NDA UK
NDA DUBAI
NDA UK
NDA DUBAI
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Online (via Zoom)
Fast-Track Diploma

Professional
Garden Design

Online (via Zoom)
Fast-Track Diploma

Professional
Garden Design

As a not-for-profit foundation, we are so confident in the price of our Diploma’s that if you can find the same level of education for less, we will match it!

Entry Requirements

No previous qualifications required, just an interest & enthusiasm for garden design

Course Duration

16 weeks of home study
including 20 x bi-weekly
online lectures (via Zoom)

Next Course Dates

18th September - 3rd January
2pm - 4.30pm (UK Time)
Wednesday & Monday

More Dates

Assessment

No exams!
Tutor assessment only

Course Summary

With twice weekly live Zoom classes, the Online Fast-Tracked Diploma combines the intensive pace of the ‘In-Studio Fast-Track’ Diploma and the convenience of the ‘Online Flexible’ Diploma. This 16-week course is ideal for those students wanting to study from home and speed up their learning in a live environment.

The Level 3 Diploma in Professional Garden Design provides you with the skills and qualification to work professionally as a garden designer… without having to go back to school full-time allowing you to balance the demands of work and family life.

The skills you’ll learn can help you carry out design projects for yourself or for family and friends, prepare you for work as a designer, or enable you to pursue further studies in the subject.

This course is Ofqual Level 3 accredited and globally recognised, meaning you can work legally as a garden designer or gain enough educational credits to study a Bachelors Degree if you so choose.

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We have over 30 years of experience in teaching design, with over 35,000 alumni, this garden design course is a trusted way to help you pursue your passion and kick-start your career as a garden designer

Why Learn Online?

For students who want all the benefits of remote online learning, but are also looking for more structure and live interaction with tutors and peers, the ‘Online Fast-Track’ course offers an ideal mix.

Because the course is delivered fully online, it means students can study from anywhere in the world without the need to travel or commute and attend a full-time course. But it also adds the valuable element of live lectures online with tutors and other students, to cover key content and enable discussions.

  • Study part-time from anywhere in the world
  • Get a recognised professional UK qualification
  • Talk to and interact with tutors and peers
  • Feel motivated and part of a live learning community
  • Complete the course in as little as 16 weeks

What Will I Study?

You will study ten dedicated Units during this Professional Diploma

Background to Garden Design

This unit introduces you to the definition of Garden Design and key Garden styles. It covers the history of Garden Design and the main design principles Garden Designers work with in the present day. This unit also includes:

  • The definition of Garden Design
  • The history and development of Garden Design
  • The effect garden design history has on contemporary gardens
  • Garden Design styles, e.g. formal, classical, urban, rural, cottage etc.

The Role of the Garden Designer

This Unit introduces you to a design brief and takes you through the different stages of the garden design process, giving you an understanding of the role and responsibilities of the garden designer. This unit also includes:

  • Skills required to fulfil the role of Garden Designer
  • Stages of the garden design process
  • The importance of the design brief
  • An introduction to the virtual client, whose garden you will design throughout the course

Presentation Techniques

Within this Unit, you will learn how to measure a garden and draw it to scale. You will also learn how to start the process of developing conceptual designs for a client. This unit also includes:

  • Site surveying – how & what to measure or record on site
  • Surveying tools
  • Understanding scale
  • Developing technical plans to scale, step by step
  • Hand drawn or CAD – students may produce either
  • Industry standard drawing conventions

Components of Garden Design

This unit focuses on how you organise and fill your garden design effectively. You will have the opportunity use your creative skills by preparing and presenting your ideas working to a specific garden design brief. This unit also includes:

  • Planning the space
  • Colour theory & how it will affect your garden design
  • Creating a variety of effects using garden components: boundaries, structures, planting, soft & hard landscape
  • Using furniture, accessories, play equipment, pets, wild animals and water features for garden design
  • Light and shade as part of the garden design
  • Concept and design presentation to a client

Understanding Plants

This Unit will help you to understand planting biology and the importance of selecting appropriate planting as part of your design. This fundamental knowledge will complement your presentation skills when developing a design and help you to communicate your initial ideas. This unit also includes:

  • Plant identification
  • Plant features: flowers, fruits, leaves, stems
  • Hazardous plants
  • Basic plant biology
  • Plant names and classification
  • Soil types and suitability for plants

Using Hard Landscaping Materials

In this Unit, you will learn how to select specific Hard Landscaping Materials to enhance your design. Increasing your knowledge of sustainable products and practices It also covers how to communicate your ideas visually to your client and how to specify your requirements to a contractor. This unit also includes:

  • Raw, natural & man-made materials: stone, aggregates, stone composite, metals, glass, timber, synthetics
  • Recycled and reclaimed materials
  • Use for walling, paving, decking, pergolas and arches
  • Drawing a Hard Landscaping plan
  • Communicating your design via a presentation board
  • The importance of a specification

Selecting Plant Types

This Unit looks at how you source your plants and the practical and aesthetic considerations to be considered when developing a planting layout to a design brief. You will also learn how to present a planting plan to a professional standard. This unit also includes:

  • The role of plants in the garden
  • Selection & design for site context, functionality and client requirements
  • Selection & design for visual aesthetics
  • Producing a planting plan
  • Planting specifications

Selecting Furniture & Features

This Unit looks specifically at sourcing furniture, lighting, water features and accessories from the huge variety available, to meet your client brief. You will learn about the main types of garden lighting and how to present this information on a Furniture, Lighting and Accessories Plan. This unit also includes:

  • Furniture: human scale, bespoke, style
  • Garden lighting: function, types and specification
  • Water features: types, style and how to design
  • Garden accessories: pots, sculpture, garden art, statues, heating, barbeques / outdoor kitchens
  • Presenting your selection to your client
  • Designing to accommodate pets and wildlife

Professional Practice

This unit shows you everything you need to know about how to set up your own garden design business. It also helps you identify other career opportunities within Garden Design, such as working within an established garden design practice or moving on to studying for a degree. This unit also includes:

  • Different roles within the Industry
  • How to set up a garden design practice
  • Marketing and promotion
  • How to calculate your fees
  • Handling clients and the client brief
  • Sourcing suppliers and contractors
  • Managing the project

Producing a Garden Design

For the final unit of the course, you bring together all your newly learned skills by producing conceptual designs and a design pack to create a wonderful garden design for a new client. When complete, your work will form an asset to your developing portfolio to show future clients. This unit also includes:

  • Creating concept plans
  • Creating a planting plan
  • Creating a hard landscaping plan
  • Concept sketches
  • Specifications, rationale and order of works
DOWNLOAD COURSE GUIDE
Unit 1

Background to Garden Design

This unit introduces you to the definition of Garden Design and key Garden styles. It covers the history of Garden Design and the main design principles Garden Designers work with in the present day. This unit also includes:

  • The definition of Garden Design
  • The history and development of Garden Design
  • The effect garden design history has on contemporary gardens
  • Garden Design styles, e.g. formal, classical, urban, rural, cottage etc.
Unit 2

The Role of the Garden Designer

This Unit introduces you to a design brief and takes you through the different stages of the garden design process, giving you an understanding of the role and responsibilities of the garden designer. This unit also includes:

  • Skills required to fulfil the role of Garden Designer
  • Stages of the garden design process
  • The importance of the design brief
  • An introduction to the virtual client, whose garden you will design throughout the course
Unit 3

Presentation Techniques

Within this Unit, you will learn how to measure a garden and draw it to scale. You will also learn how to start the process of developing conceptual designs for a client. This unit also includes:

  • Site surveying – how & what to measure or record on site
  • Surveying tools
  • Understanding scale
  • Developing technical plans to scale, step by step
  • Hand drawn or CAD – students may produce either
  • Industry standard drawing conventions
Unit 4

Components of Garden Design

This unit focuses on how you organise and fill your garden design effectively. You will have the opportunity use your creative skills by preparing and presenting your ideas working to a specific garden design brief. This unit also includes:

  • Planning the space
  • Colour theory & how it will affect your garden design
  • Creating a variety of effects using garden components: boundaries, structures, planting, soft & hard landscape
  • Using furniture, accessories, play equipment, pets, wild animals and water features for garden design
  • Light and shade as part of the garden design
  • Concept and design presentation to a client
Unit 5

Understanding Plants

This Unit will help you to understand planting biology and the importance of selecting appropriate planting as part of your design. This fundamental knowledge will complement your presentation skills when developing a design and help you to communicate your initial ideas. This unit also includes:

  • Plant identification
  • Plant features: flowers, fruits, leaves, stems
  • Hazardous plants
  • Basic plant biology
  • Plant names and classification
  • Soil types and suitability for plants
Unit 6

Using Hard Landscaping Materials

In this Unit, you will learn how to select specific Hard Landscaping Materials to enhance your design. Increasing your knowledge of sustainable products and practices It also covers how to communicate your ideas visually to your client and how to specify your requirements to a contractor. This unit also includes:

  • Raw, natural & man-made materials: stone, aggregates, stone composite, metals, glass, timber, synthetics
  • Recycled and reclaimed materials
  • Use for walling, paving, decking, pergolas and arches
  • Drawing a Hard Landscaping plan
  • Communicating your design via a presentation board
  • The importance of a specification
Unit 7

Selecting Plant Types

This Unit looks at how you source your plants and the practical and aesthetic considerations to be considered when developing a planting layout to a design brief. You will also learn how to present a planting plan to a professional standard. This unit also includes:

  • The role of plants in the garden
  • Selection & design for site context, functionality and client requirements
  • Selection & design for visual aesthetics
  • Producing a planting plan
  • Planting specifications
Unit 8

Selecting Furniture & Features

This Unit looks specifically at sourcing furniture, lighting, water features and accessories from the huge variety available, to meet your client brief. You will learn about the main types of garden lighting and how to present this information on a Furniture, Lighting and Accessories Plan. This unit also includes:

  • Furniture: human scale, bespoke, style
  • Garden lighting: function, types and specification
  • Water features: types, style and how to design
  • Garden accessories: pots, sculpture, garden art, statues, heating, barbeques / outdoor kitchens
  • Presenting your selection to your client
  • Designing to accommodate pets and wildlife
Unit 9

Professional Practice

This unit shows you everything you need to know about how to set up your own garden design business. It also helps you identify other career opportunities within Garden Design, such as working within an established garden design practice or moving on to studying for a degree. This unit also includes:

  • Different roles within the Industry
  • How to set up a garden design practice
  • Marketing and promotion
  • How to calculate your fees
  • Handling clients and the client brief
  • Sourcing suppliers and contractors
  • Managing the project
Unit 10

Producing a Garden Design

For the final unit of the course, you bring together all your newly learned skills by producing conceptual designs and a design pack to create a wonderful garden design for a new client. When complete, your work will form an asset to your developing portfolio to show future clients. This unit also includes:

  • Creating concept plans
  • Creating a planting plan
  • Creating a hard landscaping plan
  • Concept sketches
  • Specifications, rationale and order of works
DOWNLOAD COURSE GUIDE

Student Gallery

A sample of work completed by our talented garden design students

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How Is The Course Run?

The 16 week course consists of a 10-week study period that covers each of the 10 subject units in the Diploma course, one unit per week. Also up to 6 ‘Independent Study’ weeks within the duration to allow students to complete assignments.

Study Week Course Schedule

  • At the start of each week, students are provided access to course content for the relevant subject unit
  • A 2.5 hour live lecture is held by the tutor to cover key points in the unit
  • Students are given 2 to 3 days to go through the unit content and start their assignments in their own time
  • A 2.5 hour live lecture is held towards the middle of the week to allow time for discussions, questions and a review of progress made on assignments
  • All assignments relating to the unit are completed by end of the week or a following 'Independent Study' week
  • 1hr live zoom induction to the Virtual Learning Studio (VLS) and to meet your course Tutor before study weeks begin.
  • 2.5hr live lectures are organised two days per week for a 10 week study period.
  • Up to 6 'Independent Study' weeks within the duration of your course to complete any unfinished assignments.
Please Note: This is an intensive, fast-track course. If you are unable to commit to the course schedule, other study options are available.
MORE STUDY OPTIONS

Next Available Course Dates

International students (non-UK) – Please check the timings of each course in your country, using our handy Timezone Converter below. All courses are listed in UK (London) Timezone.
  • 18th September - 3rd January
    2pm - 4.30pm (UK Time)
    Wednesday & Monday
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A Recognised Qualification

Accreditation

At the National Design Academy, we fully believe in the importance of accreditation. After all, what value is there in investing time and money into a course if it doesn’t offer a recognized qualification? The Diploma course is accredited by AIM Qualifications, an independent accrediting body for UK courses, and is recognised globally. It offers a level-3 UK qualification that allows to you work as a professional garden designer or start your own garden design business.

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  • UK Government Funding (Diploma)
UK residents pay approximately 50% course fees and funding from the UK government will pay the rest.
No upfront course fees to find. If you are aged 19+ and have lived in England for 3+ years you are eligible.
  • UK Government Funding (Diploma)
UK residents pay approximately 50% course fees and funding from the UK government will pay the rest.

Online Fast-Track Diploma Course Fees

UK Students

Non-Funded
Course Fee £1,800
Less
UK Government Funding
NDA Funded Course Fee £1,200

There are two ways for UK students to pay for their Online Fast-Track Diploma:

One Payment

£ 1,200 On Enrolment
  •  
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3 x Monthly Payments

£ 450 Per Month*
  • £1,350 in total
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* Monthly payments include admin fee.

International Students

There are two ways for International students to pay for their Online Fast-Track Diploma:

One Payment

$ 2,425 ON ENROLMENT
  • Save $250 by paying in full
  • Limited spaces available!!
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3 x Monthly Payments

$ 2,675 IN TOTAL*
  • $1,125 on enrolment
  • + 2 x $775 monthly payments
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* Monthly payments include admin fee.

All International fees in US Dollars.

What Will I Need To Study?

Alongside a computer and an internet connection, there is also essential and recommended design equipment and resources required to complete your NDA Course, the majority are available through the online NDA Art Shop at student prices!

FIND OUT MORE

What's Next?

Higher Education

Successful completion of your NDA Diploma provides a guaranteed place on one of our online BA (Hons) degrees, such as BA (Hons) Design for Outdoor Living, with a generous Progression Scholarship. Degrees are validated by De Montfort University (DMU).

For those who wish to continue their study at an on campus university, all NDA Professional Diplomas carry a UCAS tariff point value. You can top up any existing UCAS points you may have with points from an NDA Diploma. 

Diploma in Professional Garden Design = 24 UCAS tariff points.

Find out more

Careers

The NDA Diploma in Professional Garden Design is designed to help you start your own Garden Design business. Like the Diploma course itself, you can work flexibly for your clients around your family commitments and gradually expand your business.

Many of our Diploma students start their own business and study for their degree flexibly alongside their client projects.

Student Success Stories...

More Success Stories

Ready to pursue your passion for Garden Design?

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What Our Students Say...

Hear what past and present students have to say about studying at the NDA

The course has given me a direction to follow that I am passionate about, which after 12 months of life being thrown into complete chaos is a relief. It’s an intense course, which has been great to keep my mind busy between days off of work. I’ve learnt many new skills in a quick space of time that I can take away and develop further. It’s also been absolutely lovely to meet other students (even if only via Zoom) for a couple of sessions of normality during a lockdown each week. Gill my tutor has been absolutely encouraging, offering advice when we reach out and giving me the confidence to continue on in a direction that was new to me.
Benjamin FosterOnline Fast-Track Diploma
I was very hesitant to join the fast track zoom course because I was afraid it would be intense and I wouldn’t be able to handle it. However, I truly saw the value in one-on-one time with my teachers and direct contact with my peers. While it was challenging, it was equally if not more rewarding to be a part of this course.
Najwa AlAmerOnline Fast-Track Diploma
The course gave a really comprehensive taste of the whole process with a client… I just couldn't commit to longer studying so this suited and definitely did the job… it was really good to have that personal element rather than just online learning.
HelenOnline Fast-Track Diploma
I wanted to study, but needed to find a course which would fit in with, and hopefully complement, my busy workload. After looking at different options, I decided the course at the NDA looked like the one for me as it covered a wide range of topics from gardening history and design through to professional practice.
Elizabeth WhiteheadOnline Diploma Student
It was an easy decision to study with the NDA. One of the things that made the whole process so much easier was the VLS platform. It's a great method of communication between student and tutor but also in terms of receiving work and submitting feedback.
John NivenOnline Diploma Student
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Our admissions team will be happy to discuss your options.

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Course Schedule

  • Induction Session (1 hr)

    Monday 18th September @ 2pm

  • Unit 1 - Live Lecture (2.5 hrs)

    Wednesday 20th September @ 2pm

  • Unit 1 - Q&A (2.5 hrs)

    Monday 25th September @ 2pm

  • Unit 2 - Live Lecture (2.5 hrs)

    Wednesday 27th September @ 2pm

  • Unit 2 - Q&A (2.5 hrs)

    Monday 2nd October @ 2pm

  • Unit 3 - Live Lecture (2.5 hrs)

    Wednesday 4th October @ 2pm

  • Independent Study (1 week)

    W/C Monday 9th October

  • Unit 3 - Q&A (2.5 hrs)

    Monday 16th October @ 2pm

  • Unit 4 - Live Lecture (2.5 hrs)

    Wednesday 18th October @ 2pm

  • Unit 4 - Q&A (2.5 hrs)

    Monday 23rd October @ 2pm

  • Unit 5 - Live Lecture (2.5 hrs)

    Wednesday 25th October @ 2pm

  • Independent Study (1 week)

    W/C Monday 30th October

  • Unit 5 - Q&A (2.5 hrs)

    Monday 6th November @ 2pm

  • Unit 6 - Live Lecture (2.5 hrs)

    Wednesday 8th November @ 2pm

  • Unit 6 - Q&A (2.5 hrs)

    Monday 13th November @ 2pm

  • Unit 7 - Live Lecture (2.5 hrs)

    Wednesday 15th November @ 2pm

  • Independent Study (1 week)

    W/C Monday 20th November

  • Unit 7 - Q&A (2.5 hrs)

    Monday 27th November @ 2pm

  • Unit 8 - Live Lecture (2.5 hrs)

    Wednesday 29th November @ 2pm

  • Unit 8 - Q&A (2.5 hrs)

    Monday 4th December @ 2pm

  • Independent Study (2 weeks)

    5th - 18th December

  • Christmas Break (2 weeks)

    19th December - 2nd January

  • Completion Date (Hand-in)

    Wednesday 3rd January

DOWNLOAD SCHEDULE
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