Advanced Horticulture, Graduate Certificate

Graduate Certificate in Advanced Horticulture

University of Nebraska - Lincoln

  • Fully Online
  • 12
    Credits
  • $590.00
    In-State
  • $590.00
    Out-of-State
  • Overview
  • Learning Online
  • Similar Programs

Why Pursue This Program

The online Advanced Horticulture, Graduate Certificate is designed to provide students with the opportunity to explore the field of horticulture beyond entry-level. 

Students choose this program to: 

  • Experience the breadth and diversity of the field through maximum flexibility in course selection. 
  • Gain knowledge through courses in tree, floral and fruit production, as well as interior plants and business management. 
  • Enhance or expand their career options in the field of horticulture through graduate-level coursework. 

The program is designed for the following career paths: 

  • Extension agents involved in horticulture-related programs
  • K-12 science teachers
  • Golf course superintendents
  • Municipal parks superintendents and employees
  • Landscape maintenance practitioners
  • Public garden, camp or park employee
  • Nursery, greenhouse and garden center professionals
  • Serious horticulture enthusiasts, such as master gardeners

Students who complete this certificate may also wish to pursue a plant-related master's degree such as a Masters of Science or a Masters of Applied Science in Agronomy or Horticulture.

This program is offered as part of the Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance (GPIDEA) and provides you with diverse perspectives on the field. You enroll in courses at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln even though courses may be taught by other Great Plains IDEA member institutions. The certificate comes from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln.

Students who complete this certificate may also wish to pursue a plant-related Master of Science degree or a Master of Applied Science.

Additional Certificates:

The University of Nebraska-Lincolns Department of Agronomy and Horticulture offers three graduate certificates in horticulture:

  • Advanced Horticulture
  • Ornamental Landscape and Turf Management
  • Floriculture and Nursery Production Management

The department is able to offer these three certificates as a member of the AG*IDEA Consortium.

Career Outlook: Work in the horticulture field ranges from grounds maintenance staff who require no formal education to scientists who need a minimum Ph.D. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), grounds maintenance workers held 1,309,300 jobs in 2016. The BLS reported from 2016-2024, there would be an 11% increase in employment for grounds maintenance workers. The projected amount of job openings during this period is 146,300. The BLS projects that businesses in green-industry occupations and careers that protect the planet will increase.  

Additional career paths may include: 

  • Olericulturist (vegetable grower, seller and marketer)
  • Urban farmer
  • Plant ecologist
  • Plant researcher or technologist
  • Arborist, forester
  • Florist or floral designer
  • Food scientist
  • Industry support
  • Inspection of plants
  • Landscape construction and management
  • Landscape design
  • Communications blogger, writer, photographer
  • Pest management
  • Farm or co-op organizational management

What's it like to take a program online?

Quality learning experience

The University of Nebraska has offered distance education courses for more than 100 years so you can expect a quality, rigorous experience. Online courses are often highly interactive with faculty and students communicating through e-mail, discussion forums and chat groups. You’ll have direct access to world-class faculty – researchers who are experts in their fields or practitioners with real-world experience. Also, you’ll be part of a community of learners and can benefit from the perspectives of students from across the globe.

Flexibility

Online learning gives you the flexibility and freedom to attend your classes wherever is convenient to you. You can save time and money by being able to continue to work and by avoiding relocation or travel costs. You will be required to complete assignments in a certain timeframe, but in most instances, you can log in and complete coursework during the time of day that works best for you. You aren’t tied to a specific class time.

Service you expect from a leading University

Online learners at the University of Nebraska have access to the same student services available to on-campus students. An academic adviser will guide you along your journey, library services are available to help you excel in your program and career services are available when you are ready to take your next step. These are just a few of the services in place to help you succeed.

About Faculty

University of Nebraska online courses are taught by expert faculty who embody the qualities resulting from research experience and professional/field experience. Students learn from faculty with a variety of backgrounds, many of whom are published researchers in their fields. NU faculty who teach online do so in a way that optimizes learning within the online modality and because technology enables students to access education they may otherwise may not be able to pursue.