Impact lives while pursuing your passion for plants and gardening

Gain the knowledge you need to design therapeutic gardens and provide a unique form of care for diverse populations who seek healing when you earn an Undergraduate Certificate in Horticultural Therapy online from the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University. Learn how to harness the restorative powers of plants to improve memory, coordination and mental health while developing the skills you need to help heal lives through nature.

Designed primarily for professionals already working in horticulture or behavioral health, this certificate program will give you an understanding of how horticultural sciences impact modern social, economic, political and environmental issues. You’ll also gather and analyze data to evaluate horticultural systems, identify programmatic or design related problems and recommend solutions — all for the purpose of helping to treat patients with health or emotional problems through the healing influence of nature.

Start on the path toward registration with the AHTA

By earning Oregon State’s horticultural therapy certificate online, you’ll complete the American Horticultural Therapy Association's approved Therapeutic Horticulture Series, while taking other courses in horticulture or human sciences to help you prepare for AHTA registration. OSU is the only institution West of the Rocky Mountains that offers the AHTA-accredited certificate series fully online.

Coursework

The online coursework in this certificate program will provide the foundation you need to work toward a career as a registered horticultural therapist, community garden coordinator or rehabilitation program coordinator.

Curriculum details and certificate requirements are available on Oregon State’s academic catalog.

Sample course topics

• Introduction to therapeutic horticulture
• Therapeutic gardens
• Plant materials and identification
• Integrated pest management
• Human lifespan development
• Health psychology
• Adult development and aging

Prerequisites

You may need to complete additional coursework prior to enrolling in this program and taking the required certificate courses. This could mean completing 3 or more additional credits, depending on your educational background as it relates to the program requirements. We recommend that you evaluate this prior to applying for admission.

Benefits of learning online with Oregon State

• All classes are developed by Oregon State's world-class faculty, who are renowned for their research, expertise and innovation.
• Oregon State is institutionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
• Oregon State Ecampus consistently ranks among the nation’s 10 best providers of online education according to U.S. News & World Report.
• OSU Ecampus students receive the same certificate and transcript as on-campus students.

NOTE: The U.S. Department of Education has approved this certificate for federal financial aid eligibility as part of a full degree program, but has not yet approved it as an independent certificate program. Alternate funding sources (e.g. private loans, private funds, scholarships) may be required to cover the costs associated with this program.