Landscape Gardening and Contracting AS

Training in the curriculum in Landscape Gardening and Contracting, a two-year course of study, is planned so that graduates, depending upon their interests, abilities, and achievement, may qualify for employment in a wide variety of capacities. Positions that graduates may hold in private employment, or for which they may take civil-service examinations, include those of landscape maintenance gardener, estate gardener, municipal gardener,landscape installer or contractor, landscape designer, nursery specialist, horticultural or agricultural inspector, highway landscape supervisor, tree-maintenance technician, school or community garden coordinator, irrigation technician,landscape restoration worker, athletic field or golf course groundskeeper, or landscape consultant. Other positions include garden sales, growers, horticultural supply sales, interiorscape technicians or supervisors, irrigation design or sales and arborist.

The course of study includes instruction in principles of landscape design and landscape construction, principles of environmental horticulture, plant identification, landscape horticulture, and business practices in the environmental-horticultural industry. Students who complete the curriculum and other graduation requirements receive the Associate in Science in Landscape Gardening and Contracting.

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

• Apply principles of landscape design.
• Use horticultural machines and construction equipment in landscape gardening and contracting.
• Identify plants related to landscape horticulture.
• Articulate the responsibilities of distinct landscape gardener and contractor employment options.

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

Course number	Course Title	Annual Sections	Annual Enrollment/ Completions
O H 50	Introduction to Environmental Horticulture	5	130/130
O H 56	Horticultural Machines	1	30/30
O H 76	Fall and Winter Plant Identification	2	60/60
O H 63	Soils	1	30/30
O H 75	Pest Management	1	25/25
O H 77	Spring and Summer Plant Identification	2	60/60
O H 66	Irrigation	1	25/25
O H 70A	Principles of Landscape Design	2	40/40
O H 60	Business Practices	1	25/25
O H 71A	Landscape Construction	2	40/40
O H 97	Work Experience	2	15/15

The Environmental Horticulture program at City College of San Francisco offers a broad curriculum in a community-based program. The program maintains strong links with employers (many of whom are CCSF graduates) in both the private and public sectors. Professional organizations such as the California Landscape Contractors Association, the California Association of Nurserymen and the San Francisco Professional Gardeners Association recognize the Environmental Horticultural program and provide scholarship assistance for outstanding students.

 

Environmental Horticulture provides an ongoing job placement information to its students, as well as referral to superlative internships such as those at Strybing Arboretum and Filoli Estate.

The program offers excellent facilities, and a staff committed to student success.

Students who complete this curriculum and other graduation requirements satisfactorily receive the Associate in Science in Landscape Gardening and Contracting. This two-year course of study is planned so that graduates may qualify for employment in a wide variety of capacities in the landscape gardening and contracting profession including landscape maintenance gardener, estate gardener, municipal gardener, landscape installer or contractor, landscape designer, nursery specialist, horticultural or agricultural inspector and others.  

If students begin this AS with transfer‐level math and English eligibility, the minimum time for completion is 4 semesters. Completion time will vary based on student preparation and number of units completed per semester. 

Course	Title	Units	Year/Semester (Y1 or S1)
O H 50	Introduction to Environmental Horticulture	3	Y1, S1
O H 56	Horticultural Machines	3	Y1, S1
O H 76	Fall and Winter Plant Identification	4	Y1, S1
CMST 11	Basic Public Speaking	3	Y1, S1
O H 53A	Beginning Landscape Horticulture	3	Y1, S2
O H 75	Pest Management	3	Y1, S2
O H 77	Spring and Summer Plant Identification	4	Y1, S2
O H 53B	Advanced Landscape Horticulture	3	Y2, S1
O H 70A	Principles of Landscape Design	3	Y2, S1
O H 71A	Landscape Construction	4	Y2, S1
O H 60	Business Practices	3	Y2, S2
O H 70B	Advanced Principles of Landscape Design	3	Y2, S2
O H 71B	Advanced Landscape Construction	4	Y2, S2
O H 97	Work Experience	3	Y2, S2

Required Majortotal:  49 units

Completion of CSU GEBreadth or IGETC pattern: 21 units

Year 1, Semester 1: 18 units

Year 1, Semester 2: 18 units

Year 2, Semester 1: 18 units

Year 2, Semester 2: 17 units

Total: 70 units

The program has been offered for several years but we have no BACCC recommendation in our records.

This program is unique to the Bay Area in that it trains people to work specifically in and is designed around the needs of Maintenance and design Build Enterprises. It also features full semester, credit classes, offered by primarily full-time instructors. All curriculum, certificates, and degrees are approved by our Horticulture Advisory. Since 1935 City College of San Francisco District has held program agreements with all other Bay Area Districts that offer Horticulture Programs. Programs at Mission College and CSM in Horticulture and Floristry have been eliminated. Programs at Canada and Merritt College have more of a residential focus.