About the course
The Level 2 (Royal Forestry Society) Certificate in Arboriculture On-Line is a distance learning course covering at an introductory level all aspects of tree work that are needed to be employed by an arborist in the tree work industry. The course is designed for people working in the industry who wish to increase their knowledge of tree work and related activities or for people wishing to change career paths. The qualification is well recognised within the arboricultural industry and gives entry to further and higher qualifications.
Key Information
Location: Preston Campus
Course length: One Year (35 weeks)
Start date: September 2025
Interested in taking this course? Click here to apply for this course online
Course Modules
The interaction of soil environments and woody plants
Principles of tree surgery operations
Principles of woodlands, forestry and ecology
The principles of managing special trees
The supply, planting and aftercare of woody plant
Tree inspections and statute and common law applied to trees
Woody plant physiology
Entry requirements & additional information
Students need to be 18 years of age or over with some achievement at GCSE or in relevant further education qualifications. Applicants could be employed or actively engaged within the Arboriculture industry or related disciplines in the widest sense. Although not an entry requirement of the course, it is strongly recommended that applicants try to gain experience within the arboricultural industry during their year of study, or are already practising arborists.
There are no practical elements - e.g. NPTC certificate of competence - as part of this distance-learning course.
Level 3 in Arboriculture (2 years full time), AA Technician's Certificate or similar course.
Access to a personal computer, internet facilities and a current e-mail account are essential IT requirements: Access to a PC Microsoft Office 2007 Broadband internet connection Email account. Recommended browsers: Internet Explorer 8 or above Firefox 3.5 or above Google Chrome Safari Free downloadable software: Adobe Acrobat Reader Flash Player Extra Costs: Possible subscriptions to journals, periodicals and websites.