The Sustainable Landscape Horticulture Major

Offered by: CALS Plant and Soil Science Department

Overview

Endorse a healthier environment with the beauty and utility of plants.  Gain professional training in landscape and design and the plant sciences along with courses in business and the liberal arts.  Choose trees, shrubs, flowers, and lawn grasses that match conditions of the local environment.  Design landscapes that provide environmental services of soil conservation, water purification, and nutrient management.

The Sustainable Landscape Horticulture Program integrates plant sciences, landscape design, business, and liberal arts. This curriculum is designed to provide the student with multifaceted skills to help them succeed in the demanding horticulture industry of the 21st century.

A Look at Our Program

Our program is interdisciplinary, involving horticulture, soil science, ecology, forestry, landscape design, business management, and liberal arts. Faculty advisors will help you select courses and develop learning experiences that match your interests and career goals.

What Will I Study?

All students must complete the core curriculum requirements for a bachelor of science degree from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. In addition, you will be required to complete courses within the program in such areas as botany, ecology, plant and soil science, forestry, landscape design, agricultural economics, and small business management.

Exciting Field Experience

Because our faculty interact with professional landscape design firms, landscape management companies, as well as public and private gardens, there are many opportunities for off-campus internships where you can put your skills to use, earn credit, and improve your employment prospects. Students have worked at arboreta, botanical gardens, parks, garden centers and nurseries to gain valuable experience.

As an undergraduate, you will have opportunities to work with College of Agriculture and Life Sciences faculty doing research in campus laboratories, in the field at our 97-acre Horticultural Research Center, or in our modern greenhouse.

Looking to the Future

With a degree in sustainable landscape horticulture, you may pursue a career in landscape design, contracting and management, urban forestry, owning and operating a landscaping or nursery business, or in garden center management. Some of the jobs our graduates have obtained include: manager of a wholesale nursery, salesperson for a large greenhouse operation, sales and service representative for a turfgrass management firm, and golf course groundskeeper. Students in this major have also gone on to pursue graduate studies in this field.

Core Courses
Introduction to Botany Principles of Biology Fundamentals of Soil Science Soil Fertility and Management Dendrology Elementary Natural Resource Measurements and Mapping Ecology, Ecosystems and the Environment Plant Physiology Plant Pathology Landscape Design I, II	Woody Landscape Plants Commercial Plant Propagation Entomology and Pest Management Principles of Agricultural, Resource and Community Development Economics Introduction to Agricultural and Resource Entrepreneurship or Principles of Management Precalculus Computer Science Statistics General Chemistry Organic Chemistry Landscape Horticulture Internship
Advanced Level Courses
Drafting and Design Drawing Sketching and Illustration Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Computer Aided Drafting and Design (CADD) Garden Flowers Turfgrass Management Soil Ecology Senior Seminar Internship

Faculty and Area of Expertise
John Aleong	Design and analysis of experiments Ph.D. Iowa State University
Lorraine P. Berkett	Integrated pest management in apple production, plant pathology Ph.D. Pennsylvania State University
Sidney C. Bosworth	Agronomy, forage and grain crop management and production for animal agriculture Ph.D. University of Kentucky
Scott Costa	Entomology, biological control using insect-killing fungi Ph.D. North Carolina State University
Alexsandra Drizo	Constructed wetland for pollution control University of Edinburgh
Wendy Sue Harper	Soil science, composting process Ph.D. University of Vermont
Ann Hazelrigg	Plant pathology M.S. Cornell University
Sarah T. Lovell	Agronomy, plant science and landscape design. University of Illinois
V. Ernesto Mendez	Agroecology, biodiversity conservation adn development in Central American coffee landscapes University of California
Deborah A. Neher	Soil ecology Ph.D. University of California-Davis
Bruce L. Parker	Entomology, insect pest management, fungal pathogens for integrated pest management of greenhouse and forest pests Ph.D. Cornell University
Leonard P. Perry	Horticulture, production of perennials, hardiness of plant species, perennial cut flower production Ph.D. Cornell University
Margaret Skinner	Entomology insect pest management in greenhouse and forest environments, biological control Ph.D. University of Vermont
Mark C. Starrett	Horticulture, propagation and production of woody ornamental plants Ph.D. North Carolina State University
Jon P. Turmel	Vermont State entomologist M.S. University of New Hampshire

Last modified September 10 2007 04:11 PM