Nursery and Garden-Center Operation

Nursery and Garden-Center Operation Certificate of Achievement

The program of study for this certificate is designed to give students both broad and specialized training for entry-level employment in sales work and in various kinds of horticultural production or to add to their capabilities in nursery and garden-center operation.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:

• Execute the duties required to work in various horticulture production operations.
• Identify and describe plants that are common to nursery and garden center operations.
• Propagate and apply horticultural care to produce saleable plant materials.

The minimum time for completion of this certificate is 3 semesters. Completion time will vary based on student preparation and number of classes completed per semester.

Nursery and Garden-Center Operation AS Major

Students who complete the curriculum in Nursery and Garden-Center Operation satisfactorily are qualified for employment in the wholesale and retail nursery businesses as growers, propagators, salespeople, and seed brokers. Graduates of this two-year course of study may also take civil-service examinations for positions as pest-control applicators and supervisors, weed-seed analysts, farm and garden supervisors, horticultural inspectors, and plant propagators.

The course of study includes instruction in nursery operation, principles of environmental horticulture, plant identification, the use of horticultural machines, and business practices in the environmental-horticulture industry.

Students who complete the curriculum and other graduation requirements receive the Associate in Science in Nursery and Garden-Center Operation.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:

• Execute the duties required to work in various horticulture production operations.
• Identify and describe plants that are common to nursery and garden center operations.
• Propagate and apply cultural care to produce saleable plant materials.
• Design and plan landscapes in commercial and residential applications

The minimum time for completion is 4 semesters; completion time will vary based on student preparation and number of units completed per semester. 

We expect 6 completions/year for the AS  and 10 Completions for the certificate.

The program goal is occupational training to prepare students to work in the field of greenhouse and nursery operations.

Nursery and Garden-Center Operation AS Major

Course	Units	Sequence (year, semester)
First semester:
O H 50 - Introduction to Environmental Horticulture	3.00	Y1, S1
O H 56 - Horticultural Machines	3.00	Y1, S1
O H 76 - Fall and Winter Plant Identification	4.00	Y1, S1
Total:	10.00
Second semester:
O H 63 - Soils	3.00	Y1, S2
O H 75 - Pest Management	3.00	Y1, S2
O H 77 - Spring and Summer Plant Identification	4.00	Y1, S2
Total:	10.00
Third semester:
O H 65 - Plant Propagation	3.00	Y2, S1
O H 70A - Principles of Landscape Design	3.00	Y2, S1
CMST 11 - Basic Public Speaking*	3.00	Y2, S1
* Students may satisfy this requirement by passing an accredited college level foreign language or oral presentation course.
Total:	9.00
Fourth semester:
O H 60 - Business Practices	3.00	Y2, S2
O H 71A - Landscape Construction	4.00	Y2, S2
O H 97 - Work Experience	3.00	Y2, S2
Total:	10.00
Total:	39.00

Nursery and Garden-Center Operation Certificate of Achievement

Course	Units	Sequence (year, semester)
REQUIRED COURSES
O H 50 - Introduction to Environmental Horticulture	3.00	Y1,S1
O H 56 - Horticultural Machines	3.00	Y1,S2
O H 60 - Business Practices	3.00	Y1,S2
O H 63 - Soils	3.00	Y2,S1
O H 75 - Pest Management	3.00	Y2,S1
O H 76 - Fall and Winter Plant Identification	4.00	Y1,S1
O H 77 - Spring and Summer Plant Identification	4.00	Y1,S2
CMST 11 - Basic Public Speaking	3.00	Y2,S1
Total:	26.00

Nursery and Garden-Center Operation AS Major

Required Major total:  39 units

Completion of CSU GE Breadth or IGETC pattern: 21 units

Year 1, Semester 1: 15 units

Year 1, Semester 2: 15 units

Year 2, Semester 1: 15 units

Year 2, Semester 2: 15 units

Total: 60 units

Nursery and Garden-Center Operation Certificate of Achievement

Year1, Semester 1: 7 units

Year1, Semester 2: 10 units

Year2 Semester 1:  9 units

Total:26 units

This program is very popular

I believe this program is unique to the Bay Area.