AHC50422
Diploma of Horticulture Management
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Qualification Description
CRICOS Course Code: 113094E
The Diploma of Horticulture Management reflects the role of those who manage amenity horticultural enterprises where a range of skills and knowledge across the breadth of the industry is required or personnel working in horticulture at a level requiring higher technical skills.
Important Information
Duration
The course will be delivered in 52 weeks (one year).
Full-time study for 40 weeks and a break period of 12 weeks between 4 study terms. Each study term is approx. 10 weeks long.
The scheduled contact study per week is 20 hours.
The classes are scheduled per study week for two full days (9 am to 5 pm) and the third half-day (either 9 am to 1 pm or 1 pm to 5 pm).
There are also additional 10 hours of self-study scheduled per study week for students.
Intake Dates – 2025
13/1/2025
7/4/2025
30/6/2025
22/9/2025
AQF Level
Pre-requisites
Prior to commencing this qualification an individual must:
- have completed the following 7 units of competency (or equivalent):
- AHCCHM304 Transport and store chemicals
- AHCCHM307 Prepare and apply chemicals to control pest, weeds and diseases
- AHCPCM308 Identify and select plants
- AHCPMG301 Control weeds
- AHCPMG302 Control plant pests, diseases and disorders
- AHCSOL304 Implement soil improvements for garden and turf areas
- AHCWHS302 Contribute to workplace health and safety processes
OR
- have relevant equivalent skills and knowledge acquired through participation in the horticulture industry, this will be assessed accordingly during the enrolment period as per our policies and procedures (See POL-ENR-01).
Mode of Delivery
Face to Face.
Location of Delivery
Ironwood Institute is located at Level 3, 112-118 Rundle Mall, Adelaide 5000.
The campus is in the heart of Adelaide City Centre, which offers an excellent blend of history, culture, modern lifestyle, and congenial learning environment.
The site is well connected by public transport (bus, tram, and train).
Entry Requirements
International student applicants are required to demonstrate English language proficiency of IELTS 6.0 equivalent.
Students with IELTS 5.0 (20 weeks) or 5.5 (10 weeks) can study English for Academic Purposes (EAP) at Ironwood to meet the English requirement. For complete details please refer to entry requirements.
Material and Equipment Required
Licensing/Regulatory Information
No occupational licensing, legislative, or certification requirements apply to this qualification at the time of publication.

Course Type

Course Structure
- Total Units 10
- Core Units 3
- Elective Units 7
Manage workplace health and safety processes (Core)
Write and present reports (Core)
Develop workplace policy and procedures for environment and sustainability (Core)
Develop and manage a chemical use strategy (Elective)
Develop a horticultural production plan (Elective)
Diagnose plant health problems (Elective)
Collect and classify plants (Elective)
Monitor and manage soils for production (Elective)
Prepare and monitor budgets and financial reports (Elective)
Negotiate and monitor contracts (Elective)
For further details about each unit of competency please refer to the AHC50422 Diploma of Horticulture Management.
Assessment Methods
Assessment methods include but are not limited to:
- Role Plays
- Observation/Demonstration of Practical Skills
- Case Studies
- Written Reports
- Presentations
- Written Tests
Qualification
On successful completion of this course, you will be awarded the AHC50422 Diploma of Horticulture. Students who successfully complete only one or more units of competency within this Qualification will receive a Statement of Attainment. (By enrolling in this course, Ironwood Institute does not guarantee a learner will successfully complete and receive the qualification).
Qualification Pathways
Advanced Diploma of Agribusiness or relevant bachelor’s degree at Australian Universities (Ironwood Institute does not guarantee an automatic pathway to a university degree and advises students to seek confirmation with the university). Please refer to Ironwood University Pathways for further details.
Employment Opportunities
Job roles and titles vary across different industry sectors. For those with appropriate work experience, knowledge, and skills gained from this Diploma can help the candidate to take on the following roles which include but are not limited to:
- Horticulture Technical Officer
- Senior Horticulturist
- Parks and Garden manager
- Horticulture enterprise manager
(Ironwood Institute does not guarantee an employment outcome, licence, or accreditation at the completion of this qualification).

Work-based Training
Not applicable
Work Placement
Not applicable
Fees
Ironwood Institute will charge the learner for the enrolment application, tuition, material fees, and training product as per the nominated fee schedules as outlined below;
Student Category | Enrolment Administration (AUD) | PPE (AUD) | Tuition (AUD) | Total (AUD) |
---|---|---|---|---|
International | $500 | $250 | $14,250 | $15,000 |
Fee Type | Administration (AUD) | Learning Resources (AUD) | Tuition (AUD) | Total (AUD) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Full fee | $250 | $250 | $19,500 | $20,000 |
Initial deposit – 50% of tuition for offshore students and 25% of tuition for onshore students plus administration and learning resources.
Students are encouraged to contact the Institute for current specials and to apply for scholarships.
Why Study Horticulture in Adelaide, South Australia
Recognised for its excellence in environmentally clean, safe, and advanced production making Adelaide a key horticulture destination. Ironwood’s horticulture program allows our students to gain the skills and knowledge to become job ready in all sorts of horticultural positions.
- South Australia is a major producer of premium horticulture.
- Technologically advanced and sustainable horticulture is a key focus in South Australia.
- Number one in protected cropping in Australia, with more than 700 hectares of greenhouses with a high number of professional, vertically integrated businesses across the supply chain
- Australia’s number one producer of onions and potatoes
- Home to Australia’s National Almond Centre of Excellence
- Home to the world-leading national Sterile Insect Technology facility
- The Northern Adelaide Plains (NAP) is a key horticulture region of South Australia that lies immediately north of the Adelaide metropolitan area. The NAP produces approximately 198,000 tonnes of fresh produce, generating around 20% of the state’s horticulture production by volume and 33% by value, with a farm gate value of $317 million. The area is renowned for growing premium quality vegetables including tomatoes, cucumbers, capsicums, onions and potatoes. The region employs almost half of SA’s vegetable industry workers including job roles involving :
- broad-acre field vegetable cropping
- tree orchards
- high-technology climate controlled hydroponic systems and
- medium and low-technology poly and shade houses.
For more information visit https://www.northernadelaideplains.com.au/about

Adelaide is Australia’s 1st National Park City and the 2nd globally after London.
Hear from Ironwood Students

Felix
Diploma of Horticulture

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Gurtej Singh
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Hear from Horticulture Employers

Nick Femia
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Troy Topp
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Chris
Owner of Adelaide Plant Grows
Hear from Industry Peak Bodies

Dannielle Chapman
Executive Officer of the NGISA

Mark Cody
Primary Industries Skills Council of SA

Jordan Brooke-Barnett
AusVeg SA

Joy de Leo
ACPET

Grant Dalwood
Nursery & Garden Association SA

Karyn Kent
Study Adelaide
Learn more about the opportunities in Horticulture Industry
AUSVEG has created several deep dive videos that look into some of the obscure but vital roles in the industry. These videos show the daily tasks, responsibilities, and pathways within the Production Horticulture sector.
Further Information
Consumer Protection
Overseas Students Health Cover
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