HORT30070

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Academic Year 2025/2026

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Professional Work Experience (HORT30070)

Subject: : Horticulture

College: : Health & Agricultural Sciences

School: : Agriculture & Food Science

Level: : 3 (Degree)

Credits: : 10

Module Coordinator: : Dr Noeleen Smyth

Trimester: : Spring

Mode of Delivery: : On Campus

Internship Module: : Yes

Module Type: : Professional/Work Placement Module

How will I be graded? : Distinction/Pass/Fail (GPA Neutral)

Curricular information is subject to change.

Students are required to undertake a 16 (minimum) to 20 week placement in an area related to Horticulture in Spring trimester of Stage 3. Students may gain their PWE in state, semi-state or private organisations, e.g. landscape management/construction companies, laboratories, food production or supply businesses, garden centres or nurseries, golf course or other sports turf facilities, or other approved locations. Students are encouraged to develop their interpersonal skills (including report writing skills) through their contribution to planning and management tasks within the host organisation. Students can have more than one host location during PWE, with a maximum of three work placements.\ \ Students must complete and submit through Brightspace a monthly diary and reflective learning journal of their activities. Where a student has undertaken more than one placement in a single calendar month, the student must submit a final report for the first placement and an initial report for the second placement in the same month; thus, the student will submit two reports for that particular month.\ \ Each submission MUST include a reflective piece of writing on what was learnt in terms of horticultural and management skills, and especially what the student learnt about themselves during the placement, e.g. leadership skills, conflict resolution, interpersonal skills development etc. Additional or alternative assessment requirements may be requested where needed. \ \ Students may undertake up to three placements and travel abroad is strongly encouraged. There are opportunities to participate in exchange programmes to work in Europe and the United States. In all cases students must seek approval for their PWE choice from the PWE Module Coordinator, before commencing the PWE placement. \ \ Students CANNOT go on PWE until they have passed RDEV20140 Health, Welfare & Safety in Agriculture module.\ \ Students must abide by the relevant UCD codes of practice for PWE and current contractual requirements. Successful completion of this module is required for degree graduation. Students must familiarise themselves with and abide by the regulations for PWE as set out by the Agricultural Sciences Programme Board. For each placement, a host contract must be completed, signed by the host, and received and approved by UCD, before the placement will be deemed by UCD to have commenced. Any days on placements completed in the absence of an appropriately completed host contract will not be included.\ \ NB IMPORTANT INFORMATION:\ Students must familiarise themselves with and abide by the PWE regulations as set out by the Agricultural Sciences Programme Board. Host contract completion is a mandatory requirement of the PWE programme. Therefore, each placement must have a finalised host contract in place (which has been signed by the host and received by UCD) before the placement is deemed to have commenced by UCD. Any placements (or parts thereof) completed in the absence of an appropriately completed host contract will not be accepted and are deemed null and void. Only in the most exceptional circumstances will any deviation from this requirement be permitted and this must have the agreement, in writing, of the PWE Coordinator.

About this Module

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What will I learn?

Learning Outcomes:

Following the successful completion of the PWE placement(s) each student should be able to: \ - Describe the organisation and the responsibilities of the key staff in the enterprise in which they undertook their PWE placement. - - Review, analyse and present the important information on the tasks and duties they completed during their placement(s). \ - Show evidence that they have developed critical teamwork, interpersonal and management skills such as the ability to work independently, manage resources (including their own time), work effectively as a team member, accept and respond appropriately to constructive criticism, account for their own actions and decisions, and critically evaluate their experiences during the PWE placement(s). \ - Relate degree course work to professional work experience. \ - Identify a particular area of interest for their Stage 4 research project. \ - Demonstrate an awareness of potential career direction and opportunities.

Indicative Module Content:

The requirements of this module are detailed in the files contained within Brightspace.

How will I learn?

Student Effort Hours:

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Approaches to Teaching and Learning:

Lectures and seminars will be presented to explain the contractual requirements and assessment methodologies used to assess performance in this mandatory module.

Am I eligible to take this module?

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Learning Requirements:\

Students must be in good academic standing before commencing their PWE Placement.\ Students must have completed the required Health and Safety Course prior to commencement of the PWE placements.\ This module (HORT 30070) is available to registered HLSM students only.

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Module Requisites and Incompatibles

Pre-requisite:\ RDEV20140 - Health, Welfare & Safety\ \ \  \

How will I be assessed?

Assessment Strategy

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Carry forward of passed components

Yes

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What happens if I fail?

Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. \

Assessment feedback

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment\ • Online automated feedback\ • Self-assessment activities\

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback is provided to each student on each monthly report and Reflective Journal submission.

Associated Staff

When is this module offered?

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.

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