`The gardens are the college not the buildings as in other courses." Dr Paul Cusack, co-ordinator of the diploma in amenity horticulture in the College of Amenity Horticulture at the National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin, Dublin, explains that the plant collection is of major importance to students. A new library, herbarium and computing facilities have recently been built in the gardens.
Places on the three-year full-time diploma are awarded on the basis of an aptitude test, which involves horticultural knowledge, basic science and general knowledge. No past papers are available - the reason for this selection method is that the college wants to identify students with a genuine interest in the area, says Cusack. Ideally, prospective students would have spent some time working in a garden centre in the summers or part-time.
There are usually about four applicants for each of the 50 first-year places and there is generally a good mixture of mature students and school-leavers. "There is a fair range of ages on the course. Some people are changing careers while others have been working in the horticulture area and want to formalise their qualifications," says Cusack.
Second year of the course is spent on placement, usually with Dublin Corporation parks department. Students may also arrange their own placement, provided it is acceptable to the college. There are no fees for tuition throughout the three years and students receive a maintenance grants, which varies depending on the distance of their home from the college.
The course is more "hands-on" than UCD's landscaping option. Job opportunities for graduates of the horticulture diploma are good, according to Cusack. Graduates may find work in the parks department, on private estates or with landscaping bodies.
Application forms for the course are available from the College of Amenity Horticulture and all Teagasc offices from May. The assessment test is usually held at the end of June, after the Leaving Cert and candidates know, by mid-July, if they have a place. So, no waiting around for Leaving Cert results.
In contrast, the landscape option within UCD's agricultural science degree is offered through the CAO. Last year, you would have needed at least 380 points to secure a place. Increasingly, students from an urban background are opting for agricultural sciences. The four-year degree includes a substantial element of design, allowing students to combine art with science.
Agricultural students take a common first-year which includes the basic sciences and computer science. Between 15 and 20 students usually opt for landscape horticulture in second year, where they begin to study the more applied areas - agricultural and environmental biology, plant physiology, soil science, agribusiness and landscape design.
In third year, students do a six-month placement. This may be in Ireland or abroad. The course has good links with Germany, England and the United States, says course co-ordinator Kern Foley. French and German are offered as elective languages. Under an EU exchange programme, students and staff may also participate in intensive two-week exchange programmes with 10 other universities in Europe.
At the moment, job opportunities for graduates of the landscape horticulture course are very good, says Foley. Students who wish to continue their studies may opt for an MSc in landscape architecture in UCD. There are about 10 places on this two-year programme which is also open to graduates of allied programmes such as architecture or other agricultural specialisms.
Graduates of other programmes may have to take prerequisites. An arrangement is in the offing whereby graduates of the landscape programme will be able to go directly into second year of the master's programme.
