Horticultural Sciences

Horticulture

Horticulture is the science of the propagation, cultivation and maintenance of plants and the use of plant material for the improvement of the environment. With population growth and new scientific and technological challenges presenting themselves daily, this course may lead to a career rich in rewards, with excellent job opportunities. Training takes place in modern, on-campus growing facilities under motivated and well-qualified staff with a wealth of industrial and teaching experience. This facilitates the training of practically orientated graduates for a role in the development, production and maintenance of environmentally friendly and aesthetically pleasing gardens, playing fields and commercial garden retail centres.

Graduates apply proven techniques and procedures to the production, propagation, displaying, marketing and application of appropriate plant material for the commercial market. This involves a range of technological and managerial techniques appropriate to the industry. Graduates may find work in production nurseries, garden centres, landscape maintenance enterprises, parastatals and municipalities. In addition, for those students with a desire to do research, the SA National Botanical Institute (Kirstenbosch) and the Agricultural Research Council are important employers. Whilst the demands for horticulture graduates are high, the University encourages an entrepreneurial spirit amongst its students through the integration of appropriate business skills and incentives within the mainstream programme. The technical skills acquired should enable entrepreneurially minded graduates to identify and develop viable business entities.

Landscape Architecture and Landscape Construction Management

Global warming, loss of habitat, erosion, de-forestation, urban sprawls and pollution are concerns we are all faced with. Sustainability, eco-tourism and greening the planet have become major topics that have resulted in specialised fields of study.

Landscape Architecture is a field that comprises the built environment as a study area. The increasing demand for environmental quality has led to the rapid expansion of landscape planning as a career, concentrating on the development of aesthetically pleasing, functional and ecologically stable landscapes spaces for the community. Landscape Architecture has been identified as a scarce skill within the built environment of South Africa (List of Occupations in High Demand: 2015. Government Gazette No. 39604, 19 January 2016. DHET: Pretoria. pp. 4 - 19.

The Advanced diploma in Landscape Architecture prepares individuals to have a general awareness of all the core competencies of the profession. The main area of involvement in the office and on projects is to assist with the working drawings and documentation phase of landscape design projects and to have well developed technical skills. Professional Landscape Technologists may undertake projects of low complexity under the supervision of either a Professional Landscape Architect or Senior Landscape Technologist. This individual may, from time to time attend meetings on behalf of the Professional Landscape Architect or Professional Senior Landscape Technologist; manage, coordinate, and supervise the construction process from concept development through project completion on timely and economic bases, focused in a landscape context - Including instruction in geology and hydrology; soils and horticultural elements; project and site planning, applicable law and regulations; and professional responsibilities and standards.

This area of interest includes design, construction, plant material studies, environmental studies, as well as management subjects. It becomes clear that even inside the boundaries of the landscape industry, a diverse field of specialisation exists. Both the Diploma in Landscape Architecture and the Advanced Diploma in Landscape Construction Management are specialised programmes at CPUT, equipping practice-orientated professionals. The positioning of the courses within the faculty makes the programmes unique in relation to other landscape qualifications offered at other tertiary institutions – with a greater emphasis on plant sciences.Our students have an edge over other graduates using advance plant knowledge to inform spatial design projects. The courses are aligned with current industry needs and include AutoCAD, computer draughting and presentation components. This ensures that our graduates are sought after and find work in landscape architectural practices and landscape contracting companies, as well as research-related posts.