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A Kent State Salem student in the greenhouse Bachelor of Horticulture program

Horticulture - B.A.H.

Cultivate your green thumb with Kent State's horticulture program. Our Bachelor of Applied Horticulture degree provides hands-on training in plant cultivation, landscape design, and sustainable practices. With experienced faculty, cutting-edge facilities, and real-world experience, you'll gain the skills needed to succeed in the horticulture industry. Enroll now and bring your love of plants to life.

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Dr. Sheren Farag, Program Director and Assistant Professor
Phone: 330-337-4270
Email: sfaragmo@kent.edu

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Horticulture - B.A.H.

Kent State University's Bachelor of Applied Horticulture degree provides students with the academic background and learning environment to further their education beyond an associate degree. This program aids students in the development of managerial expertise in various horticultural domains, including a deep understanding of plant characteristics, safety procedures in the horticultural workplace, principles of agroecology and sustainable horticultural practices, pest management and the integration of advanced technologies to enhance precision farming. 

Program Information for Horticulture - B.A.H.

Program Description

Program Description

Full Description

The Bachelor of Applied Horticulture degree provides students with the academic background and learning environment to further their education beyond an associate degree. This program aids students in the development of managerial expertise in various horticultural domains, including a deep understanding of plant characteristics, safety procedures in the horticultural workplace, principles of agroecology and sustainable horticultural practices, pest management and the integration of advanced technologies to enhance precision farming. Additionally, students gain advanced knowledge in orchard production and management, landscape design and maintenance, local crop cultivation, plant propagation, greenhouse operations, soil science and tree care. This diverse skill set prepares students for a wide range of career opportunities such as landscape designers, arborists, greenhouse managers, parks or botanical garden managers, garden center managers, horticultural therapists, pest control specialists, educators/extension agents, botanist, florists and more.

Admissions for Horticulture - B.A.H.

Admissions

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.

First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the admissions website for first-year students.

First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions) by earning a minimum 525 TOEFL score (71 on the Internet-based version), minimum 75 MELAB score, minimum 6.0 IELTS score or minimum 48 PTE Academic score, or by completing the ELS level 112 Intensive Program. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.

Transfer Students: Students who have attended any other educational institution after graduating from high school must apply as undergraduate transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.

Former Students: Former Kent State students or graduates who have not attended another college or university since Kent State may complete the reenrollment or reinstatement form on the University Registrar’s website.

Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog's Academic Policies.

Some programs may require that students meet certain requirements before progressing through the program. For programs with progression requirements, the information is shown on the program's Coursework tab.

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  1. Define plant characteristics, use, identification, and taxonomy and differentiate between a wide range of horticulturally important plant species, including both woody and herbaceous species.
  2.  Apply proper safety procedures and their application in the workplace.
  3. Apply principles of agroecology and sustainable horticultural practices that reduce the environmental footprint of horticultural production and contribute to long-term sustainability.
  4. Articulate pest identification, taxonomy, integrated pest management (IPM), and control strategies that use ecologically sustainable approaches.
  5. Discuss the integration and utilization of advanced technologies, such as sensors, drones, and artificial intelligence applications, to enhance precision farming practices in horticulture, for optimizing crop yields, resource efficiency and environmental sustainability.
  6. Apply practical expertise in orchard production and management by using industry best practices to maximize fruit quality and yield.
  7. Design and maintain landscapes using a range of plant materials, hardscape features and sustainable practices.
  8. Apply principles and practices of growing and marketing crops on a small scale for local markets.
  9. Apply principles of plant propagation, greenhouse management, and garden center/nursery operations for successful plant cultivation and sales.
  10. Discuss soil science's role in horticultural production, and interpret soil test results, analyze soil conditions, and implement corrective measures for optimal plant growth.
  11. Explain concepts of tree biology, identification, planting, and maintenance practices, including pruning, tree risk assessment and disease management.

Coursework

On This Page

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
BSCI 16001HORTICULTURAL BOTANY 3
BSCI 26002ECOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES OF PEST MANAGEMENT 3
BSCI 26003PLANT IDENTIFICATION AND SELECTION I 3
or BSCI 26004 PLANT IDENTIFICATION AND SELECTION II
GEOG 16001SOIL AND HORTICULTURAL MANAGEMENT 3
HORT 16002INTRODUCTION TO AGROECOLOGY 3
HORT 16003INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE TECHNOLOGIES AND SENSORS 1
HORT 26001OCCUPATIONAL REGULATIONS AND SAFETY 2
HORT 26016IRRIGATION DESIGN AND MAINTENANCE 3
HORT 26046LANDSCAPE DESIGN I 3
or HORT 36046 LANDSCAPE DESIGN II
HORT 35092HORTICULTURE PRACTICUM (ELR) 6
HORT 36014PLANT PROPAGATION AND GREENHOUSE PRODUCTION 3
HORT 36025PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE IN HORTICULTURE (WIC) (min C grade)3
HORT 36092INTERNSHIP IN HORTICULTURE (ELR) 4
HORT 46014GARDEN CENTER AND NURSERY PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT 3
Technical Electives, choose from the following:6
BSCI 26004
PLANT IDENTIFICATION AND SELECTION II
HORT 16004
DRONE TECHNOLOGY FOR HORTICULTURE
HORT 26002
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN HORTICULTURE AND PLANT SYSTEMS
HORT 26003
ARBORICULTURE AND URBAN FORESTRY MANAGEMENT
HORT 26006
SUSTAINABLE HORTICULTURAL SYSTEMS
HORT 26020
LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT
HORT 26030
TURF GRASS MANAGEMENT
HORT 26032
GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT
HORT 36004
MARKET GARDEN PRODUCTION
HORT 36005
ORCHARD PRODUCTION - DECIDUOUS AND EVERGREEN
HORT 36195
SPECIAL TOPICS IN HORTICULTURE
HORT 46008
FLORICULTURE AND ORNAMENTAL PLANTS
HORT 46009
ADVANCES IN VITICULTURE PRODUCTION
HORT 46013
INTERNET OF THINGS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN PRECISION FARMING: TECHNOLOGIES AND APPLICATIONS
Major Electives, choose from the following:6
BSCI 10120
BIOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS (ELR) (KBS) (KLAB)
GEOG 31062
FUNDAMENTALS OF METEOROLOGY
GEOG 31080
GEOGRAPHY OF WINE
HORT 36034
SPORTS TURF MANAGEMENT
HORT 41096
INDIVIDUAL INVESTIGATION IN HORTICULTURE
Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA)
ARTH 22007ART HISTORY: RENAISSANCE TO MODERN ART (KFA) 3
BMRT 11000INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS 3
COMM 15000INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN COMMUNICATION (KADL) 3
BSCI 10110BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (ELR) (KBS) (KLAB) 4
or CHEM 10030
& CHEM 10031		 CHEMISTRY IN OUR WORLD (KBS)
and CHEMISTRY IN OUR WORLD LABORATORY (KBS) (KLAB)
ESCI 21062ENVIRONMENTAL EARTH SCIENCE (KBS) 3
ESCI 41073GEOLOGY OF OHIO 3
GEOG 17064GEOGRAPHY OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA (DIVD) (KSS) 3
PHIL 21001INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS (DIVG) (KHUM) 3
UC 10001FLASHES 101 1
Foreign Language 14
Kent Core Composition6
Kent Core Mathematics and Critical Reasoning3
Kent Core Humanities and Fine Arts (minimum one course from each)3
Kent Core Social Sciences (must be from two disciplines)3
Kent Core Additional3
General Electives (total credit hours depends on earning 120 credit hours, including 39 upper-division credit hours)17
Minimum Total Credit Hours:120
 
1

Courses in one foreign language or American Sign Language in proficiency required. This requirement may be fulfilled by one of the following two conditions: (1) passing the first two semesters of any foreign language or American Sign Language, or (2) passing a foreign language course at the Elementary II level or above.

Graduation Requirements
Minimum Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA
2.000 2.000
Roadmap

Roadmap

Roadmap

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Plan of Study Grid
Semester OneCredits
BSCI 10110
or CHEM 10030 and CHEM 10031
 BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (ELR) (KBS) (KLAB)
or CHEMISTRY IN OUR WORLD (KBS) and CHEMISTRY IN OUR WORLD LABORATORY (KBS) (KLAB)
4
!BSCI 16001 HORTICULTURAL BOTANY 3
!HORT 16003 INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE TECHNOLOGIES AND SENSORS 1
UC 10001 FLASHES 101 1
Kent Core Requirements 6
 Credit Hours15
Semester Two
BMRT 11000 INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS 3
!BSCI 26003
or BSCI 26004
 PLANT IDENTIFICATION AND SELECTION I
or PLANT IDENTIFICATION AND SELECTION II
3
!HORT 16002 INTRODUCTION TO AGROECOLOGY 3
Technical Elective 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours15
First Summer Term
HORT 35092 HORTICULTURE PRACTICUM (ELR) 3
 Credit Hours3
Semester Three
COMM 15000 INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN COMMUNICATION (KADL) 3
!GEOG 16001 SOIL AND HORTICULTURAL MANAGEMENT 3
!HORT 26001 OCCUPATIONAL REGULATIONS AND SAFETY 2
HORT 26016 IRRIGATION DESIGN AND MAINTENANCE 3
Technical Elective 3
 Credit Hours14
Semester Four
!BSCI 26002 ECOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES OF PEST MANAGEMENT 3
ESCI 21062 ENVIRONMENTAL EARTH SCIENCE (KBS) 3
!Major Elective 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours12
Second Summer Term
HORT 35092 HORTICULTURE PRACTICUM (ELR) 3
 Credit Hours3
Semester Five
ARTH 22007 ART HISTORY: RENAISSANCE TO MODERN ART (KFA) 3
ESCI 41073 GEOLOGY OF OHIO 3
GEOG 17064 GEOGRAPHY OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA (DIVD) (KSS) 3
HORT 26046
or HORT 36046
 LANDSCAPE DESIGN I
or LANDSCAPE DESIGN II
3
!HORT 36025 PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE IN HORTICULTURE (WIC) 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Six
PHIL 21001 INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS (DIVG) (KHUM) 3
Kent Core Requirements 6
General Electives 4
 Credit Hours13
Third Summer Term
HORT 36092 INTERNSHIP IN HORTICULTURE (ELR) 4
 Credit Hours4
Semester Seven
!HORT 36014 PLANT PROPAGATION AND GREENHOUSE PRODUCTION 3
!Major Elective 3
Foreign Language 4
General Elective 3
 Credit Hours13
Semester Eight
!HORT 46014 GARDEN CENTER AND NURSERY PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT 3
General Electives 10
 Credit Hours13
 Minimum Total Credit Hours:120

Program Delivery

Program Delivery

  • Delivery:
    • In person
  • Location:
    • Salem Campus

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries for Horticulture - B.A.H.

Those who complete the Bachelor's in Horticulture Degree at Kent State University can benefit from specialized career opportunities in the horticulture industry.

Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers

-6.5%

decline

952,300

number of jobs

$68,090

potential earnings

First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers

4.8%

about as fast as the average

685,000

number of jobs

$67,840

potential earnings

Landscaping and groundskeeping workers

10.1%

much faster than the average

1,188,000

number of jobs

$31,730

potential earnings

Notice: Career Information Source
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.
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