HND in arb

[Jeremy]

hi all

im looking to start a HND course in Arboriculture this year and want to study it from home (internet based distance learning) due to family commitments, does anyone know the best colleges that offer this course through a distance learning scheme?

[tractorboy1]

hi all

im looking to start a HND course in Arboriculture this year and want to study it from home (internet based distance learning) due to family commitments, does anyone know the best colleges that offer this course through a distance learning scheme?

 

Don't know about a HND but tech cert must be about equivalent to HND. There are a couple that do distance learning course for that 1 being treelife which has a good rep.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

When i was applying (september 09) the diploma was unavaliable online as it was deemed (too much via the distance route) wierd how the degree was avaliable online!

 

what a load of BS!

[JaySmith]

hi all

im looking to start a HND course in Arboriculture this year and want to study it from home (internet based distance learning) due to family commitments, does anyone know the best colleges that offer this course through a distance learning scheme?

 

I've looked around and can't find anywhere that does the ND via distance learning but quite a few do the RFS Cert Arb and Tech Cert, such as Myerscough:001_smile:

[Albedo]

I did the first year of the HND arb at Myerscough in approx 1998 or 9. The second year was a placement somewhere, often overseas then the third year was back at college.

 

It was seriously full on, work wise. A full day of lectures and 2 or 3 assignments to produce all the time. A lot of us worked before college on assignments from 6 in the morning, then after college at night till your head hurt. The only time to learn your weekly ident test, was in the launderete on saturdays.

 

A lot of the modules, like plant biology and soil science were degree level and done with degree students from preston uni. We lived in fear of the third year which was reputed to be even harder.

 

A significant part of the course is climbing and NPTCS, which would make it difficult to offer online along with the extreme work load and the practical weekly idents etc. I had been in treework for a while so didn't have to do the nptcs climbing bits.

 

I decided that, if I was going to work this hard I might as well do a degree, so I used my first year on the HND as an access course to get into lancaster Uni and did a degree in environmental science.

 

Just posting this experience, to let you know that the HND is (or was) full on, and to give an idea why it may not have a distance learning version.

 

Anyone who survived that time who was in my group, let me know how you went on if your'e on arbtalk.

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

hi all

im looking to start a HND course in Arboriculture this year and want to study it from home (internet based distance learning) due to family commitments, does anyone know the best colleges that offer this course through a distance learning scheme?

 

Hi Jeremy,

 

I stand to be corrected (as always....and usually some 'smart a*se' on here usually does...Hama? Mestereh? Rupe? Ed. Arb?...n gudonya's for that..ha!) but my understanding is that the HND has largely been superceded by the Foundation Degree in Arb (FdSc Arb), which is at the same level..i.e. 5 (wished I had one!), and it would appear that Myerscough is leading the way in delivering this on-line. A couple of weeks ago I was with Andy Hirons at Myerscough and he should me some of the on-line stuff, have to say I was (very) impressed by what I saw n he's a really good bloke!

 

The other options, as advised, are the RFS Cert Arb (level 2 and largely serves to compliment the practical skills accreditted through the NPTCs etc.) and Tech Cert Arb (currently level 3 BUT rumours of advancing it to level 4...don't quote me!) a very good and very well recognised qual. (AND I'm NOT saying that coz it's the AA Tech Cert because we actually have very little to do with it directly these days, ABC Awards administer it (I can explain why if anyone wants me to...yawn, yawn, yawn) and hence it's not referred to as such. This qual. is a very useful foundation to move into a tree advisory/consultancy role in 'later years' if you envisage your career moving that way...similarly the FdSc Arb would equally do so, the RFS Cert Arb, whilst a good qual, would be of limited value here.

 

Hoping this to be of (some) help.

 

Cheers...n good luck to ya!

Paul

Edited April 9, 2010 by AA Teccie (Paul)

[Jeremy]

Thanks for all your feedback its much appreciated.

 

I already hold a Level 2 NCH (arb) which i gained back in 2005/06 and am now looking to build on and improve my knowledge of the subject as when my climbing days come to an end id like to go into consultancy and possibly teaching arb. i think i may look into doing the tech cert first then progress onto the foundation degree in future years.

 

Thanks again for all your feedback