Major in Horticulture, Controlled Environment Horticulture Concentration

Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) is a technology-based approach to crop production that focuses on optimizing an environment within a protected structure to facilitate desired plant growth and development. In this concentration, students will study and gain hands-on experience with the management of controlled environment systems for the production and improvement of both floriculture and food crops. Students will also engage with advanced production technologies in areas such as hydroponics and lighting. Additional course topics include propagation, environmental control, physiology, and pest management for horticultural crops grown in controlled environments. Students are required to participate in greenhouse practicums and an internship in their junior and/or senior years. A number of career opportunities exist for students in this concentration including controlled environment production, all phases of retail and wholesale floral business, controlled environment supply sales, controlled environment construction and environmental control, and plant research.

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this concentration, students will be able to:

1. Compare and contrast various controlled environment facilities (e.g., greenhouse, vertical farm, high tunnel) in terms of their function, cost, and environmental/economic/social impacts.
2. Identify and recommend solutions for common issues pertaining to controlled environment crop production including system maintenance, pest and disease management, plant nutrition, and environmental stress.  
3. Develop schedules and propose production recommendations for a variety of horticultural crops commonly produced in controlled environments.
4. Analyze primary and secondary literature sources and communicate the significance of their findings to diverse audiences in the controlled environments industry.
5. Apply knowledge in production technologies and plant physiology to design systems for a variety of controlled environment scenarios that address real-world problems and advance the rapidly evolving industry.

Effective Spring 2026

Technical Electives  

¹

For internship requirements, refer to departmental policy.

²

All senior-level floriculture majors are required to register for at least two credits of HORT 486A for one term.

³

Select enough elective credits to bring the program total to a minimum of 120 credits, of which at least 42 must be upper-division (300- to 400-level).