Horticulture Degree Programs
Bachelor of Science in Horticulture
Students in horticulture may focus on:
A minimum of 120 total credits with at least 40 in 300 and 400 level courses are required for graduation. You also may choose to minor in horticulture (see sidebar, right).
Environmental Horticulture
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Environmental Horticulture deals with the science and technology of producing, marketing and maintaining greenhouse- and nursery-grown plants as well as the interaction of these plants with the environment. Landscape trees, shrubs, bedding plants, foliage and flowering potted plants, and cut flowers have long been valued for their contributions to the quality of the environment in which we live, work, and play. Plant-environment interactions include energy and water conservation; air, water, and soil quality improvements; and human physical and psychological enhancement. New advances in research and plant biotechnology serve to stimulate the imagination as to what potential environmental enhancements lie ahead. The need for students well-trained in horticulture will accompany this growth.
The demand for plants for environmental enhancement and the need for personnel trained in the requirements of producing, maintaining, marketing, and using these plant materials are creating exciting career opportunities. Students who study production are employed as growers and production managers in greenhouses and nurseries, and as researchers, extension specialists, and teachers. Students with interests in marketing may work with producers, wholesale suppliers, garden centers and other retail outlets. The landscape management field offers careers in installation, management, and maintenance of interior as well as exterior landscapes.
The classes taken by students majoring in environmental horticulture will vary somewhat depending on whether the student is most interested in production, business and marketing, or scientific teaching and research. In addition to the liberal arts and other courses which the students elect, students specializing in environmental horticulture study: science to understand both how plants grow and plant-environmental interactions, technology to be able to produce a quality product, and business to learn management and marketing strategies.
Fruit and Vegetable Horticulture
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More people today are aware of the importance of fresh fruits and vegetables in their diets than at any time in history. As a result, the production of these crops is increasing, especially in the Pacific Northwest, which already has a large fresh market and processing industry based on fruits and vegetables, including potatoes. Grapes for wine and juice and vegetable seeds for domestic use and export are two crops for which acreage has rapidly increased in recent years.
Based on the expanding need for trained personnel by this industry, Washington State University offers a curriculum that specializes in the science and practice of growing, harvesting, handling, storing, processing, and marketing of tree fruits, small fruits, and vegetables. Students graduating from this curriculum look forward to careers as growers and farm managers; as production field advisors for fresh market, processing, and vegetable seed companies; or as field advisors for allied industries that manufacture production and harvest machinery, fertilizers, and agricultural chemicals. They can also find careers in fruit and vegetable marketing as managers of produce firms; as supervisors of storage; or as sales people, field advisors, buyers, brokers, or managers of marketing and promotional organizations. Fruit and vegetable majors may also enter the field of international horticulture as overseas supervisors for commercial companies, as participants in Peace Corps and other humanitarian endeavors, or technical assistants with USAID or international food production, research or teaching programs.
Careers in research, extension, and teaching horticulture and in horticultural biotechnology are also available to those who have an interest and proper training in these fields. These positions may require more education the the traditional four-year bachelor's degree program.
The classes taken by students majoring in the fruit and vegetable curriculum will vary somewhat depending on whether the student is more interested in production, business and marketing, or scientific teaching and research. In addition to the life-enriching, university-required courses in liberal arts and other courses which students elect, most careers in the fruit and vegetable industry require a knowledge of chemistry, biological sciences, business, economics, and computer science. These areas of knowledge are a foundation for the understanding of information in courses in production practices, management, pest control, postharvest handling, and marketing.
Viticulture and Enology
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The wine grape growing and wine production industry is one of the most rapidly growing sectors of Washington's agricultural economy. Washington is the second largest premium wine producer in the U.S., and Washington wines have acquired an international reputation for their quality. Crafting high quality wines requires the collaborative efforts of the viticulturist (the grower) and the vintner (the winemaker). The Washington wine industry needs people with knowledge and expertise in Washington's unique growing conditions.
For more information, visit the Viticulture and Enology website.
More information
Hort 399 - Professional Work Experience
Undergraduate Program Assessment
Undergraduate minor in horticulture
A minimum of 16 hours in Hort is required. At least 9 hours must be in 300- or 400-level courses, excluding Hort 399 and 499, and taken in residence at WSU or through WSU-approved education abroad or educational exchange courses. Hort/CropS 202 and 251 are highly recommended. All pass/fail enrollments, and up to 2 credits of Hort 499, must be approved by the department chair.