Why Study/Key Benefits

Lincoln University’s Diploma in Horticultural Management is a one-year, full-time qualification designed for students who want to move beyond horticultural production into management, business planning and decision-making within horticultural enterprises. The programme combines horticultural production knowledge with business-management study and substantial practical experience.

Key benefits include:

• Develop knowledge of modern horticultural production and management systems.
• Build business-management skills relevant to commercial horticultural enterprises.
• Study areas connected with production, labour, land, horticultural business and industry management.
• Gain substantial hands-on industry experience as part of the qualification.
• Choose electives according to your interests, including fruit production, crop production, amenity horticulture, agroforestry and engineering.
• Prepare for management-oriented roles within horticulture and related agribusiness.
• Study at Lincoln University, an institution with a strong land-based education and research focus.

Programme Structure and Subjects/Topics

The qualification requires 120 credits consisting of 60 credits in Horticultural Management plus 60 credits of approved electives.

Horticultural Management component

The compulsory management component is delivered through:

• MGMT 072A – Horticultural Management
• MGMT 072B – Horticultural Management

Approved elective courses

Students must choose a minimum of four courses from the Diploma in Horticultural Management List A.

Semester 1 options include:

• ANSC 073 – Sheep Production, 15 credits
• FORS 070 – Applied Agroforestry, 15 credits
• ANSC 072 – Dairy Production, 15 credits
• ENGN 076 – Engineering II, 15 credits
• HORT 071 – Amenity Horticulture, 15 credits
• PLSC 071 – Annual Crop Production, 15 credits.

Semester 2 options include:

• PLSC 074 – Pasture Management, 15 credits
• ANSC 071 – Beef and Deer Production, 15 credits
• HORT 072 – Fruit Crop Production, 15 credits.

Disciplines/Specialisations

The Diploma in Horticultural Management does not have formally named majors or fixed specialisations.

Instead, students combine compulsory horticultural-management study with electives that can allow them to develop interests in areas such as:

• Horticultural business management
• Horticultural production
• Fruit crop production
• Annual crop production
• Amenity horticulture
• Agricultural and horticultural engineering
• Agroforestry
• Pasture management
• Livestock production
• Beef and deer production
• Dairy production.

Programme Highlights

• 1 year full-time academic programme.
• 120 credits.
• 60 credits of compulsory Horticultural Management.
• 60 credits from approved electives.
• Minimum 44 weeks of hands-on practical experience.
• Practical experience on at least two different horticultural units.
• Combination of horticultural production and business-management knowledge.
• Study options covering fruit crops, annual crops, amenity horticulture, agroforestry and engineering.
• Additional options in pasture and livestock production.
• Potential to develop management and decision-making skills for horticultural enterprises.
• Two current annual intakes: February and July.

Career Outcomes

The programme is designed to prepare students for management-oriented work in modern horticultural enterprises. Lincoln states that the combination of business management, horticulture and production knowledge is relevant and immediately applicable to the workplace.

Potential areas of employment can include:

• Horticultural enterprise management
• Orchard management
• Crop-production management
• Nursery and plant-production management
• Horticultural business operations
• Labour management
• Production planning
• Horticultural supply and operational management
• Agribusiness
• Horticultural consultancy and industry services.

International Student Visa Requirements

An international student coming to New Zealand to study this qualification will generally need an appropriate student visa unless they already hold a visa that permits the proposed study.

For a Fee Paying Student Visa, Immigration New Zealand currently requires, among other things:

• An offer of place from an approved education provider.
• Evidence that tuition fees can be paid or are covered by a scholarship.
• Sufficient funds for living expenses.
• Acceptable medical and travel insurance.
• Meeting health and character requirements where applicable.
• Genuine intention to study.
• Evidence that the student can leave New Zealand at the end of the stay.