Undergraduate Learning at Kew

The diverse collections held at Kew and Wakehurst Place, including living plants, dried plant specimens, seed collections and library archives, provide an excellent learning resource for undergraduates in many different science, technology and arts disciplines.

Interior of the Palm House at Kew, where undergraduates can study living plants and learn about the ecosystems that they came from in the wild (Image: RBG Kew)

Undergraduates at Kew and Wakehurst Place

Undergraduate groups can visit the plant collections in the gardens at Kew or Wakehurst Place, by obtaining a Schools Entry Voucher. The Volunteer Guides at Kew can be booked for hour-long tours, either providing a general introduction to the Gardens or focussing on specific aspects of the living plant collections or Kew’s history.

Find out about opportunities for specialised study visits linked to Kew's research, conservation and horticultural activities.

Complementary Therapies seminar day

Plant materials and chemicals derived from them have long been used to treat human and animal illness, both in conventional and complementary medicine systems. During the Complementary Therapies seminar day, designed for undergraduate and MSc students, Kew scientists outline some of their research into biologically active compounds obtained from plants.

John Waller, an undergraduate sandwich placement student at Kew's Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst Place RBG Kew

Sandwich studentships

For individual undergraduates who have completed two years of their degree course, Kew offers one-year paid sandwich course placements within its Science and Information Technology teams.

Resources for undergraduates

Background information on many species being studied at Kew is available from the Kew website through the Plants and Fungi pages. Students and lecturers can also find details of many of Kew's worldwide activities and projects through the Science and Conservation pages and the Science Directory.