Can you give me a brief about the course and course outline?

The Professional floral design program is an advanced certificate program. It spans over 36 classes of 3 hours each per week over a period of 9 months. The course has been structured in three semesters.

Beginners -Semester 1 (Class 1 to 13)

Intermediate- Semester 2 (Class 14 to 27)

Advanced -Semester 3 (Class 28 to 36)

Each class tackles both the theoretical and practical applications of a given design topic. At the end of each particular set of lessons, students are subjected to an oral, written and practical exam which they must pass to get their vocational advance certificate at the end of the courses. At IFD, the entire program is conducted the way any normal collegiate class is undertaken.

The course outline is what differentiates the IFD advance certificate program from the others. It encompasses everything one must know in order to practice the trade and craft of floral arranging. As a formal class, we will not just be discussing the theories of design or showing techniques or approaches to particular design styles, we require that the students can execute said designs, differentiate one from the other and input their own creative styles all within the framework of what is technically and theoretically correct.

The course starts with the introduction to the trade and its tools leading to flower care and extending the life of flower stocks. The class then tackles lessons like the Principles and Elements of Design, Techniques, Styles and various arrangements for Minor and Major Events. All known forms and techniques in floral arranging will be tackled and it is expected that at the end of the course, students have compiled pictures of their own arrangements that will make up their very own portfolio of designs.

IFD is not just a design school but a trade school. This means that that the course is ALSO designed to teach you how to earn a living from floral arranging.

Class size ranges from 15 to 20 students per batch. This gives the instructor more time to work with every student, carefully monitoring and guiding every student during floral arranging exercises.

I am a florist and have been in this business for the last few years, why then do I need to start this course at the basic level. Why can’t I just join the advanced level?

Everyone starts with class 1 of the Basic floral design program. There is a structure to the whole program which gives you in depth knowledge of all aspects and are interlinked. In our institute we have enrolled in our classes, floral arranging instructors themselves, people who have been in the industry for decades or those operating their own flower shops and even event coordinators as well as those who have won floral arranging awards in various competitions. All are student brought together by this simple thought – there will always be something new to learn.

Does the course fee include the course material?

All the floral requirements for the first 7 classes of the program will be provided by us.

Thereafter students will be required to purchase their own material for their arrangements depending upon schedule for that day’s class. A comprehensive list of the materials for the next class will always be handed out to the students before the end of the previous class.

In case I didn’t get the time to organize for my class material for any day, what would be the option?

The Institute can provide an individual with the required material provided it has been ordered by the student in the previous class for which an advance payment has been made.

What happens if I miss a class?

You have the option of attending the missed class in any other session. The regulations of the institute demand 80% attendance from a student. A student who does not meet this criteria is not allowed to take the exams at the end of the module which in turn restricts the student’s entry into the next module.

What is the certification that I would receive at the end of the course?

At the end of the course the student receives an advance certificate from the Institute which is in affiliation with the Mexican Institute Instituto Mexicano Floral Technico (IMTF).

What would be the opportunities available after finishing this course?

Flower culture is catching up in India and today flowers are used for numerous occasions and there are very few formally trained professional available in this field. As a advanced certificate holder you will have a lot of opportunities like :

1. Be a floral designer for corporate, hotels, clubs restaurants etc.

2. Start your own floral boutique, take orders online.

3. Manage major and minor events like weddings, birth day parties, baby showers etc.

4. Work as a coordinator with event management companies.

I do not have any knowledge or background on flowers. Would I be able to join this course?

This course starts at the most basic level. In each class you will have the theory explained to you by the teacher (also have AV projections) and then have a hands on experience. Where necessary you will receive worksheets as well

What are the class timings and when do the batches start?

We have multiple batches at each centre between 9.30am to 5.30 pm on all days.

We usually start a class every quarter, at the least. Call and enquire when the next batch will begin at a centre convenient to you There is usually one that is about to start in a month or so. Reservations are currently ongoing. We “close” classes depending upon the number of reservations we receive for a particular class “day and time.” This means that if there are about 15 people who reserved a slot for a Tuesday class from 1:30pm-4:40pm then we open a Tuesday class immediately compared to say a Monday class from 9:30am to 12:30pm that only has about 4 people confirmed.

Where are your courses conducted?

We have centers at different locations in the city to make it convenient for students to commute for the class. We keep adding new locations periodically. Please call to check the nearest centre for you.

Do you offer any classes outside Mumbai?

We are starting an IFD branch in Pune by September.