New Zealand Certificate in Floristry (Level 3)

The online New Zealand Certificate in Floristry (Level 3) will give you the skills and knowledge to gain a qualification that will enable you to demonstrate intermediate level floristry skills.

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Availability

Our distance learning courses are offered throughout the year to help you fit study around your work and life commitments.
Courses are offered up to 12 times per year depending on demand and availability of academic staff.
Exact start dates are in the course information pages and in our Enrolment dates page:

Enrolment dates

Cost

• Course costscan be found on all course pages.  The fees may increase annually.
• Qualification cost – to give you an idea of how much a qualification may cost in total over the duration of your studies, an approximate cost is provided for many of our qualifications. This is based on the required number of courses to complete the qualification and the average cost of those courses. It does not include annual administration fees, text books and course materials or external exam fees, and is subject to annual course fee increases.

Credits

Courses are assigned credits depending on how much time and effort is needed to complete their learning outcomes. In general, each credit represents approximately 10 hours of study time.

Delivery method

• Online – The course materials for online courses are delivered in an online format and all assignments are submitted online.
• Mixed – These courses are delivered using a mix of online and paper based course materials. This may include receiving paper course materials, submitting  assignments online, or being required to participate in online forums and learning activities.
• Print Only - The course will be delivered using paper based courses materials, and assignments may need to be submitted in hard copy rather than online. This will depend on the course.

Whether courses are delivered online, on paper or a mixture of both, there may also be components such as workshops, noho marae, work experience and practicum to participate in. To find out what your course involves check the course information page.

EFTS

EFTS stands for equivalent full-time student. An EFTS is the study time required for each course and is used by the Tertiary Education Commission to decide if a course is part-time or full-time. 

One year of full-time study is generally between 0.8 and 1.2 EFTS.

Level

You can tell how hard a course or qualification is by the level it is set at:

• Levels 1-4 are about the same as secondary school and basic trades training.
• Levels 5-7 are the same as university study.

Prerequisites

• Prerequisites are courses that must be completed before another course can be studied.
• Co-requisites are courses that can be studied at the same time as another course.

If a course has a specific prerequisite or co-requisite course, it will be listed on the course page under the title 'Prerequisites'. If no courses are listed, check the entry and other requirements under the qualification you are studying for. Some courses require you to have studied at a particular level prior to enrolling.

Student loans

Not all qualifications or students are eligible for student loans. You will need to meet criteria such as studying a minimum number of credits over a specific study period. It is up to you to apply for a student loan via StudyLink - Open Polytechnic does not do this for you.

Information about student loans and eligibility

StudyLink website

Teaching weeks

Teaching weeks is the number of weeks that we teach a course. This differs from the enrolment period, which is based on the course start and end dates.

For example, a 20-week enrolment period will have 16 teaching weeks, followed by four weeks to accommodate marking, any extensions and reassessments, or exams.

Workload

The workload estimate given on a course page is calculated like this:

Number of credits x 10, divided by the number of teaching weeks for the course. The hours will be rounded up to nearest whole number.

Please note, this is a guide only. You may need more or less time for study, and you may also need to do more hours during assessment due dates or exams times.

• Level

3

• Credits

60

• Student loan This programme can only be studied part time. A student loan is not available.

This fully online programme will prepare you for a career as an intermediate florist working in floristry retail outlets. With further work experience and study, you could move into roles such as senior florists in floristry retail outlets.  

This qualification is aimed at people with some experience who wish to progress their skills and knowledge in the floristry industry. 

What you will learn

When you complete this online qualification, you will be able to: 

• Apply knowledge of the principles and elements of floral design, to intermediate floristry items, meeting customer specifications and business requirements for a range of purposes and occasions.
• Display and maintain plant materials and arrangements in a floristry workplace to maximise their impact.
• Provide customer service and refer complaints using a range of effective communication and interpersonal skills in a floristry workplace.
• Apply knowledge of legislative requirements, health and safety, and promote sustainable practices to a floristry workplace environment.

The New Zealand Certificate in Floristry (Level 3)  consists of four compulsory courses:

The first three courses cover the floristry design elements and principles introduced in NZ2671 New Zealand Certificate in Floristry (Level 2) to a greater depth.   

The floristry practical techniques in these courses are taken to an intermediate level with a focus on applying the principles and elements of design to produce wired pieces, hand-tied bouquets and posies, upright facing and all-round arrangements appropriate for a range of occasions – e.g., weddings, funerals, anniversaries, birthdays.  

The second course, FLO312 Hand-Tied Designs, will include principles and elements of design. 

The third course, FLO313 Base Medium Floral Pieces, includes a 20-hour work experience component focused on identifying and promoting sustainable working practices. 

The final course FLO314 Retail Floristry is an extension of the introductory floristry retail skills delivered in NZ2671 New Zealand Certificate in Floristry (Level 2). The work experience of 40 hours will enable learners to demonstrate customer service skills in a retail environment to a standard acceptable to the industry including the application of knowledge of legislative requirements, health and safety and the promotion of sustainable practices.

The course includes a capstone assessment covering all practical skills covered in the programme. Workplace verifiers and assessors approved by New Zealand Professional Florists Incorporated (NZPF) will be involved in the capstone assessment component of this course. 

Practicum

You need to be able to complete the 60-hour practicum in a floristry workplace when enrolled in FLO313 Base Medium Floral Pieces and FLO314 Retail Floristry. The workplace must be approved by Open Polytechnic | Te Pūkenga and have a New Zealand Professional Florists Incorporated (NZPF) endorsed verifier. 

For FLO313 Base Medium Floral Pieces you need to complete 20 hours of work experience and in FLO314 Retail Floristry you need to complete 40 hours of work experience.  

This work experience can be in a volunteer or paid position but must be in an approved workplace. Approval of the workplace will be undertaken by Open Polytechnic | Te Pūkenga on the recommendation of the NZPF.  

Capstone Assessment

Practical skills will be assessed with all three practical assessments taking place on one capstone assessment day, in the learner’s workplace or in another floristry studio to which they will be directed by Open Polytechnic | Te Pūkenga.  A floristry assessor will visit the workplace and the learner will be expected to prepare the prescribed range of floral arrangements to a commercial standard and timeframe relevant to an intermediate florist. 

Maximum Programme Completion Time

To be awarded the qualification, the programme must be completed in no more than 3 years of first enrolment, unless there are exceptional circumstances.