Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q.)
Who is this Landscaping & Garden Design Course suitable for?
This is a concise, yet extremely thorough certificate course, aimed primarily at those who want to pursue a career in landscape garden design. It is not a “hobby course”, but some students in the past have enrolled out of a desire to make the best of their own gardens.
Whether you are considering pursuing garden design as a career, or if you simply want to learn from the best, then this Landscaping & Garden Design Course is a great opportunity to learn skills of real value!
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What previous knowledge or experience must I have?
If you already had these skills then you wouldn’t need to learn them from us, so there is no pre-requisite for this course except a genuine interest in the subject and obviously an ability to read and write clearly.
All of our course materials are prepared to the highest standards and are written in language that is easy to understand and free from unnecessary jargon. If you have a genuine interest and desire to learn, then we will provide you with the best means to achieve that goal. We don’t believe in excluding people, and we offer excellent training and qualifications to anyone who is willing to make the commitment that a course of this nature requires.
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What career options are available?
This Landscaping & Garden Design Course would be extremely helpful for anyone working in garden related industries and career opportunities may also be available at nurseries and garden centres.
Most garden designers work on a freelance basis, and you may consider this option yourself or working alongside a more senior designer in specialist garden design firms.
Other possible opportunity are listed below:
- Garden design consultancy services offered through nurseries and garden centres
- In-house garden designer at architectural firm, providing a total design service to clients
- Freelance consultancy service for local authorities and area development agencies
On successful completion of our Landscaping & Garden Design Course you will have a strong portfolio, which is one of the best tools you can have to help you impress potential clients and/or employers.
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Will this course sufficiently prepare me to work as a Professional Garden Designer?
This Landscaping & Garden Design Course is designed to teach you the relevant skills so that you can design gardens effectively and can communicate your ideas professionally through plans and specifications. It is a very thorough course, covering all the main aspects of garden design. However, the majority of established “Garden Designers” would have a background in horticulture and it would be unrealistic to expect the same level of knowledge from a certificate course.
As a certificate course, this will give you a very strong foundation and introduction to the landscape and garden design industry as a whole. The Landscaping & Garden Design Course assignments will help you to learn fundamental garden design skills, and even more importantly, you will understand how to apply those skills in practical ways with your clients. From the very beginning of the course you will receive feedback and you will learn from experience what works and what doesn’t. There is no better way for you to learn the course material, and to build your confidence at the same time.
Furthermore, the feedback you receive from your tutor throughout the course will confirm your strengths and weaknesses, encouraging you to achieve your best work and to continually improve your ability so that you can advance your career in the industry.
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Will my qualification be recognised?
Limperts Academy of Design is an Awarding Body, and all of our courses have been carefully structured to meet both national and international standards in education and the design industry. All of our courses have been developed by a dedicated team of Professional Designers/Consultants, Industry Experts and Training Consultants, so you can be sure that your course is both up to date and relevant. The high standard of work that our students produce is earning us a strong reputation in this industry.
The most important tool for any Landscape & Garden Designer is their portfolio, as that shows clients exactly what you can do and will help you to secure work. By the time you have completed this course, you will have built up a portfolio of work and business tools to help you get started in the industry, which will also act as a clear testament to your ability and your professionalism.
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Is there an exam?
This subject is not like traditional academic subjects, and examinations of the conventional kind are not appropriate for testing these types of skills and knowledge. On completion of all course assignments, you will be given a Final Project that incorporates everything you will have learned throughout the course into one complete assignment.
The project question will be a typical job requirement or client brief, and this should give you the confidence to actually begin working in the industry afterwards and it will be an important part of your portfolio work. You will be asked to complete the project within a set time frame, which is usually about one month, and you must pass both the coursework AND the Final Project in order to receive the Certificate in Landscape & Garden Design.
Certificates are graded Pass, Merit or Distinction as appropriate, and the final grade awarded will be based on the results of your coursework and your Final Project.
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What happens if I fail?
Each course assignment is returned to you with detailed feedback to tell you exactly what your strengths and weaknesses are, so that you can continually improve your work to meet the standards required by the industry.
If any of your course assignments are below standard, they will be returned to you by your tutor and you will be asked to re-do the assignment, taking on board the tutor’s comments and feedback. This doesn’t happen to most students, but regardless, it’s all part of the learning process and after all that is what this course is all about!
By the time you have completed the coursework, you should know what is expected in the Final Project, and the grades you have been receiving on your coursework will give you a strong indication of the final grade you are likely to receive. Having got to this point successfully, it is very unlikely that you will fail to achieve the standard required on the Final Project.
In the event that your project does fail, you will be given the opportunity to re-submit once for a nominal fee.
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How long does it take to complete an assignment?
The “average” time spent on each assignment is between 10 and 12 hours.
This is a professional qualification and clearly it requires commitment to achieve what is required. However, this is a creative and enjoyable subject, and “study” in the conventional sense does not apply to these assignments.
All the coursework is very practical and while students will admit that it takes commitment, they all stress the enjoyment factor and sense of pride and achievement in their work.
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Are there any additional costs not included within the course fee?
Our course fees represent excellent value for money, and everything is included in the price, we stress that there are no hidden costs.
All of our course manuals have been specifically written for each programme. They are very thorough and contain all the information needed to complete the course.
Additional reading lists are provided to students who wish to conduct further research but it should be re-iterated that the course materials have been specifically created to be the best guide available and the manuals provided take the place of any “essential reading” list.
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Who will be my tutor?
All our tutors are practising designers and professionals who actively work in the industry and teach on a part-time basis.<.p>
When you send in your first assignment, you will receive details of the tutor who has been assigned to you.
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How do I contact my tutor?
Anytime you want to contact your tutor directly, just contact us at Limperts Academy of Design by phone, fax or e-mail, and we will forward the request to them immediately.
Because all our tutors are actively working in the industry, they spend a limited amount of time in our offices and may not be here when you call.
Your tutor will always get back to you within 24 hours, and 90% of the time you will probably receive a response within one hour.
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Why should I choose Home Study?
With our Lanscapign & Garden Design Home Study Programs you can choose to study at a time and pace to suit you. The advantages of our Lanscapign & Garden Design Home Study Programs include:
Work at your own pace – busy working lives and personal commitments often mean that you have limited free time. However, with home study, you can set the pace to suit your lifestyle. You may work at a leisurely pace, or you may be so keen to get into the industry, that you prefer to complete the course in the minimum time possible. Either way, you set the pace that suits you, at the times that best fit your schedule.
Never miss a class or lecture – even with the best intentions, there are times when you just can’t make a class due to sickness or other unavoidable circumstances. The beauty of home study is that you need never worry about missing a class, so you are guaranteed never to miss any vital information.
Save time, energy and money – with home study you can learn in the comfort of your own home, saving you unnecessary costs and travel time. What’s more, listening to our CD’s can make good use of otherwise wasted time in cars or public transport.
An equal opportunity for you to achieve your goals – if you have ever felt restricted by access or mobility problems, discrimination issues or low financial resources, then you’ll appreciate how home study can provide a genuinely equal opportunity to everyone. As a student of Limperts Academy of Design you will be encouraged and guided to achieve your utmost potential and the cost of your education can be paid for in easy installments, while you continue to work and earn a full-time income. (Please see the enrolment form for details of our installment options).
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