Higher National Technical Diploma in Landscape Architecture

Are you creative and hands-on? Do you enjoy nature and working outdoors? Are listening to others and giving advice among your qualities?
Then a landscape gardening Higher National Technical Diploma is for you! The Higher National Technical Diploma in Landscaping brings you right into the world of gardens and the professionals who work in it.

Apply

Nature : Qualification-leading course
Lenght of training: 2 years
Terms and conditions: Work-study programme
Status: Holder of a Level 4 qualification: A-levels (general, technological or vocational) or equivalent

Overview

Objectives

Choosing the Landscape Architecture Higher National Technical Diploma at ESA means:

Learning from instructors who work either in the field or in design offices. They draw on the rich horticultural and plant heritage of the Pays de la Loire region and regularly involve industry professionals, while offering numerous hands-on, real-world learning situations.
Receiving guidance in building your career path, whether you are entering the job market for the first time or considering a career change.
Getting strong support in finding an apprenticeship through ESA’s professional network, which includes private design offices, landscaping companies, and local authorities (such as the metropolitan areas of Angers, Nantes, Saint-Nazaire, and the urban community of Brest), as well as opportunities throughout France.

On the Higher National Technical Diploma in Landscape Architecture, you will learn:

Work organisation and team supervision
Vegetation management and installation
Management of structures and utility networks in landscape projects
Technical and financial management of construction sites
Development of landscape design projects

Landscape analysis
Garden design
How to respond to price requests in public procurement
Project planning
The diversity of horticultural products through visits to nurseries
Discussions on current topics: differentiated management, green roofs, etc.
E-learning training for Certiphyto and CACES
Visits throughout the course (e.g. Chaumont Gardens, PAYSALIA), opening your mind to other techniques, other worlds and other eras
Participation in plant identification competitions and WorldSkills

Carry out preliminary landscape studies
Take part in the design and development of projects
Implement and manage landscaping projects
Handle administrative and financial management tasks
Contribute to team supervision and coordination

Our training indicators

Further studies

After completing a Landscape Architecture HND, you can continue your studies. ESA offers three main career pathways and four diploma levels (Bac +2, Bac +3, Bac +4, or Bac +5):

Agro-technical studies:

Professional Bachelor’s degree in Landscape Planning

Agro-business studies:

What courses can you take at ESA with your degree?

Key figures

97%

success rate in 2025

95%

are satisfied with the training in 2025

58%

will be in employment (six months after completing their training) in 2025

Programme

60% of the time spent in apprenticeship training
40% of the time at ESA

Engaging with today’s world
Developing your personal and professional career path
Communicating in a variety of situations and contexts

Organising team work for landscaping projects
Managing vegetation in landscaping projects within a context of ecological transition
Managing landscaping structures and networks
Ensuring the technical and financial management of projects
Developing a landscaping project

Urban agriculture,
Landscapes and health,
Wild plants

Enabling the acquisition of skills and knowledge through the combined perspectives of several disciplines on the same subject (case studies, surveys, field visits, practical work, etc.).

Discover the full programme

Work-study programme

Typical schedule: 2 to 3 weeks in a company and 2 to 3 weeks at the CFA
(APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING CENTRE IN FRANCE).
Number of training hours: 700 hours per year, or 1,400 hours over 2 years.
Lectures, tutorials, case studies, company visits, etc.
In the field, you will visit nurseries to learn about the diversity of plants and their production methods.
To develop your understanding of landscaping, you will visit urban landscaping projects, parks and gardens (e.g. the Chaumont Gardens).

Key advantages

A stay abroad or in France as part of a group, or a stay abroad as an individual.
Support throughout the course from a teaching and administrative team.
Provision of a web-based platform offering access to resources (course materials, exercises, etc.) as well as tools for discussion and ESA’s digital library (19,000 titles listed in a computerised catalogue, an e-book platform, ScholarVox, and access to databases).
Apprentices have access to our Language Resource Centre. This centre focuses on self-directed learning and interaction to make language learning more engaging in a friendly environment: it features various rooms such as reading rooms, private rooms (for games and DVDs), and a creativity room with a theatre stage…
Each apprentice is provided with a personalised apprenticeship handbook, enabling them to track their progress and the acquisition of the skills required to qualify for the qualification.
We provide support for professional fields through personalised guidance. Our environment offers access to symposia and conferences, inaugural lectures, international opportunities, and the chance to take part in competitions and projects.

Graduation requirements

The Higher Technical Certificate in Landscape Design is accredited by the French Ministry of Agriculture, Agri-Food and Food Sovereignty.

The HND is delivered on a semester basis: the 25 competencies in the curriculum, organised into 8 blocks, are assessed at the training centre through certification tests over the course of the 4 semesters of the programme.

Candidates therefore no longer sit national final examinations.

The requirements for obtaining the HND are:

The marks for the 25 skills are linked to the 8 skill blocks
The overall average for the 8 blocks must be at least 10/20
The average of the five professional modules must be at least 10/20
The average mark obtained in each of the five professional modules must be at least 6/20

Admissions

Admission process

Required level for admission to the Higher Technical Qualification

Create an account
Complete the application form and upload the required documents
Once completed submit your application form

You are an exchange student

If you are a student from a partner university you must be officially nominated by your university. Once you are nominated by your university you will receive a link to our online application form.

3 good reasons to choose the Higher Technical Qualification

01.

An environment-focused training programme

to take environmental issues into account and adopt environmentally friendly practices.

02.

The pitch comes first

analyse a site, plan works and manage landscaping projects in real-life situations.

03.

Project management

understand how a construction site is organised, and manage a team, equipment and costs.

Advantages of the Higher Technical Qualification

International outlook

To gain a better understanding of the world, enhance your CV and gain a unique personal experience:

A one-week group trip to France or elsewhere in Europe.

You’ll set off on a trip to discover remarkable architecture and exceptional gardens, studying their design and history on site.

A two-week individual trip to Europe.

Professional option: depending on your preferences and circumstances, you can travel to the European country of your choice for a full immersion in a landscaping company or similar organisation (nursery, etc.).

Key advantages

Close and strong links with a network of businesses.
Employment or further study: bridges from bachelor’s to master’s level.
A student-centred education with personalised support and teaching methods rooted in real-world experience and focused on cultural openness.
A modern and attractive campus: the resources to learn and develop.
An international outlook: depending on your preferences, you can go abroad for an individual study trip or an internship.
Living and studying in Angers, a major university city and European plant science hub, at the heart of France’s leading agri-food region…
Gaining agricultural expertise.

Campus life

The ESA is a friendly place to live, open to the city and full of life!

Joining our school means:

to have a rewarding and life-changing experience that will shape your future
thrive through involvement in student societies (over 20 active societies, around a hundred committed students…)
to meet and share experiences in a multicultural environment
building a network…

Take a virtual tour of our school

Angers, an attractive city

Angers, the ‘capital of plants’ since the 19th century, a region with a ‘nature’ label… a new way to experience the city! The 18th largest city in France, at the heart of an urban area with over 300,000 inhabitants, including 47,000 students. A green and cultural city, Angers is a dynamic, ‘human-scale’ city renowned for its relaxed atmosphere and quality of life. It offers a unique living environment with landscapes listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Find out more about life in Angers

And after ?

An Alumni network

Take advantage of the services of the AAESA (ESA Alumni Association) from the moment you enroll and throughout your professional journey: directory, testimonials, company visits, sponsorship, mentoring, events, job opportunities…

The association is a true career booster, maintaining connections with the school and fostering links between students and professionals.

Join us!

BTS Aménagements Paysagers (AP) formation ESA - nature travailler en plein air - manuel

TUITION FESS AND FUNDING

Tuition fees

Training is free for apprentices or participants on a professionalization contract.

The annual cost of the program is €. 8 200. For companies established in France, the cost may be covered by an OPCO (French skills and apprenticeship funding body).

For an apprenticeship contract, the coverage level is specified by France Compétences or the OPCO (French skills and apprenticeship funding body)

If the training cost exceeds the OPCO coverage level, the remaining balance will be charged to the company
(remaining balance = training cost – OPCO coverage level).

It is necessary to consult your OPCO to determine the coverage level for the training.

A training agreement is established between Groupe ESA and the employer alongside the contract, specifying the qualification pursued, resources provided, training cost, and any remaining balance.

Student Union (BDE) membership fee: €20
Group trip (first year only): €400

*Price applicable for the 2026–2027 academic year, for information purposes only

Funding

Full-time programme

Income-based grant: use the grant calculator at simulateur.lescrous.fr
Grants and student accommodation: complete your Student Social File (DSE)
ESA is here to help – find all our advice on completing your DSE

Bank Loans

A student loan of up to €15,000 is guaranteed by the French government, with no income requirements.
A youth loan is available under the same financial conditions as the student loan, but repayment of the principal starts immediately (not after graduation).