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Oxford College of Garden Design

Producing the country's top garden designers since 1992

Course Structure

Option 1 UK & EU students
Classroom taught over 1 year with full online tutorial backup allowing students to revisit classroom lectures again and again to maximise their learning potential.

Option 2 Non EU students
The same as Option 1 except taught over 2 years (Semester 1 in year 1 Semester 2 in year 2) to comply with UK Border Agency guidelines

Option 3 Online only version. Exactly the same course delivered via the Internet employing the latest interactive learning techniques and supported by tutored backup.

Throughout the course of study, the core curriculum is arranged in 3 broad strands of design, construction and horticulture. In the study of garden design, the design studio is inevitably the primary focus.

But to design successfully, you need knowledge and understanding of the cultural, historical, technical and practical subjects which are integrated – often implicitly – in the design process and explicitly in the construction module.

Each semester, you will complete two major design assignments based on a real sites and clients, plus additional projects to be completed in their own time.

You will also attend lectures outlined in the curriculum starting with design philosophy, progressing to construction and specification and finally concentrating on planting theory and professional practice.

Other elements of the course consist of a range of associated subjects of which, garden history, CAD and portfolio presentation are the most important.

These are taught through lectures and seminars and are expected both to provide a wider design understanding and to facilitate project work.

Chris James design
Chris James design
Chris James design

Christopher James (Student 2007/8)


Diploma Course Advantages
Free 4 Day Intro Class...Free CAD Course...Free VectorWorks Software...Free membership of the Society of Garden Designers...Free drawing equipment...Free Sketchup software...Free Office software...Free Graduate Mentoring.
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