Course summary

We are pleased to confirm that Writtle University College and ARU (Anglia Ruskin University) are joining together. The merger will happen during the 23/24 academic year. Writtle’s full range of Higher and Further Education courses will continue to be delivered on site at the Writtle campus, enhanced by resources available at nearby ARU. If you are starting your course in September 2024, your degree will be awarded by ARU. Find out more about ARU, including our recent Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework, at aru.ac.uk. Horticulture is seen as the 'Art, Science, Technology and Business of intensive plant cultivation for human use' (Chartered Institute of Horticulture). It is a range of diverse activities from landscaping through to production of food and non-food crops, all of which contribute to human health and well-being. Horticultural graduates need to able to use develop and use knowledge of sustainable practices, new technologies, science and research to produce plants and crops; similarly this knowledge must also be applicable to post harvest practices. With the world's population continuing to increase and climate change impacting upon production, it is vital to continue to investigate new growing systems and to establish new crops which can be grown sustainably and transported to market with minimal losses. Students studying at Writtle University College will have access to the Research glasshouse, farms and the postharvest unit which undertakes research and trials in conjunction with commercial companies. The course combines theory, practical experience, industrial visits and presentations from industry experts. There are opportunities to participate in trial work and to undertake original research in the UK or abroad. The course attracts both home and international students from many different countries providing a stimulating environment in which to study horticulture. The course is designed to provide the opportunity to study both crop production and postharvest technology in semester one; both areas can be further developed in semester two or other options such as Urban Agriculture are available.