Plant Science Certificate of Achievement

This program provides instruction in the planting, growing, harvesting, and marketing of field, forage, and vegetable crops as well as irrigated and range pasture crops.  It is designed for skill development and upward mobility for  Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers, Natural Sciences Managers, Agricultural Technicians, Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators (Vegetation), First-Line Supervisors of Farm Workers, Agricultural Inspectors, and Forest and Conservation Workers. 

To Achieve the Certificate of Achievement: Upon completion of the required courses with at least a ‘C’ or ‘P’ grade in each course, the student will be awarded a Certificate of Achievement.

The current faculty and facilities allow for the program to enroll 8 students per semester, with a planned student completion in 2 semesters. This schedule would allow for the program to graduate  a maximum of 16 completers per year. No additional faculty will be required

1. Upon successful completion of the program the student will be able to identify and utilize pertinent concepts of plant physiology, anatomy, nutrition, reproduction, and pest control to solve plant production problems under field and greenhouse conditions.

2. Upon successful completion of the program the student will be able to identify and utilize pertinent concepts of soil physical, chemical, and biological properties and their interactions with plants to solve plant production problems under field and greenhouse conditions.

3. Upon successful completion of the program the student will be able to identify and utilize pertinent concepts of plant propagation to effectively reproduce plants from seed, stems, leaves, roots, natural propagules, and/or small amounts of tissue in culture and to produce grafted plants.

The Plant Science Certificate of Achievement prepares students for either entry level professional positions or for upward mobility in crop production and related industries.  AGRI B1, CRPS B1, CRPS B5, and SOIL B1 are introductory courses required of all Plant Science students regardless of the specific professional objectives in the industry.  ORNH B4 and CRPS B3 are courses that would most likely be needed by students who intend to work, or are already working, in more specialized areas of the industry such as vegetable propagation or pest control, respectively.  CRPS B2, CRPS B4, CRPS B16, and NRES B1 are courses that cover production of very specific types of crops, all of which are grown regionally.