This is an archived copy of the 2015-16 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://bulletin.ndsu.edu.

Horticulture

Instruction and study in horticulture is focused on fruits, vegetables, and woody and herbaceous landscape plants, including propagation, production, culture, marketing, processing, and utilization. Horticulture encompasses the design and planting for landscapes, parks, highways, and public facilities, including interiorscapes, in rural, suburban, and urban areas. It includes skills for management of nursery, garden center, greenhouse, seed, fruit, vegetable, biotechnology, and specialty crop enterprises, as well as floral design and flower shops.

The Horticulture major is a four-year curriculum leading to the B.S. degree. Students also may minor in Horticulture. Prospective students should consult with horticulture faculty regarding programs and options so their educational needs may best be fulfilled. Master of Science and Ph.D. degree programs also are available. For more complete details, see the Graduate Bulletin .

Curriculum Options

Horticulture majors may select one or more options of study. All of the requirements for the major and the supporting disciplines must be met to complete any horticulture option. Students may select from the following five options:

  • Horticulture Biotechnology: This option is for students who plan to engage in laboratory research or further their education in the biotechnology of horticultural crops.
  • Horticulture Science: This option is for students who plan to continue formal graduate school education leading to careers in research, teaching, and extension.
  • Landscape Design: This option is for students interested in planning, designing, and installing landscape plantings for functional and aesthetic purposes (a 19-credit minor in landscape architecture is required).
  • Production Business: This option is for students who wish to grow, market, and process horticultural crops, for example, nursery and/or greenhouse landscape, fruit, and vegetable crops.
  • Urban Forestry and Parks: This option is for students who desire a career in the management of urban forests and park-like areas, including arboreta and botanic gardens. It also includes maintenance of residential landscapes.

Special Opportunities

Pre-Forestry: A student who desires to major in forestry may select a two-year pre-forestry curriculum. However, the forestry student must transfer to another institution that offers a Forestry program to complete degree requirements.

Horticulture and Forestry Club: This club meets twice each month. Members take field trips to botanical gardens, arboreta, trade shows, parks and other horticultural sites. They also are actively involved in growing and marketing flowers and foliage plants, regional and national judging contests, flower shows, and horticulture science and education programs.

Major Requirements

Major: Horticulture

Degree Type: B.S.
Required Degree Credits to Graduate: 128

General Education Requirements

First Year Experience (F):
AGRI 189Skills for Academic Success (Students transferring in 24 or more credits do not need to take AGRI 189.)1
Communication (C):
ENGL 110College Composition I3
ENGL 120College Composition II3
One Course in Upper Level Writing: Select one of the following:3
Business and Professional Writing
Writing in the Technical Professions
Writing in the Sciences
COMM 110Fundamentals of Public Speaking3
Quantitative Reasoning (R):
STAT 330Introductory Statistics3
Science & Technology (S):
CHEM 121
121L
General Chemistry I
and General Chemistry I Laboratory
4
CHEM 122General Chemistry II3
CSCI 114Microcomputer Packages3-4
or CSCI 116 Business Use of Computers
Humanities & Fine Arts (A): Select from current general education list6
Social & Behavioral Sciences (B):
ECON 201Principles of Microeconomics3
or ECON 202 Principles of Macroeconomics
Select course from current general education list3
Wellness (W): Select from current general education list2
Cultural Diversity (D): Select from current general education list
Global Perspectives (G):
ECON 201Principles of Microeconomics3
Total Credits40

Major Requirements

General Education Requirements40
Required Courses for Horticulture
AGRI 150Agriculture Orientation (Students transferring in 24 or more credits do not need to take AGRI 150.)1
BIOL 150
150L
General Biology I
and General Biology I Laboratory
4
ENT 350General Entomology3
PLSC 210Horticulture Science3
PLSC 211Horticulture Science Lab1
PLSC 315Genetics3
PLSC 355Woody Landscape Plants3
PLSC 457Horticulture and Turfgrass Systems (Capstone)3
PLSC 491Seminar1
PPTH 324Introductory Plant Pathology3
Options: Select one of the five options listed below.38-53
Students must select one option of most interest. The standard option for this major is Production-Business. Student who wish to declare an option other than the standard option must officially declare that option with the Office of Registration and Records.
Degree Requirements: Potential of a minimum of 25 credits to reach 128.25
Total Credits128-143
Production-Business Option - 47 Credits

Standard option for the major of horticulture.

ACCT 102Fundamentals of Accounting3
BOT 372Structure and Diversity of Plants and Fungi4
BOT 380Plant Physiology3
MGMT 320Foundations of Management3
MGMT 450Human Resource Management3
MATH 103College Algebra3
PLSC 315LGenetics Laboratory1
PLSC 323Principles of Weed Science3
PLSC 360Horticultural Food Crops4
PLSC 368Plant Propagation3
PLSC 412Nursery Production and Management3
PLSC 422Greenhouse Production and Management3
PLSC 486Applied Crop Physiology3
PPTH 455Plant Disease Management3
or PPTH 457 Landscape Plant Pathology
SOIL 210Introduction to Soil Science3
Plant Science Electives: Select one of the following:2
Potato Science
Herbaceous Landscape Plants
Turfgrass Management
Advanced Landscape Plants
Plant Tissue Culture and Biotechnology
Arboriculture Science
Field Experience
Total Credits47

Horticulture Biotechnology Option - 53 Credits

This option also requires the completion of the Biotechnology minor.

BIOC 460
460L
Foundations of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I
and Foundations of Biochemistry I Laboratory
4
BIOC 461Foundations of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II3
BIOC 474Methods of Recombinant DNA Technology3
BOT 372Structure and Diversity of Plants and Fungi4
BOT 380Plant Physiology3
CHEM 122LGeneral Chemistry II Laboratory1
CHEM 341
341L
Organic Chemistry I
and Organic Chemistry I Laboratory
4
CHEM 342Organic Chemistry II3
MATH 146Applied Calculus I4
MICR 202
202L
Introductory Microbiology
and Introductory Microbiology Lab
3
PLSC 315LGenetics Laboratory1
PLSC 360Horticultural Food Crops4
PLSC 368Plant Propagation3
PLSC 484Plant Tissue Culture and Biotechnology3
PLSC 486Applied Crop Physiology3
MATH 103College Algebra (or higher level)3
Plant Science Electives: Select 4 credits from the following:4
Field Experience
Applied Plant Breeding and Research Methods
PLSC Elective Course
No more than 2 credits of co-op allowed
Total Credits53
Horticulture Science Option - 50 Credits
BOT 372Structure and Diversity of Plants and Fungi4
BOT 380Plant Physiology3
CHEM 122LGeneral Chemistry II Laboratory1
CHEM 260Elements of Biochemistry4
CHEM 341
341L
Organic Chemistry I
and Organic Chemistry I Laboratory
4
MATH 103College Algebra (or higher based on math placement)3
MATH 146Applied Calculus I4
PHYS 120Fundamentals of Physics3
PLSC 315LGenetics Laboratory1
PLSC 323Principles of Weed Science3
PLSC 360Horticultural Food Crops4
PLSC 368Plant Propagation3
PLSC 484Plant Tissue Culture and Biotechnology3
PLSC 486Applied Crop Physiology3
SOIL 210Introduction to Soil Science3
Plant Science Electives: Select 4 credit from the following:4
Field Experience
Nursery Production and Management
Greenhouse Production and Management
Applied Plant Breeding and Research Methods
PLSC
Elective
Total Credits50
Landscape Design Option - 38 Credits

This option also requires the completion of the Landscape Architecture minor.

BOT 380Plant Physiology3
BOT 460Plant Ecology3
BUSN 431Business Law I-Contracts, Property and Torts3
MATH 103College Algebra3
PLSC 177Floral Design I2
PLSC 323Principles of Weed Science3
PLSC 341Landscape Bidding, Contracting and Operations2
PLSC 365Herbaceous Landscape Plants2
PLSC 375
375L
Turfgrass Management
and Turfgrass Management Laboratory
4
PLSC 465Advanced Landscape Plants2
PLSC 485Arboriculture Science3
PPTH 457Landscape Plant Pathology3
SOIL 210Introduction to Soil Science3
Plant Science Electives: Select 2 credits from the following:2
Field Experience
Plant Propagation
Nursery Production and Management
Greenhouse Production and Management
Applied Crop Physiology
PLSC
Elective
Total Credits38
Urban Forestry & Park Option - 51 Credits
BOT 372Structure and Diversity of Plants and Fungi4
BOT 380Plant Physiology3
BOT 460Plant Ecology3
MGMT 320Foundations of Management3
HNES 426Sport Administration3
MATH 103College Algebra3
NRM 150Natural Resource Management Orientation1
PLSC 219Introduction to Prairie & Community Forestry2
PLSC 315LGenetics Laboratory1
PLSC 323Principles of Weed Science3
PLSC 365Herbaceous Landscape Plants2
PLSC 375Turfgrass Management3
PLSC 465Advanced Landscape Plants2
PLSC 485Arboriculture Science3
PLSC 486Applied Crop Physiology3
POLS 360Principles of Public Administration3
PPTH 457Landscape Plant Pathology3
SOIL 210Introduction to Soil Science3
Plant Science Electives: Select 3 credits from the following:3
Field Experience
Plant Propagation
Nursery Production and Management
Greenhouse Production and Management
PLSC
Elective
Total Credits51

Degree Requirements and Notes                                                                                      

  • No more than 6 credits may be co-op.

Minor Requirements

Horticulture Minor

Minor Requirements

Required Credits: 18

Required Courses
PLSC 210Horticulture Science3
PLSC 211Horticulture Science Lab1
Elective Courses: Select 8 credits from the following:8
Woody Landscape Plants
Horticultural Food Crops
Herbaceous Landscape Plants
Plant Propagation
Advanced Landscape Plants
Select 6 credits from the courses listed below:6
Any PLSC 300-400 level courses or any of the courses listed below are required to obtain the minimum of 18 credits.
PLSC 300-400 level
General Entomology
Introductory Plant Pathology
Introduction to Soil Science
Total Credits18

Minor Requirements and Notes

  • A minimum of 8 credits must be taken at NDSU.
  • Students must earn a minimum 2.00 GPA for the minor requirements.