Online Certificate: Advanced Horticulture

Program Overview

The online Advanced Horticulture, Graduate Certificate program 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.

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.

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

Admissions and Requirements

To be accepted to this program, you must have:

A Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree in biology or plant-related major.
3 GPA or above on a 4.0 scale
Completed coursework
Successfully completed at least a semester of coursework in biology, plant sciences, genetics, algebra and chemistry.
Taken the TOEFL or IELTS
(Only required if English is not your native language)
A written personal statement
In 1-2 pages, describe 1) your professional goals and career aspirations and specifically what you plan to do with your certificate, 2) background experiences, events and/or education that have influenced your professional goals and 3) how enrolling in this certificate program will assist you in meeting your professional goals.
3 letters of recommendation
These must be from professionals who are familiar with your work ethic or scholastic ability. Personal references from friends, relatives, etc. are not acceptable.

NOTE: This program is authorized, exempt, or not subject to state regulatory compliance and may enroll students from all 50 states

To apply to this program:

Complete the online application
Pay the non-refundable $50 application processing fee
Submit transcripts to Office of Graduate Studies through mail

Courses You’ll Take

Core Courses

Course Number	Course Name	Credits
HORT 843M	Seed Science	4
Seed morphology, anatomy and chemistry. Germination, emergence and dormancy processes in seed, as well as various quality aspects including vigor, longevity and deterioration. Discussion of genetically engineered seeds and other current topics.
HORT 896	Introduction to Permaculture	3
Permaculture means "permanent culture," and ..."is the conscious design and maintenance of cultivated ecosystems that have the diversity, stability, and resilience of a natural ecosystem." [Bill Mollison] This course will explore a design/thinking methodology that seeks to provide our essential physical needs, food, water, shelter, energy, etc., while doing so in an environmentally friendly, sustainable manner.
HORT 842B	Plant Physiology	3
Life processes of plants, with an emphasis on water relations and hormonal and stress physiology. Includes fundamental concepts underlying the science of crop physiology, including crop phenology, canopy development and light interception, photosynthesis and respiration, and dry matter partitioning. The course is taught by faculty from the University of Nebraska-Kearney, and will be offered in the fall semester of even-numbered calendar years. To enroll, students must be accepted into the horticulture graduate certificate program or get permission.
HORT 843A	Advanced Greenhouse Crop Production	4
Introduction to the concepts of greenhouse construction, operation and management for a variety of horticultural crops, with an emphasis on ornamental crops. Greenhouse construction, heating, cooling, growing media, pest management, nutrition, fertility, growth regulation, irrigation, post‐harvest handling, and marketing of greenhouse crops.
HORT 844A	Environmental Nursery Production Practices	3
Cultural nursery crop production practices will be presented with consideration of current recommended Best Management Practices, conservation of resources, scientific research-based investigations related to nursery cultural practices, potential risks to nursery personnel and off-site movement of airborne materials and effluents to surrounding areas and public watersheds.
HORT 896	Fruit and Nut Trees	3
Description to come.
HORT 896	Plant/Water Relations	3
Presents fundamental concepts underlying the science of crop physiology, including crop phenology, canopy development and light interception, photosynthesis and respiration and dry-matter partitioning.
HORT 844E	General Viticulture	3
This broad-based course covers aspects of grapes from vine anatomy to final products. This course includes cultivars, propagation, canopy management, diseases, weed control, physiology, anatomy, irrigation, wine production, climates and soils.
HORT 843K	Arboriculture	3
This course focuses on the physiological principles and industry practices in the production, moving, care, and maintenance of ornamental trees, shrubs and ground covers. The purpose of this course is to provide students with the career tools to install and maintain woody plants. This goal will be accomplished through the review of the pertinent literature and through class exercises designed to improve students’ skills and knowledge of woody plant physiology, care and maintenance.
HORT 888	Business Management of Agriculture Enterprises	3
Students will research a specific agricultural enterprise then develop and present a business plan using materials from the primary area of interest. This course requires the completion of a shadowing assignment and the analyses of case studies.

Advanced Horticulture, Graduate Certificate

Graduate Certificate in Advanced Horticulture

University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Overview

Admissions and Requirements

Courses You’ll Take

Tuition & Fees

Program Overview

Admissions and Requirements

To be accepted to this program, you must have:

A Bachelor's degree

3 GPA or above on a 4.0 scale

Completed coursework

Taken the TOEFL or IELTS

A written personal statement

3 letters of recommendation

To apply to this program:

Courses You’ll Take

Core Courses

Tuition & Fees

Nebraska Residents

Per Credit Hour

3 Credit Hours

Out of State Residents

Per Credit Hour

3 Credit Hours

About Faculty

Application Deadlines