About the Program
The Hybrid Certificate in Therapeutic Horticulture (HCTH) is a nine-month program combining comprehensive online and in-person instruction to professionals and students in allied health, education, and design fields who wish to incorporate therapeutic horticulture into their practice.
The program allows maximum flexibility for those who need convenient, self-paced, evening, and weekend learning opportunities. Students will build foundational knowledge and explore how Therapeutic Horticulture supports human health & wellness, including physical, cognitive, emotional, spiritual, vocational, and social needs. Instructors in the program include AHTA registered horticultural therapists, accomplished therapeutic horticulture professionals, allied health professionals, and other accomplished experts in their respective fields.
Note: This certificate program is not accredited by the American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA) and does not contribute to becoming a registered horticultural therapist (HTR).
Registration for the 2023-2024 Hybrid Certificate in Therapeutic Horticulture (HCTH) program is now open.
NCBG offers four partial, need-based scholarships of $1,200 each for the HCTH program. The scholarship application opportunity for 2023-2024 has closed as of April 1, 2023.
Eligibility
Professionals who will find the program highly applicable to their work include occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, recreational therapists, art/music/movement therapists, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health counselors, nurses, physicians, rehabilitation counselors, vocational rehabilitation counselors, substance use disorder counselors, K-12 educators, college educators, educators of exceptional children, public garden professionals, urban planning designers, and landscape designers/architects.
Format
Students will receive approximately 1-2 hours of recorded lectures each month (August 7, 2023-May 11, 2024) that cover a wide variety of topics. There is no limit to the number of times students can listen to the lectures, and they can be accessed 24/7 on our online learning platform. The recorded content of this hybrid program has been developed in partnership with the NC State Extension Gardener program.
On the second Saturday of each month (except December 2023), we will meet as a group at the North Carolina Botanical Garden and discuss the lecture content, participate in hands-on activities that reinforce the online content, network with classmates, instructors, and attend field trips to therapeutic horticulture programs that are local to the Garden. Our past students have reported that the depth of course content, field trips, and peer networking opportunities were amongst their favorite aspects of our program! See the detailed 2023-2024 Schedule >
Before registering for this program, please ensure that you’ll be able to attend at least 7 of the 8 scheduled in-person workshops. To accommodate winter holiday schedules, no in-person workshop will be held in December 2023, but online content/assignments will still be assigned during this month.
Learn more in the Program Handbook
Tuition
Tuition for the nine-month Hybrid Certificate in Therapeutic Horticulture is $1,850. Registrations on or after August 20 will incur a $300 late registration fee.
Registrants have the option to pay in full or in installments. A deposit is due at the time of registration. The final payment for all installment plans is August 19, 2022.
We are pleased to have the opportunity to provide partial-tuition scholarships to up to four allied-health students or professionals who aspire to bring the healing effects of nature into their practice. The scholarship application for the 2023-2024 program was due by 11:59 p.m. on March 31, 2023.
Completion
Students earn a Certificate of Mastery by viewing all online lectures (approximately 1-2 hours per month), attending 7 of 8 in-person weekend classes, completing pre-workshop assignments, and satisfactorily completing a final take-home practicum. Students have the option of completing a 40-hour internship at a therapeutic horticulture program of their choosing or an alternative site (such as the student’s workplace or community affiliation) that is approved by the NCBG Therapeutic Horticulture Program Manager.
Online Content Hours: Approximately 8-12 hours (24/7 access allows unlimited review of lectures)
In-Person Skills Workshops: 48 hours
Course scheduling is designed for completion within a 9-month period.
Upcoming Programs
The Hybrid Certificate in Therapeutic Horticulture (HCTH) is scheduled to run once a year from August to May. If you’d like to be notified when registration opens for the 2024-2025 instance of the HCTH program, please join our interest list for more information.
We are also developing a series of fully online therapeutic horticulture classes in partnership with the NC State Extension Gardener Program. Introduction to Therapeutic Horticulture is the first in the series and is suitable for anyone interested in exploring the field of therapeutic horticulture.
Wondering about the difference between the Hybrid and Online Certificate in Therapeutic Horticulture? Learn more in this program comparison chart.
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