Canadian Horticultural Therapy Association
Accreditation of Therapeutic Horticulture and
Horticultural Therapy Education Programs
On January 19, 2010, the Board of the CHTA approved new accreditation guidelines for TH and HT education programs. These take effect on February 1, 2010, and can be read in the following PDF files:
CHTA Workshop/Presentation Accreditation Guidelines, September 28, 2010
CHTA HT Certificate Accreditation Guidelines, September 27, 2011
The accreditation process is a voluntary one for education service providers. Those practitioners or institutions who desire CHTA accreditation of HT Certificate programs or HT and TH workshops and presentations will need to submit an application package for review by the CHTA.
An application for accreditation by the CHTA of a horticultural therapy education program must be filed by a single education service provider, or organizer, that provider being the one which assumes the responsibility for promoting and administering the program, hiring qualified instructors, collecting course fees, evaluating the HT education program, and issuing statements of completion to the students who are registered to study with that institution.
The applicant must be an institutional/business member of the CHTA and its qualified HTR or HTM designated instructor(s) must also be a member(s) in good standing of the CHTA.
The voluntary accreditation review process is a lengthy one. Individuals or agencies considering this option should allow for three months for review of an application for a workshop and four to six months for review of an application for an HT Certificate. Application forms for accreditation are available from the Education Coordinator of the CHTA at
The Board of the CHTA has also provided for "grandfathering" of education programs that were recognized by the CHTA prior to December 31, 2009.
Individuals who have already received HT Certificates or credit for workshops or presentations that were recognized and accorded a point value by the CHTA prior to December 31, 2009 will still be able to apply those point values toward voluntary registration provided appropriate documentation is submitted.
Students who are currently enrolled in an HT Certificate program that was recognized prior to December 31, 2009 will have until April 30, 2012 to complete their course work for that specific HT Certificate.
Please be aware that it is the responsibility of HT education service provider to provide accurate and transparent information with respect to whether or not a program was recognized by the CHTA prior to December 31, 2009.
Promotional material claiming recognition by the CHTA of an education program may not be accurate or up to date. If you wish to know the status of an HT education program with respect to its recognition by the CHTA, this can be checked by contacting the Education Coordinator at
The CHTA is now reviewing applications for accreditation under the new guidelines. Once an education service provider does complete a successful application for voluntary accreditation by the CHTA, the program and the date for which accreditation takes effect will be posted below the listing on the Education page.
Studies in HT and related areas and Voluntary Professional Registration
As many education paths are available for horticultural therapy training, whether derived from university or college studies or various certificate programs, the CHTA has recently clarified how point allocations may be assigned when a CHTA member applies for voluntary professional registration. These include provision by an applicant of either a statement of accreditation issued by the CHTA or comprehensive statements of completion, curriculum outlines, and instructor qualifications.
Information about voluntary professional registration is available to members of the CHTA by contacting admin@chta.ca