Getting Started with Botany (start anytime)

Online course

Curious about the incredible diversity of plants or what really happens inside a plant?

Discover the fundamentals of botany and explore how plants work in this fully online short course. With flexible self-paced learning and tutor guidance, the course spans nine engaging units and serves as ideal preparation for our certificated programs.

Designed to be self-paced with tutor support, the course is structured into nine engaging units and provides an excellent foundation for many of our certificated programs.

Topics include plant diversity, seeds, plant processes, roots and stems, leaves, reproduction (flowers and fruits), and botanical classification. You'll also gain practical tips for plant identification and an introduction to the investigative skills essential for budding botanists.

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What our students say

"I have really enjoyed the course. The content, presentations, PropaGate learning platform and tutor feedback has been fantastic and pitched at the right level. Being able to do it at your on pace really helped. It has been one positive of the pandemic - if I hadn't been furloughed for these few weeks I may never have got round to doing the course! It has inspired me to keep on learning and am considering going on to do the RHS Level 2 course."

" I have absolutely loved this course. It’s taught me so much about my garden and how to look after my plants. I’ve been so much more aware of the plant life around me and I’ve been really enjoying being an amateur botanist! The platform ‘PropaGate’ works really well and is so easy to navigate. The resources are great and the teaching is clear and just the right balance of complicated science! I will be looking out for more courses in Botany and, in the meantime, practicing my skills! Thank you so much, I’m just sad it’s over! "

" What a fantastic bit of teaching and set of tools, made so accessible, a great price and all able to do at home. I have really brushed up on my botanical knowledge all round, and I have thoroughly enjoyed every part of this course. Thank you so much to Emily and Greg for their time putting together such well thought through presentations and resource books, and thank you to Emily for keeping up with discussion forum posts, and encouraging further thinking! It feels like a lovely environment within the forums, and I have really enjoyed seeing what other people all around the world have been sharing, and the plant life around them! "

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