Environmental horticulturists provide solutions necessary to achieve aesthetically pleasing, functional, and environmentally sound outdoor spaces. They also design and manage private and public landscapes, such as golf courses, botanical gardens, and parks. In addition, they may develop the entrepreneurial skills necessary to successfully operate a nursery, garden center, tree care, landscape design, and build or landscape management firm. Three concentrations are offered in the Environmental Horticulture major— Landscape Design and Contracting, Nursery and Landscape Management, and Turf Management.
Learning Outcomes
Successful students will demonstrate:
- Management and leadership skills necessary for a successful career in the green industry
- Technical competencies in their understanding of growth and development of horticultural plants and landscapes, including development as influenced by manipulation of horticulture technologies, such as fertility and water management, and integrated pest management for all aspects of landscape horticulture
- Skills to assess site issues, provide creative environmentally sound solutions and manage designed and built landscapes
- Analytical and problem solving skills that allow identification of problems related to the management or production of horticultural crops and landscapes, as well as strategies to solve them
Potential Occupations
Graduates of the Environmental Horticulture major will find career opportunities in a multitude of fields in the green industry. Emerging demand for environmental solutions and green technologies will position our students for careers in a wide variety of areas including: landscape design and construction, sports turf management, retail and wholesale nursery and garden center management; golf course superintendents, arborists, plant propagation, landscape project management, landscape management, landscape estimating, green industry account management, irrigation design and water resource management, arboriculture, botanic gardens or arboreta, or landscape business management and entrepreneurship.