Horticulture

Horticulture is a science and art involved in the cultivation, propagation, marketing and processing of ornamental plants, flowers, vegetables, fruits and nuts. Horticulture is unique among plant sciences because it also incorporates art and the principles of design.  As a horticulture student, you will be preparing for exciting and challenging careers involving the ornamental plants, flowers and turfgrasses that beautify the environment.

Career Opportunities

The curricula have several areas of concentration to suit your personal plans. Our approach is to teach horticulture through a practical application of basic principles. The Environmental Horticulture area prepares you for a career as a nursery and floriculture production manager, horticulture educator or landscape manager. Students specializing in fruits and vegetables find opportunities in agricultural chemical sales and as farm consultants. The Turfgrass Management area prepares you for a career managing golf course grounds and athletic fields. The Landscape Management area prepares you for a career in landscape horticulture. A landscape horticulturist designs, constructs and maintains landscape sites, e.g., maintaining turf, controlling pests, irrigating and fertilizing. The Horticultural Science area is for students that have a strong interest in pursuing a graduate degree for a career in academia, extension and research. Our program also offers internship opportunities nationwide.

Jobs are diverse and plentiful. Turfgrass managers are in demand all over the nation. Students don’t have to start their own businesses, but many do. Recent graduates have taken jobs as curators of arboretums, nursery stock producers and retail managers. Many students start businesses serving the landscape needs of commercial and residential property owners.