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Graduate Diploma of Arboriculture

This qualification describes the skills and knowledge for specialist consulting arborist, senior consulting arborist, senior tree manager, senior technical arborist and research arborist. Graduates with this qualification apply a highly technical body of knowledge and skills to undertake professional skilled work, including the use of technical investigative equipment and techniques to design, implement and evaluate scientific experiments for sectors for the arboriculture industry. Graduates may specialise in arboriculture disciplines of urban forestry, biological organisms and tree health, tree biomechanics, and interactions of trees in their environment. Legislation, regulations and by-laws relating to the establishment, treatment and removal of trees apply in all States and Territories.

Register your interest and we will email you if this qualification opens through a delivering RTO.

Important:RPL it Australia is a student support service. All assessment and qualification issuance is conducted by the delivering Registered Training Organisation. RPL it does not deliver training, conduct assessments, or issue qualifications.

Qualification overview
AHC80120
LevelAQF 8Graduate Diploma
Units50 core, 5 elective
PackageAHCAgriculture, Horticulture and Conservation and Land Management Training Package
AvailabilityNot yet available through RPL it. No delivering RTO, fee or timeline is confirmed yet. Registering interest is not an enrolment and does not guarantee future availability.
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Recognition of Prior Learning

What is an RPL qualification?

Recognition of Prior Learning assesses skills you already have against a nationally recognised qualification. Demonstrate competency, and you receive the same nationally recognised qualification, issued by a registered training organisation (RTO), as someone who completed the full course.

Who is eligible for RPL?

  • You have years of experience in your field
  • You learned the work on the job, through mentoring or on your own
  • You need the qualification for licensing, promotion or migration
  • You hold overseas qualifications you want recognised in Australia
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If This Qualification Opens Through an RTO

  1. Register interest

    Tell us you are interested in AHC80120. There is no commitment or obligation.

  2. Availability confirmed

    We contact you when a suitable delivering RTO and current servicing details are confirmed.

  3. Evidence planning

    If you choose to proceed, we help you understand the workplace evidence an RTO may need to review.

  4. RTO assessment

    Formal assessment and any qualification outcome are handled only by the delivering Registered Training Organisation.

Career Outcomes

Explore Roles Associated with this Qualification

If your current or past work looks like one of these roles, this qualification may suit you.

  • 01

    Senior Consulting Arborist

    Providing high-level technical advice and expert witness testimony on complex tree health and biomechanical issues.

  • 02

    Urban Forest Manager

    Designing and implementing long-term strategic management frameworks for large-scale municipal or private tree populations.

  • 03

    Arboriculture Researcher

    Leading scientific investigations into tree species performance, pest interactions, and climate resilience within urban environments.

  • 04

    Senior Tree Technical Officer

    Overseeing complex diagnostic testing and edaphic analysis to manage tree-structure interactions in high-risk environments.

Evidence Checklist

What Suitable Evidence Can Support Your Evidence Portfolio?

Your consultant can help you identify relevant workplace records. The delivering RTO decides whether the evidence is sufficient and current.

Work History & Roles
  • Comprehensive CV outlining your tenure as a senior consulting arborist or municipal tree manager
  • Position descriptions highlighting your role in strategic policy or research
  • Evidence of your advanced diploma or higher qualification in a related field

Research & Technical Investigations
  • Reports on scientific experiments conducted for tree health or biomechanics
  • Documentation of entomology research projects or mycology assays
  • Published research papers or internal technical investigative reports

Structural & Biomechanical Analysis
  • Complex tree structure and biomechanical analysis reports
  • Edaphic interaction assessments involving trees and structures
  • Data from technical investigative equipment used in diagnostic testing

Strategic Management
  • Urban forest management frameworks or strategic tree policies you have authored
  • Commercialisation plans for arboricultural research or technology
  • Evidence of leading applied research within a municipal or corporate context

Professional Certifications
  • Current membership with professional bodies (e.g., Arboriculture Australia)
  • Records of professional development in laboratory-based ecological techniques
  • Evidence of prior advanced tertiary studies in horticulture or environmental science

Qualfication comparison

RPL and Traditional Study

Two routes to the same qualification, assessed against the same RTO competency standards.

RPL PathwaySupported by RPL it, assessed by the RTO
Traditional StudyDelivered and assessed by the RTO
Starting point
Your existing, current workplace skills and evidence
A planned course of learning and assessment
How competency is shown
Workplace evidence mapped to the qualification requirements
Learning activities, assignments, practical work, and assessment
Assessment decision
Made by a qualified assessor from the delivering RTO
Made by a qualified assessor from the delivering RTO
If gaps are identified
Additional evidence or targeted gap training may be required
Learning and assessment continue through the course structure
Qualification outcome
Issued only when the RTO determines all requirements are met
Issued only when the RTO determines all requirements are met

RPL it Australia reviews

What our clients say

Selected Google reviews. Individual experiences vary. Every applicant is assessed against the same requirements, and some require gap training or additional evidence.

Frequently asked questions

Recognition of Prior Learning, your experience, and your next step.

Got more questions?
Can I apply for this qualification now?

Not yet. The Diploma of Conservation and Ecosystem Management is not currently available through RPL it Australia, and no delivering RTO, fee or timeline is confirmed. Registering interest is not an enrolment and does not guarantee future availability.

What happens after I register my interest?

We keep your details and email you if this qualification opens through a delivering RTO. At that point we explain which RTO would assess you, the fee and the evidence it needs, and you decide whether to go ahead. Registering interest is free and there is no obligation.

Can I start preparing evidence now?

You can start keeping records of your work, such as position descriptions, references and examples of projects you have worked on. The evidence checklist on this page gives examples. The delivering RTO decides what evidence it needs and whether it is sufficient, so what you gather now may not cover everything.

Is there a qualification I can apply for now?

Possibly. The related qualifications on this page are open for applications. You can also start a free skills review and we will tell you whether any qualification that is open now suits your experience.