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Introducing the
Master of Agriculture Degree in Horticulture
with special emphasis on...
Arboreta, Botanical Gardens & Professional Grounds Maintenance
Department of Horticultural Sciences
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas
 Click
here for a pdf version of this document...
Click
here for a pdf version of the Professional Internship Guidelines...
The faculty of the
TAMU Horticultural Gardens are now accepting applications for a 1.5
year, non-thesis, Master of Agriculture degree in horticulture. Course
work, and a required professional internship, focus on arboreta, botanical
gardens and professional grounds maintenance. The degree is offered
in cooperation with the TAMU Horticultural Gardens and Field Laboratory
in College Station. This student managed and maintained facility offers
a broad range of teaching, research and training programs for horticultural
professionals, as well as home gardeners. The gardens offer a unique
setting for practical horticultural experiences, as well as providing
opportunities to develop leadership and management skills.
About the Gardens:
The TAMU Horticultural Gardens and Field Laboratory is a student managed
and maintained facility within the TAMU Department of Horticultural
Sciences in College Station. We conduct a broad range of teaching, research
and training programs for horticultural professionals, as well as home
gardeners.
Teaching...
The TAMU Horticultural Gardens and Field Laboratory provides students
with an opportunity to study the adaptability of a wide range of plant
materials to Texas growing conditions. With over 500 specimens, located
in habitats ranging from bog and wetlands to desert southwest, students
receive practical, hands on experiences that make learning more meaningful.
The Gardens also
provide useful experiences in landscape construction and maintenance.
Students learn about plant care and handling, decks, hardscapes, irrigation
and much more.
Research...
Research is another important component of our mission at the TAMU Horticultural
Gardens and Field Laboratory. We currently maintain a 20,000 square
foot container nursery and a 6,000 square foot greenhouse. These facilities
are used to study new plants, production systems, and developing technologies.
The primary focus of our work has been on environmental issues challenging
professional horticulturists and home gardeners alike. Water and water
quality, integrated pest management and low maintenance landscapes are
just a few of the research projects underway. The data
and information collected from this work will help ensure the future
of a strong horticultural industry, as well as a healthy environment.
Outreach &
Training...
The TAMU Horticultural Gardens and Field Laboratory is an excellent
resource for professional training . We work closely with the statewide
Master Gardener program and the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association's
Master Certification program. In addition, we host a joint Field Day
which draws more than 500 grounds maintenance professionals from throughout
the state. With special garden events, lecture series, gardening schools
and short courses, our facility provides in-depth educational training
for a wide range of horticultural professionals and home gardeners.
Meet the Faculty:
This Master of Agriculture degree is offered by the following faculty
members within the Depatment of Horticultural Sciences at Texas A&M
University.
Dr. Don C. Wilkerson:
Professor and Extension Horticulturist, Dept.of HorticulturalSciences,
Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2133
Phone: (979) 845-5341
FAX: (979) 845-8906
E-mail: d-wilkerson@tamu.edu
Dr. Wilkerson is
a member of the Graduate Faculty atTexas A&M University, and serves
as Chair, of the Advising Committees for Master of Agriculture degree
candidates in this area.
Dr. Michael A. Arnold:
Associate Professor,
Dept. of Horticultural Sciences
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX 77843-2133
Phone: (979) 845-1499
Fax: (979) 845-0627
E-mail: ma-arnold@tamu.edu
Dr. Arnold is a
Member of the Graduate Faculty of Texas A&M University.
Jayne M. Zajicek:
Professor & Associate Department Head for Undergraduate Programs,
Dept. of Horticultural Sciences,
Texas A&M University,
College Station, TX 77843-2133
Phone: (979) 845-4482
FAX: (979) 845-0627
E-mail: jmz4858@acs.tamu.edu
Dr. Zajicek is a
Member of the Graduate Faculty of Texas A&M
University.
Goals & Objectives:
The goal of this degree program is to provide the advanced skills, knowledge
and practical experiences required for career opportunities in botanical
gardens, arboreta and professional grounds maintenance. Study areas
include:
Plant Care & Maintenance
Turf Care & Maintenance
Bed Preparation & Construction
Irrigation Installation & Maintenance
Hardscape Installation
Landscape Installation
Tree and Shrub Installation
Small Equipment Operation & Maintenance
Building & Construction
Greenhouse/Nursery Care & Maintenance
Gardens and Grounds Supervision
Labor & Materials Scheduling
Costing and Bidding
Scheduling Seasonal Color
New Construction Planning & Supervision
Landscape Design and Implementation
Publications, Newsletters, etc.
Working with Mass Media/Television/Video
Computer & Internet Technology
Special Events Planning & Implementation
Community Outreach
Plant Database Management
Professional Internships:A professional internship
is required as a part of the required curriculum (summer). This degree
component is designed to provide candidates with practical experiences
outside of the university setting.
Internships are
an extremely important and effective tool in preparing for career opportunities
in arboreta, botanical garden and professional grounds maintenance and
management. In addition, internships also help students better understand
the potential application of classroom information.
Requirements:
Minimum qualifications for this program include a bachelors degree in
horticulture or a related field, and a 3.0 GPA in the last 60 hours
of study. All candidates must also meet GRE requirements for admission
to the TAMU Department of Horticultural Sciences.
All candidates admitted
to the program must complete the 40 hour curriculum shown below, including
an approved professional internship. In addition, a professional paper
detailing experiences and observations must be submitted to meet the
requirements for the Master of Agriculture degree in Horticulture.
Required Curriculum:
This curriculum offers the flexibility to select from a number of approved
courses to create emphasis areas within the degree plan.
Horticulture
& Background Courses (9 credits)
Landscape Construction/Maintenance:
HORT 308 - Landscape Plant Materials
HORT 425 - Landscape Maintenance and Construction
HORT 428 - Greenhouse Management
HORT 429 - Greenhouse Crop Production
HORT 431 - Nursery Production & Mgmt.
HORT 432 - Horticulture Landscape Design
Education:
HORT 335 - Sociohorticulture
HORT 435 - Urban Horticulture
HORT 489 - Classroom in the Garden Botany/Taxonomy:
BOTN 301 - Taxonomy of Flowering Plants Landscape Architecture:
LAND 340 - Development of Landscape Architecture in North America Recreation,
Parks and Tourism:
RPTS 301 - Leisure and Outdoor Recreation
RPTS 304 - Administration of Recreation Resource Agencies
RPTS 307 - Methods of Environmental Interpretation
RPTS 311 - Recreation and Tourism Programs
RPTS 340 - Recreation, Parks and Diverse Populations
Plant Science
Courses ( 6 credits)
HORT 604 - Applied Physiology of Horticultural Crops
HORT 601 - Nutrition of Horticultural Crops
HORT 616 - Asexual Plant Reproduction
FLOR 609 - Taxonomy of Ornamental Plants
BOTN 620 - Field Systematic Botany
Directed Studies
(13 credits)
HORT 685 - Landscape Maintenance Practicum (4 cr )
HORT 685 - Landscape Management Practicum (2 cr )
HORT 684 - Internship (3 cr)
STAT 651/EPSY 640 - Statistics (3 cr)
HORT 681 - Seminar (1 cr)
Special Emphasis
( 9 credits)
Leadership and Management of Non-Profits:
EHRD 606 - Management of Educational Human Resource Development Programs
and Departments
EHRD 620 - Human Relations in Education and Industry
EHRD 679 - Procurement and Management of Contracts and Grants
BUSH 601 - Leadership and Public Administration
AGED 689 - Leadership and Volunteerism
HORT 605 - Internet Applications for Horticulture
RPTS 601 - Interrelationships of Recreation and Leisure Concepts
RPTS 602 - Social Science Foundations of Recreation and Resource Development
RPTS 606 - Overview of Tourism
Business/Management:
MGMT 655 - Survey of Management
MKTG 621 - Survey of Marketing
FINC 635 - Financial Management for Non-Business
ACCT 640 - Accounting Concepts and Procedures I
Education Courses:
EHRD 630 - Adult Learning
EHRD 636 - Working with Adult Groups
AGED 607 - Youth Leadership Programs
EDCI 642 - Multicultural Education: Theory, Research & Practice
EDCI 644 - Curriculum Development
EDAD 638 - Developing School-Community Partnerships
Landscape Architecture:
LAND 660 - Preservation Planning for Historic Landscapes
LAND 663 - Landscape, Order and Human Meaning
Total Credits
= 37 hrs.
Sample Degree
Plan:
The curriculum for this Master of Agriculture program offers flexibility
in scheduling from the approved courses on page 3. However, her is an
example of a typical degree plan.
YEAR
1
Fall
Semester:
3 hr. 300/400 Undergraduate Leveling Course
3 hr. 300/400 Undergraduate Leveling Course
3 hr. 300/400 Undergraduate Leveling Course
2 hr. HORT 685 Landscape Maintenance Practicum
11 hrs.
Spring
Semester:
3 hr. STAT 651 Statistics
3 hr. 600 Special Emphasis Course
3 hr. 600 Plant Science Course
2 hr. HORT 685 Landscape Mainentance Practicum
11 hrs.
Summer
Semester:
3 hr. HORT 684 Professional Internship
YEAR
2
Fall
Semester:
3 hr. 600 Special Emphasis Course
3 hr. 600 Special Emphasis Course
3 hr. 600 Plant Science Course
1 hr. HORT 681 Seminar
2 hr. HORT 685 Landscape Management Practicum
12 hrs.
37
hrs. TOTAL
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