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Plant Sciences majors can choose from among four concentrations. Aside from entering the workforce upon graduation, you may also pursue graduate studies leading to careers in higher education, research and Extension, or various positions within the horticulture industry. Studies in the Business Management concentration lead to a minor in either Business Administration or Agricultural Economics and Business. These courses are coupled with studies in horticulture and agronomic principles. Careers that require a solid background in the science of efficient plant and crop production along with agribusiness skills are open to you. Many firms look for talented people with a combination of skills for the marketing and sale of ornamental plants, garden supplies, agribusiness products and farm supplies. This concentration can lead to employment in the following fields:
- Business Ownership/Management
- reenhouse or nurseryLandscape installation and maintenance
- Garden or farm supply and equipment
- Orchard or vegetable farm
- Financial Manager
- Banks and other financial institutions
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Landscape Design and Construction
We crave beautiful landscapes...the kind of exquisite, balanced, varied design that is Nature. When we carve out of natural landscapes places for us to live, work, drive and play -- well, we miss the original beauty. So it is with a great sense of rightness and harmony that we strive to recreate in our cities and towns a pretty landscape, blending rocks, water and plants of all colors, sizes and kinds. And it's not just an issue of "pretty"; creative landscaping can enhance emotional and physical health, preserve ecological and biological diversity, and help mitigate the harmful effects of global climate changes. In the landscape design and construction concentration, we focus on plants and landscape materials: plant identification and culture, irrigation systems, mulches, materials for constructing walkways, gazebos, planters. We learn to design landscapes, install plantings and steward our creations. Ours are "green" endeavors, melding art, science, and business into creative acts of beautifying and conserving our surroundings. We may encourage native plants, for their vigor, minimal maintenance and "in- tune-ness" with a geographical area. We may incorporate exotics, for their vivid blooms or unusual bark or appropriate landscape textures. We experiment with and teach a lot of things.
Landscape designers create aesthetic concepts and practical plans for improved outdoor living. Landscape construction and maintenance professionals care for landscapes. Our students study fundamental and advanced landscape design, landscape design graphics, computer aided landscape design, surveying, art, socio-economic impact of plants, field botany, professional practices, basic woody plant identification, landscape construction and maintenance methods. Upon graduation, students in this concentration are prepared to:
- Design residential landscapes
- Select proper woody and herbaceous plant materials for specific sites
- Specify specialty components dealing with landscape construction (irrigation, lighting, water features)
- Prepare materials lists and cost estimates for landscape installations
- Manage landscape crews
Curriculum (year-by-year listing of courses in this concentration for freshman, sophomore, junior and senior years)
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Public Horticulture Concentration
The public horticulture concentration is intended for students interested in professional careers which promote horticulture and emphasize people and their education and enjoyment of plants. Such careers include director of a botanical garden or park; city or urban horticulturist; urban forester; extension agent, teacher, educational director, or program coordinator; professional garden writer/editor or publication manager; horticulture therapist; public garden curator; and plant collections manager.
Directed technical electives allow the student to concentrate in an area of their interest while encouraging the development of good people skills. Internship training in the area of interest is required of all students.
Curriculum (year-by-year listing of courses in this concentration for freshman, sophomore, junior and senior years)
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Turfgrass Science & Management Concentration
Turf. Maybe we don't think much about it until it's time to mow the lawn, but last year alone, hundreds of thousands of acres of turf were sodded or seeded in America: Golfcourses. Parks. Football and baseball and soccer and playing fields of all kinds. Roadsides and greenways. Small residential lawns, and huge commercial amd municipal grassscapes. Somebody grew the sod, sold it, transplanted it, nursed it into grassy beauty. Somebody produced the grass seed, spread it, cared for it. Somebody educated people about how to do it, which seed to use in the shady or wet areas, in cool or hot regions. Somebody babied the golf greens... scheduled fertilization schemes for the parks... maintained the company and home grassscapes... almost completely revamped the playing field two days before the Super Bowl!
In the Department of Plant Sciences, we teach people how to service and study the turfgrass sciences and businesses.
The Turfgrass Management Concentration is designed for the student desiring to pursue professions that include growing and managing turfgrasses used for golf courses, parks, athletic fields, sports complexes, and residential and commercial lawns. Careful selection of departmental courses and other electives in consultation with your academic adviser will prepare graduates for the career of their choice.
Curriculum (year-by-year listing of courses in this concentration for freshman, sophomore, junior and senior years)
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Plant Science, Biotechnology & Horticulture Concentration
The Plant Science, Biotechnology and Horticulture Concentration is designed students desiring to pursue professions in biotechnology or commercial production of agronomic and horticultural crops. This concentration also prepares students for graduate studies in plant sciences.
Careful selection of departmental courses and other electives in consultation with the assigned academic advisor will prepare graduates for the career of their choice. The concentration consists of two tracks of study: (1) emphasis in production horticulture and (2) emphasis in science and biotechnology.
Curriculum (year-by-year listing of courses in this concentration for freshman, sophomore, junior and senior years)
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