CO-OP INFORMATION:
Co-operative education (Co-op) allows students to integrate their classroom learning with a real-world experience through paid work terms. Two academic terms prior to the cooperative education work term, students are required to actively participate in and successfully complete the self-directed co-op course, readiness activities and workshops.

Students must actively conduct a guided, self-directed job search and are responsible for securing approved program-related paid co-op employment. Students compete for co-op positions alongside students from Algonquin College and other Canadian and international colleges and universities. Algonquin College`s Co-op Department provides assistance in developing co-op job opportunities and guides the overall process, but does not guarantee that a student will obtain employment in a co-op work term. Co-op students may be required to relocate to take part in the co-op employment opportunities available in their industry and must cover all associated expenses; e.g., travel, work permits, visa applications, accommodation and all other incurred expenses.

Co-op work terms are typically 14 weeks in duration and are completed during a term when students are not taking courses. For more information on your program`s co-op level(s), visit the courses tab on your program`s webpage.

International students enrolled in a co-op program are required by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to have a valid Co-op/Internship Work Permit prior to commencing their work term. Without this document International students are not legally eligible to engage in work in Canada that is part of an academic program. The Co-op/Internship Work Permit does not authorize international students to work outside the requirements of their academic program.

For more information on co-op programs, the co-op work/study schedule, as well as general and program-specific co-op eligibility criteria, please visit www.algonquincollege.com/coop.

Successful completion of all courses, including mandatory cooperative education (Co-op) Work Terms, is a requirement for graduation.