| Qualification: | Certificate |
| Level: | 4 |
| Dates: | 2025 Intake 5: 25 August to 19 December - Applications Close 11 August 2025 2026 Intake 1: 09 February to 05 June - Applications Close 02 February 2026 2026 Intake 2: 16 March to 10 July - Applications Close 09 March 2026 2026 Intake 3: 17 June to 11 October - Applications Close 10 June 2026 2026 Intake 4: 03 August to 27 November - Applications Close 27 July 2026 |
| Duration: | 17 weeks full-time Up to two years part-time Intakes are 17 weeks long |
| Location: | |
| Credits: | 60 |
Improve your hobby or enhance your career in landscaping with the New Zealand Certificate in Horticulture (Landscape Design) Level 4. Learn how to design, analyse sites and use plants to transform different landscapes.
You will learn:
This course will teach you the skills and knowledge that you need to succeed in the horticulture and landscape design sector or upskill your talents for your own residential property.
PLEASE NOTE: It is not necessary in this programme to use Computer Aided Design (CAD). The courses are set up so you can use either pencil sketches or CAD, whatever is available to you. Your facilitator is happy to recommend a list of free CAD software you can use if you choose to. This programme does not teach specifically to CAD, but teaches you the required graphic symbols etc. you can use in both CAD and pencil drawings.Course Codes Course Title Level Credits CLD400 Communication and leadership 4 10 CLD401 Site analysis and survey 4 10 CLD402 Plant identification for landscape design 4 10 CLD403 Landscape design planting plans 4 10 CLD404 Design principles for landscape design 4 10 CLD405 Graphics for landscape design 4 10
These courses must be completed in order. For example, if you are studying part time, you could take CLD400, CLD401, and CLD402 in your first intake, but you could not start with CLD402 and CLD405
CLD400 Communication and leadership (10 credits)
This paper provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to supervise and provide instructions to team members, contractors, clients, or members of the public in the context of landscape design.
On successful completion of this paper, students will be able to:
CLD401 Site analysis and survey (10 credits)
This paper provides students with the knowledge and skills to analyse a site profile for a specific landscape project, including cultural and historical factors, in order to analyse the potentials and limitations for a landscape design.
On successful completion of this paper, students will be able to:
CLD402 Plant identification for landscape design (10 credits)
This paper provides students with the knowledge and skills to identify and select plants appropriate for a specified landscape design.
On successful completion of this paper, students will be able to:
CLD403 Landscape design planting plans (10 credits)
This paper provides students with the knowledge and skills to use draughting equipment, materials and procedures to prepare working drawings for landscape plantings.
On successful completion of this paper, students will be able to:
CLD404 Design principles for landscape design (10 credits)
This paper provides students with the knowledge of common drawing media and principles in order to complete freehand drawings for landscape design.
On successful completion of this paper, students will be able to:
CLD405 Graphics for landscape design (10 credits)
This paper provides students with the knowledge of landscape design graphics commonly used to show various components of a landscape plan.
On successful completion of this paper, students will be able to:
Papers will need to be taken in order: (CLD400, CLD401, CLD402, CLD403, CLD404 and CLD405).
SIT Zero Fees Scheme
International Fees
$12500
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Examples of employment opportunities at the completion of this certificate include:
School Leavers
Applicants should be a minimum of 16 years of age, and have attained NCEA Level 2 as follows:
Mature Applicants
Applicants over the age of 20 years at time of enrolment will be considered where they can demonstrate the ability to succeed in a programme. Examples of demonstration of ability to succeed are the provision of evidence of successful completion of a programme of study at Level 2 or above and/or employment in the related sector for one or more years. They may be admitted subject to programme regulations approved by the Head of Faculty in consultation with the Programme Manager as appropriate. Personal commitment and a belief in one’s own ability to succeed are important personal traits and will always be taken into consideration during the selection process.
English Language Requirements
Applicants, whose first language is not English, or who come from a country where the language of instruction in schools is not English, are required to provide evidence of having achieved one of the following:
NCEA Level 3 with University Entrance, or
an International Baccalaureate Diploma or Cambridge A- level qualification for which the teaching and assessment was conducted in English; or
Cambridge Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA), or Trinity College London Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CertTESOL); or
Successful completion of all primary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand primary school years 1 to 8) and at least three years of secondary education (being the equivalent of three years from New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in either New Zealand, AustraliaÂ, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States one of the countries listed in Rule 18.5 where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction; or
Successful completion of at least five years of secondary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in either New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction; or
Successful completion of a Bachelor ‘s Degree, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Bachelor Honours degree, Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma, Masters’ Degree or Doctoral Degree, the language of instruction of which must be in English and which must be from a tertiary education provider from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom or the United States or
Successful completion of one of the following internationally recognised proficiency tests listed below to the level required of the programme of study and with all scores achieved in a single test during the two years preceding the proposed date of enrolment.
Certificate at Level 4
Full-time study
Full-time study is completing six papers (60 credits) per intake. Full-time acceptance into the programme is at the Programme Manager’s discretion, and is not guaranteed.
Part-time study
The number of papers you select to study per intake should depend on work, family, and other commitments. You may enrol in the papers in any order that you wish to study them.
When selecting papers, try and spread the number of credits evenly across each intake you are applying for. For example, if you wish to complete the Certificate in one year, you could for example, apply for study in Intake 1 and Intake 3. You might wish to apply for 30 credits in Intake 1 and another 30 credits in Intake 3. As a guideline, one credit equates to approximately 10 hours of study within an intake period.
All work for a paper must be completed during the intake in which you are enrolled in it. If you do not complete the paper within the intake, you must re-enrol in the paper in a later intake.
Additional Information
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ who have previously completed any NZQA unit standards relating to the above papers can apply to have the unit(s) recognised on their record of learning at SIT2LRN. This is done by filling in a ‘Recognition of Prior Learning’ (RPL) application form and attaching proof of achievement. The RPL application form is available here: .
Please use the following checklist to ensure that all relevant information and documentation has been included. Remember, your application will be assessed based on the information that you provide. Processing of your application will be delayed if we need to come back to you for missing information.
What is the Zero Fees Scheme?
The Zero Fees Scheme means we do not charge tuition fees, however there is a Student Direct Material Cost that you need to pay. The administration fee is for processing your application and the Student Direct Material Cost gives you secure access to Blackboard® our online learning environment and to student support services throughout your study with us.
Who qualifies for the Zero Fees Scheme?
Instructions to help you with your application:
If you are a new student …
Attach supporting documents as required and outlined on the previous page.
What happens next?
To satisfactorily complete the Landscape Design strand of the New Zealand Certificate in Horticulture Services (Level 4) with strands in Amenity, Arboriculture, Cemetery, Landscape Design, Landscape Construction, and Sports Turf, and be awarded this qualification the student must successfully achieve:
Please Note: ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ failing to engage in study as per programme requirements may forfeit Zero Fees entitlement.
Important: To successfully complete this paper, students need to achieve an overall mark of at least 50%, achieving no less than 35% for each individual assessment. All assessments must be attempted.
This qualification may build on the relevant strand of the New Zealand Certificate in Horticulture (Level 3).
This qualification may lead to the Design strand of the New Zealand Diploma in Landscape (Level 5) with strands in Design and Construction
The assessments in this programme include taking photos of plants, answering short paragraph questions, as well as drafting plans and freehand drawings. There are no external exams for this programme.
Important: To successfully complete this paper, students need to achieve an overall mark of at least 50%, achieving no less than 35% for each individual assessment. All assessments must be attempted.
For more information on required and recommended textbooks for this course please refer to the textbook list here.