HCC – The Horticultural Correspondence College | ADLC Member

HCC – the Horticultural Correspondence College

Whether you’re a complete beginner or experienced gardener, home-study courses from HCC – the Horticultural Correspondence College – will deliver the skills, knowledge and qualifications you need while making it easy to fit your learning around existing commitments.

Why we are special

Here are just 7 of the reasons why so many people choose to study with the Horticultural Correspondence College:

1. Specialist Horticultural Correspondence College
   Our knowledge of Horticultural means you will be studying with a provider that understands the profession and how you can gain the right qualifications, skills and knowledge to succeed.
2. Flexible training
   Our flexible training gives you the freedom to progress through your course at a time and pace that suits you. You can start your course as soon as you enrol, then fit your training around other commitments.
3. Tutors dedicated to your success
   Our team of friendly, experienced tutors, all with advanced horticultural qualifications, work closely with you throughout the course, giving help and support. You can contact your tutor by phone or email.
4. Exceptional course materials
   All our course materials are developed by expert horticulturalists, and are regularly updated to reflect new developments and your feedback. They are clear, easy to follow and allow you to work at the level you choose. Just as importantly they are highly informative and enjoyable – almost all HCC learners love their subject and we aim to nurture that. The materials consist of lesson texts with sets of questions and include everything you need to complete the course, although many learners enjoy reading and researching more widely around the topics.
5. Qualifications
   On successful completion of our courses, you will be awarded an HCC Certificate*. This is proof of your commitment to learning and, because the HCC is well known, can be a useful addition on a CV.
   Some of our courses also prepare learners to sit exams or have their portfolio of coursework assessed for formal qualifications from internationally recognised awarding bodies. (Taking exams³ is not obligatory but strongly recommended if you are pursuing a horticultural career. Where courses include external coursework assessment⁴ this is an obligatory part of the course.) These awarding bodies include:

• The Royal Horticultural Society
• The Royal Forestry Society
• ABC Awards

1. No previous experience required
   Most of our courses (including our Become a Gardener and Become a Garden Designer career courses) are suitable for complete beginners and no previous gardening or garden design experience is required. Exceptions include our RHS Level 3 courses where we recommend doing an appropriate RHS Level 2 course first.
2. Associations
   The quality of our training is reflected by the distinguished bodies we are associated with:

• Royal Horticultural Society
• The Royal Forestry Society
• The Institute of Horticulture
• ABC Awards
• Prisoners Educational Trust
• ABCC

Our range of exciting courses includes – 

• Become a Gardener course
• Become a Garden Designer course
• Royal Horticultural Society courses
• Royal Horticultural Society courses
• Gardening courses
• Garden Design courses
• Floristry courses
• Arboriculture courses
• Forestry courses
• Farming courses

HCC – The Horticultural Correspondence College – offers all these and more!

Still got questions? Read our FAQs here.

¹ You need to have completed your course payments before receiving the HCC Certificate.
² Learners doing the ABC Level 2 Certificate in Arboriculture course do not receive an HCC Certificate

³ All our RHS courses give the option to sit exams.
⁴ ABC Level 2 Certificate in Arboriculture (in partnership with the RFS) and ABC Level 2 Certificate in Forestry (in partnership with the RFS).