Program Coordinator: Bob Pohlad
Phone Number: (540) 365-4367
e-mail: bpohlad@ferrum.edu

Horticulture is an important and growing part of modern civilization. This discipline concerns intensive plant production, including fruits, vegetables, ornamentals, turf, shade trees, flowers, and a wider array of specialized plants. The practice of horticulture enriches most human lives, directly through nutrition and aesthetics, and a large number through income generation as horticultural producers and their suppliers and service agents. Horticulture is distinct from General Agriculture in that it concerns plants for their nutritional, aesthetic and therapeutic values. Public awareness of the importance of the immediate and greater environment has created a surge of interest in home gardening and urban horticulture. This has led to an increased use of landscaping to pleasingly modify surroundings. People in almost every walk of life have become more interested in plants, in the environment, and in the quality of food, out of concern for better health and well being. Horticulture and its related industries play important roles in preserving and enhancing the beauty and productivity of both the human and natural environments. Horticultural crops represent at least 20 percent of total agricultural production on the continent. Annual income from the commercial production, processing and utilization of horticultural crops is at least $15 billion. Projections for growth for the industry are about 6% per year for the foreseeable future, according to the USDA. This represents tremendous career opportunities for college graduates with degrees in the field.

PRINTABLE BROCHURE

Required Courses:
Horticulture Major (Without Minor) Hours
BIO 101 General Biology 4
BIO 202 Introduction to Plant Science 4
HOR 219 Intro. to Horticulture 4
BIO 305 Introductory Genetics 4
BUS 303 Principles of Management or
BUS 320 Small Business Mgmt. 3
LSC 307 Horticultural Seminar 1
AGR 315 Soil Science and Mgmt. 4
HOR 321 Plant Propagation 3
LSC 399 Professional Preparations 1
HOR 410 Greenhouse Management 4
HOR 411 Landscape Design and Mgmt. 4
HOR 415 Plant Diseases 4
HOR 418 Plant Pest Management 4
BIO 419 Plant Physiology and Biotech. 4
LSC 497/498 Senior Seminar 2
LSC 499 Internship 5
Total Hours Required in Major 55

Required Distribution:
CHM 101 Fund. of Inorganic Chem. 4
CHM 105 Intro. to Organic & Biotech. 4
ECO 201 Principles of Macroeconomics 3
COM 201 Public Speaking 3
MTH 111 Pre-Calculus or higher 3
MTH 208 Introductory Statistics 3or ESC 215 Environmental Methods and Statistics