Careers

[Studying at] Writtle provided an insight into what I wanted to do in my future and helped me discover my interests and strengths, both within the subject I chose to study and within myself.

Megan Webb, BSc (Hons) Horticulture graduate

Upon graduation, you’ll be equipped with a diverse skill set, including expertise in plant science and sustainable horticultural practices, practical experience in crop and landscape management and strong critical thinking and problem-solving abilities highly valued by employers.

Our industry placements and strong professional links will enhance your employability, while your critical thinking and problem-solving skills will enable you to adapt in a growing global horticulture sector focused on innovation, climate action and wellbeing.

What can you do with a Horticulture degree?

Where have other Horticulture graduates worked?

How can ARU help with my employability and career development?

Teaching and modules

Horticulture lies at the heart of building a healthier, greener and more sustainable world. Our course offers an inspiring gateway to discovering the power of plants and launching a rewarding graduate career.

Anya Perera, Deputy Head of the School of Agriculture, Animal and Environmental Sciences

This course offers a comprehensive exploration of horticulture, blending plant science with environmental sustainability, urban green space management and global economic perspectives.

You’ll develop practical skills in crop production and plant growth innovations, alongside critical understanding of political, social and economic factors shaping the industry. The course emphasises research, applied learning and real-world problem solving, preparing you to manage natural resources, support sustainable urban environments and navigate international trade. In your final year, you’ll undertake a major project to integrates your knowledge, fostering creativity and professional readiness in a dynamic sector.

What will I study?

Modules are subject to change and availability, and may vary by location. If you have the choice of optional modules, these are indicated with a *.

Year 1

Ecosystems and Sustainable Development (30 credits)
Environmental Horticulture (30 credits)
Plant Propagation and Growth Innovations (30 credits)
Biological Processes (15 credits)
Bio-Innovations for Land Use (15 credits)
Into ARU

Year 2

Environmental Management (15 credits)
Ruskin Module (15 credits)
Plant Physiology (15 credits)
Managing Urban Tree Resources (15 credits)
Research Methods (15 credits)
Plants in Built Environments (15 credits)
Political and Economic Contexts (15 credits)
Fresh Produce Production (15 credits)

Year 3

Natural Resource Management (15 credits)
International Trade and Markets (15 credits)
Crop Management and Technologies (15 credits)
Community Horticulture (15 credits)
Managing Urban Blue Green Infrastructure (15 credits)
Global Production Trends and Transformations (15 credits)
Dissertation (30 credits)

Module details

To prepare you for university study, you can take a foundation year at the start of this course. Find out more about foundation years.

Year 1

Academic and Personal Management Skills (20 credits)
Biological Concepts (Introduction to Laboratory Skills) (20 credits)
Maths for IT and Science (15 credits)
Chemistry for Life Sciences (15 credits)
Independent (Themed) Project (20 credits)
Applied Industry Techniques (30 credits)

Module details

You can choose to take an optional placement year as part of this course. Placements typically happen in Year 3, and your course will take four years overall. Find out more about placement years.

Placement year

Work Placement (120 credits)

Module details

It's possible to study this course on either a four year or six year part-time basis. You'll take the same modules as BSc (Hons) students, but sometimes in a different order or in different years.

UK students have the option to study Year 1 of this course, either for one year full-time or two years part-time, to achieve a CertHE. You can also choose to combine a foundation year with the CertHE. Contact us to discuss what you can do, or choose your preferred option when you apply.

What happens on a foundation year?

What happens on a placement year?

How is Horticulture assessed?

What equipment will I need?

Who teaches Horticulture at ARU?

Read profiles of teaching and research staff on this course.

Dr Kami Baghalian
Senior Lecturer in Crop Production
Ruvini Ranasingha
Lecturer in Commercial Production (Fresh Produce)

Facilities

Study a horticultural degree at ARU Writtle and gain access to our Horticultural facilities:

Extensive plant collection on campus
Research and tropical glasshouses
Practical sessions in our state-of-the-art laboratories at the Lordship Science Centre
Our 150-hectare campus with on-campus mixed farm including livestock and cropping enterprises
Visit enterprises, parks and gardens and gain real-world insight into how horticultural principles are applied in professional settings.

A day in the life of a Horticulture student: take a guided tour.

Varied formal gardens with extensive plant collections
The Postharvest Unit, which undertakes research and trials with commercial companies
New state-of-the-art Superlab facilities on our Lordship campus
Commercial trials such as innovative vertical, horizontal and hydroponic growing systems
Get hands-on with the latest horticultural technology
Explore our extensive, 150-hectare campus in the heart of Essex countryside

Entry requirements

Standard entry requirements

Important additional notes

Our published entry requirements are a guide only and our decision will be based on your overall suitability for the course as well as whether you meet the minimum entry requirements.

Other equivalent qualifications may be accepted for entry to this course; please email [email protected] for further information. Applicants to undergraduate courses can also check our information about undergraduate entry qualifications.

You'll need a computer and reliable internet access to successfully engage with your course.

We don't accept AS level qualifications on their own for entry to our undergraduate degree courses. However for some degree courses a small number of tariff points from AS levels are accepted as long as they're combined with tariff points from A levels or other equivalent level 3 qualifications in other subjects.

Important additional notes

Our published entry requirements are a guide only and our decision will be based on your overall suitability for the course as well as whether you meet the minimum entry requirements.

You'll need a computer and reliable internet access to successfully engage with your course.

Important additional notes

Our published entry requirements are a guide only and our decision will be based on your overall suitability for the course as well as whether you meet the minimum entry requirements.

You'll need a computer and reliable internet access to successfully engage with your course.

See entry requirements for the BA or BSc (Hons)

See entry requirements for the BA or BSc (Hons)

International students

English language requirements

Contextual offers

Fees and funding

UK students

£9,535 UK students starting 2026/27 (full-time, per year)

If you're a UK student, you don't need the money to pay for university now.

If you accept an offer to study at university, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your course fees.

Both full-time and part-time students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan. Part-time students should be studying more than a quarter (25% intensity) of a full-time course each year.

You'll start repaying the loan in the April after you graduate.

If you start a course on or after 1 August 2023, you won't repay anything until you earn more than £25,000. This is called repayment Plan 5. At this point, you'll repay 9% on everything you earn over £25,000. After 40 years (from the April after graduation), all remaining debt is wiped.

If you started a course on or before 31 July 2023, you won't repay anything until you earn more than £27,295. This is called repayment Plan 2. At this point, you'll repay 9% on everything you earn over £27,295. After 30 years (from the April after graduation), all remaining debt is wiped.

For example for students who are on repayment Plan 5:

If you earn £25,500, you'll repay £45 a year or £3.75 a month
That's because £25,500 is £500 above the threshold, and 9% of £500 is £45.

What you repay depends on how much you earn after university. The more you earn, the more you pay back.

For more information about student loans, see our undergraduate student finance page.

This information also applies to:

Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland
EU, EEA and Swiss nationals benefiting from citizens’ rights under the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement.

£9,535 UK students starting 2026/27 (full-time, per year)

If you're a UK student, you don't need the money to pay for university now.

If you accept an offer to study at university, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your course fees.

Both full-time and part-time students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan. Part-time students should be studying more than a quarter (25% intensity) of a full-time course each year.

You'll start repaying the loan in the April after you graduate.

For example for students who are on repayment Plan 5:

If you earn £25,500, you'll repay £45 a year or £3.75 a month
That's because £25,500 is £500 above the threshold, and 9% of £500 is £45.

What you repay depends on how much you earn after university. The more you earn, the more you pay back.

For more information about student loans, see our undergraduate student finance page.

This information also applies to:

Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland
EU, EEA and Swiss nationals benefiting from citizens’ rights under the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement.

£9,535 UK students starting 2026/27 (full-time, per year)

If you're a UK student, you don't need the money to pay for university now.

If you accept an offer to study at university, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your course fees.

Both full-time and part-time students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan. Part-time students should be studying more than a quarter (25% intensity) of a full-time course each year.

You'll start repaying the loan in the April after you graduate.

For example for students who are on repayment Plan 5:

If you earn £25,500, you'll repay £45 a year or £3.75 a month
That's because £25,500 is £500 above the threshold, and 9% of £500 is £45.

What you repay depends on how much you earn after university. The more you earn, the more you pay back.

For more information about student loans, see our undergraduate student finance page.

This information also applies to:

Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland
EU, EEA and Swiss nationals benefiting from citizens’ rights under the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement.

£4,767 UK students starting 2026/27 (part-time, per year)

Part-time course fees assume that you’re studying at half the rate of a full-time student (50% intensity, or 60 credits per year). Course fees will be different if you study over a longer period, or for more credits. All fees are for guidance purposes only. Your offer letter will contain full details of credits and fees, or you can contact us if you'd like more information.

If you're a UK student, you don't need the money to pay for university now.

If you accept an offer to study at university, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your course fees.

Both full-time and part-time students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan. Part-time students should be studying more than a quarter (25% intensity) of a full-time course each year.

You'll start repaying the loan in the April after you graduate.

For example for students who are on repayment Plan 5:

If you earn £25,500, you'll repay £45 a year or £3.75 a month
That's because £25,500 is £500 above the threshold, and 9% of £500 is £45.

What you repay depends on how much you earn after university. The more you earn, the more you pay back.

For more information about student loans, see our undergraduate student finance page.

This information also applies to:

Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland
EU, EEA and Swiss nationals benefiting from citizens’ rights under the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement.

£9,535 UK students starting 2026/27 (full-time, per year)

If you're a UK student, you don't need the money to pay for university now.

If you accept an offer to study at university, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your course fees.

Both full-time and part-time students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan. Part-time students should be studying more than a quarter (25% intensity) of a full-time course each year.

You'll start repaying the loan in the April after you graduate.

For example for students who are on repayment Plan 5:

If you earn £25,500, you'll repay £45 a year or £3.75 a month
That's because £25,500 is £500 above the threshold, and 9% of £500 is £45.

What you repay depends on how much you earn after university. The more you earn, the more you pay back.

For more information about student loans, see our undergraduate student finance page.

This information also applies to:

Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland
EU, EEA and Swiss nationals benefiting from citizens’ rights under the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement.

International students

£17,500 International students starting 2026/27 (full-time, per year)

You can pay your fees upfront, in full or in two instalments. We will ask for a deposit of £4,000 or a sponsorship letter

Find out about paying your fees.

£17,500 International students starting 2026/27 (full-time, per year)

You can pay your fees upfront, in full or in two instalments. We will ask for a deposit of £4,000 or a sponsorship letter

Find out about paying your fees.

£17,500 International students starting 2026/27 (full-time, per year)

You can pay your fees upfront, in full or in two instalments. We will ask for a deposit of £4,000 or a sponsorship letter

Find out about paying your fees.

£8,750 International students starting 2026/27 (part-time, per year)

You can pay your fees upfront, in full or in two instalments. We will ask for a deposit of £4,000 or a sponsorship letter

Find out about paying your fees.

Placement year fee

Living costs

Bursaries, sponsorship and working

Part-time fee notes

Apply for Horticulture

UK students

Apply through UCAS

International students

Apply direct

Apply online

Part-time courses

Apply directly to ARU

Apply online

Courses

Apply

Discover

Writtle College

Explore

Prepare

Support

Experience

Studying at ARU

Applying to ARU

Arriving at ARU

Postgraduate research

Why research at ARU?

Impact and case studies

Institutes and centres

Develop your business

Develop your people

Student and graduate talent

Case studies and news

Recent graduates

Alumni

Supporters

Legal

History and values

Jobs

Horticulture

BSc (Hons)

With foundation year

With placement

Part-time

CertHE

Combining course options

Careers

Teaching and modules

BSc (Hons)

With foundation year

With placement

Part-time

CertHE

Facilities

Entry requirements

BSc (Hons)

Important additional notes

With foundation year

Important additional notes

With placement

Important additional notes

Part-time

CertHE

International students

English language requirements

Fees and funding

BSc (Hons)

With foundation year

With placement

Part-time

CertHE

BSc (Hons)

With foundation year

With placement

Part-time

Apply for Horticulture

UK students

International students

Part-time courses

Recently viewed

Related courses