Gerden Designer FAQs

The questions people ask us

Q.1. What is the course fee?

Currently we have a special discount of 50 percent on the UK fee or alternatively 30 percent if an installment plan is required.

Q.2. Do you have a branch in India ?

We are the Indian associates and represent Home Study UK in India. While your course material shall be from India, the course tutors shall be appointed from the UK resource pool.

Our address is:

Home Study India
174/8 NSC Bose Road, Kolkata 700040, India .
Tel: +91 98361 99361

Q.3. Is the course recognised in India ?

Our courses are recognised internationally. Our course is fully accredited by ASET, and on completing it you get a national award equivalent to Level 4 of the National Learning Framework (A level standard). ASET is a national Awarding Body recognized by the Department for Education and Skills and by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority in Britain. It has been accrediting vocational learning for more than 50 years and now works with more than 200 providers in the UK and internationally, so you need not worry about the job prospect as I can assure you that after Completion of the course you will be self dependant.

Q.4. What is the duration of your course?
The course would take up to 9 months. But you can do it as quickly or slowly as you want. That's the great advantage of distance learning. You can set your own pace.

The study method is based on Self Study and guidance provided by specialist tutors based in the UK who will also set assignments which will be assessed and grades awarded. Eventually, successful completion of the study and assignments would lead to an award of the Diploma.

Q.5. Can I start the course at any time?
Yes. You can start whenever you want.

Q.6. Is the course all from home, or do I have to go to a test centre?
It's all from home.

Q.7. How can I contact my tutor or the Institute?
There have two types of people you can contact - your tutor and a course advisor.

The tutor marks your work, and helps you with any problems. You can fax, e-mail or post assignments to your tutor, whenever you want.

We don't give out the tutor's phone number, because a few people would spend all day talking to their tutors, who would never get any work done.

But sometimes students get stuck, or have an urgent query. If so, you can phone a course advisor at the Institute at any time during work hours. If you leave a message out of work hours we'll ring you back the next day. You can contact course advisors as often as you want, and about anything to do with garden design.

Q.8. Will the course give me credits towards a degree or some other study?
No. But it will help you set up and run your own business. And we encourage all students to continue their studies after completing the course.

Q.9. Are the tutors practising garden designers?
Yes, all tutors are practising garden designers. Some other organizations use college lecturers, which means you don't get the information from the real 'coal face'.

Q.10. I've never drawn in my life. Does this matter?
No it doesn't matter. We assume that you don''t know how to draw, and start from scratch. We show you the easy way to draw, and include trade secrets, such as how to draw hedging quickly and easily. you'll be amazed!

Q.11. Will the Diploma enable me to practise professionally?
Yes. The course is designed specifically to help you set up and run your own practice. Some courses, even at university, seem to omit this all-important aspect. We give you enough technical knowledge to practise, and we also provide detailed guidance on marketing, operation and finance to run your own business.

Q.12. Will the qualification get me a job in a landscape or garden design firm?
No! And here's why. There's a lot of competition for jobs in these firms. Everyone wants to work for them. And the easiest way to earn a living is to work for yourself. So on this course we focus on how you can work from home as a garden designer. As your own boss, you'll be in control of your life, and have a wonderful time. Later on, through networking, you might find that you're on the inside track for a job with a big landscape design firm. But by then you won't want to work for anyone else!

Q.13. Will you show me how to find work?
Yes, the course includes practical guidance of getting work. You can also discuss this with your tutor or a course advisor.

Q.14. Can I submit assignments by E-mail?
Yes. That's no problem.

Q.15. Can I join the course without prior experience?
Yes. That's no problem. We make no assumptions about people's prior knowledge.

Q.16. Can I tackle the topics in any order I choose?
Yes, you can. So, if you want to tackle a particular topic, you can go straight to that module. This is useful if you have a job or a client that requires you to know about a particular subject. You might note that some other organizations supply only one or two modules at a time.

Q.17. I haven't studied for years. The thought of returning to study makes me nervous.
Don't worry. We sympathize. But this course is nothing like your memories of being stuck inside a stuffy classroom on a summer's day with an old-style teacher droning on.

For a start, this is a subject that interests you (or you wouldn't have got this far).

And getting this deep into the website shows that you can absorb information and concentrate for long periods of time.

You'll see that we write clearly and simply. And that's how we've written the course materials. It's true that some organizations write long and boring pages that make your eyes glaze over. We promise you that our course is nothing like that.

You'll find this course is informative and enjoyable. In fact, many students are almost upset at finishing the course!

Please do contact us for further information.

Any other questions?
If you have a question, why not email us now? We could add it to our list of FAQs.