New Zealand Diploma in Landscape (Design)
Course details
About the course
Turn your creativity and love of plants into a fulfilling career in landscape design. In this diploma, you’ll develop the essential skills to design green spaces that are beautiful and functional.
A career in landscape design includes creating gardens and landscapes that bring joy to people’s lives. It blends creativity, horticulture, technology and business acumen to design and construct gardens for a range of clients, uses and settings, always with a strong focus on sustainability and enhancement of ecological value. This is a career choice that can feed your passion for design, plants and creating outdoor environments to be enjoyed by all. You can work in the sunshine, surrounded by greenery, doing something you’re really passionate about.
What you’ll learn:
The New Zealand Diploma in Landscape (Design) has recently been revamped as a nationwide programme, and Unitec is offering this programme, which continues our 30+ years of providing premier landscape design programmes in Aotearoa. You’ll learn how to develop designs that respond to site conditions and client briefs – and plus other knowledge and skills, including:
- How to present your design vision and ideas clearly using various methods – like hand-drawing, computer-aided design (CAD) software and other graphic and visual communication techniques.
- Build your knowledge of plants and materials – so you can confidently create combinations for a range of environmental conditions.
- How to prepare planting plans for implementation and ongoing maintenance.
- How to design and draw constructed elements.
- Develop project and relationship management skills – communicate with clients professionally and work effectively with contractors and design colleagues.
Highlights
- Nationally recognised qualification with input from the Garden Design Society of New Zealand. This means that the skills you’re developing are what employers in the industry are looking for.
- Learn in a park-like campus – a great environment for plant identification and studying landscape conditions.
- Access to our high-tech CAD facilities for technical plans and models.
- Industry-connected teaching team – learn from and work with highly-regarded lecturers who are involved with key industry organisations.
- Cross-credit into further study – once you’ve graduated, you can move straight into work or apply to study at a higher level for the Bachelor of Landscape Architecture.
- Flexible study – part time options available.
Career Options
- Garden centre design consultant
- Garden journalist
- Gardener
- Landscape draftsperson
- Landscape maintenance manager
- Landscape technician
- Landscaper
- Plant consultant
- Residential landscape designer
Annual Tuition Fees
Domestic/NZ students
$7,900
(Approximate fees only - includes GST but excludes the Compulsory Student Services Fee (CSSF) levy. Your final study costs depends on a number of factors including the courses you select to study. View options for funding your study and fees-free eligibility)
International students
$26,415 (NZD) (approximate fees for 120 credits) Save upto $2,000 (NZD) with Unitec International Study Grant 2026.Terms and conditions apply.
Semester Dates
Sem 1 2026: 23 Feb – 28 Jun
Sem 2 2026: 20 Jul – 22 Nov
For course and class timings, refer to the specific course webpage.
For StudyLink purposes, please ensure your application states your earliest course start date.
Downloads and resources
Programme regulations - New Zealand Diploma in Landscape (Design) Order a personalised brochure Scholarships and awardsStudent LifeFor Māori studentsFor Pacific studentsFor International students
Entry requirements
You must have completed at least one of the following:
- NCEA level 2 AND relevant work experience; OR
- New Zealand Certificate in Horticulture Services (Level 4) (Landscape Design strand): OR
- A relevant qualification at NZQF Level 4 or above; OR
- Relevant work experience.
And meet one of the English entry requirements;
- If your first language isn’t English or te reo Māori, you’ll need to provide evidence that you have the required English proficiency; OR
- Evidence of an IELTS (Academic) band score of at least 5.5 with no band score lower than 5;OR
- Evidence of English language proficiency as outlined in the NZQA Rules on the Unitec English Language Requirements for International Students Web-page.
Don’t meet these Academic requirements?
- If you don’t meet the academic criteria, our Bridging Education Programmes can help you qualify. Applyonline, and we’ll discuss your next steps.
- If you don’t meet the above criteria, special or discretionary admission may apply; your eligibility will be determined at the interview.
About the provider
Unitec is New Zealand’s largest institute of technology offering a wide range of work-oriented programmes and short courses. We offer leading employment-focused education at our two campuses in Mt. Albert, and Waitākere. At Unitec we think the traditional view of spending hours in a lecture theatre is out-dated. And that's why we approach learning differently. With our unique combination of world-class theory and hands-on experience, you'll get the skills to meet the changing needs of employers. And because our tutors are industry-based, they know what it takes to make it in the real world. We offer a friendly and diverse learning environment with flexible study programmes, lots of support, and hands-on experience to build the skills you need for your career and your future.