Curriculum

As an Oregon State horticulture major, you'll study plant pathology, pest and weed management, soils, ecology, agricultural business and policy within the diverse field of horticulture. You'll also participate in applied, experiential learning, and OSU faculty members will share their knowledge and research of the latest technologies and trends in the horticulture field.

Degree requirements

A minimum of 180 quarter credits — at least 60 of which must be upper-division credits — are required to graduate with your bachelor's degree in horticulture, including:

• OSU's Baccalaureate Core (general education)
• Major requirements: Horticulture
  • Specialization option requirement: General horticulture, Plant breeding, genetics, and genomics, or Therapeutic horticulture

Honors degree online

As an undergraduate degree-seeking student, you can apply to earn an honors degree online in your academic major. Earning this prestigious degree gives you the opportunity to collaborate with faculty on research, complete a comprehensive thesis experience and engage in co-curricular activities.

Options

General horticulture

Learn horticultural principles and practices within the context of plant biology, pest management, soils, and ecology. The general horticulture option offers you a broad range of electives to choose from, so you can build the curriculum to meet your specific research or career goals. You'll also gain hands-on experience through an internship or research project. 

Plant breeding, genetics, and genomics

Plant breeders work to develop crops with stronger yields, better disease resistance and increased tolerance to climate change. When you choose this option, you'll gain fundamental knowledge and practical experience in plant breeding and genetic analysis. The skills you learn can be applied to a wide range of horticultural and agricultural crops, forestry products, and agronomic food and feed crops.

Therapeutic horticulture

Learn to design therapeutic gardens and implement programs that enhance people's lives. Through hands-on experiences, you'll explore the profound connection between nature and healing and witness the transformative power of horticultural therapy firsthand. You'll gain skills to help you build a career as a registered horticultural therapist, community garden coordinator or a rehabilitation coordinator.

Sample course topics

• Plant nutrition
• Weed management
• Plant propagation
• Landscape plant materials
• Organic farming and gardening
• Sustainable landscapes
• Urban forestry
• Applied ecology
• Environmental economics and policy

Additional program features

Internship or research project

As part of your horticulture studies, you will need to complete a 360-hour internship or a research project in a horticulture-related position. This requirement only applies to students enrolled in the general horticulture option.

Your internship will provide important hands-on field experience and enable you to successfully apply the knowledge learned in your classes. If you are currently working in the horticultural industry, you may be able to use your employment to meet the internship requirement.

If you intend to continue to graduate school or work in a research setting, completing a research project is recommended. 

Transfer credits

Some degree requirements may be transferred from other institutions. Please note that a minimum of 45 credits of the last 75 credits in this degree program must be completed at Oregon State (online or on campus) to meet the academic residency requirement.

Previously earned credits will need to be reviewed upon admittance to OSU for appropriate articulation. Additional information about transferring credits is available through OSU’s Transfer Credit Central.

Add a minor

As an OSU Ecampus student, you can add a minor to your degree program. OSU offers a diverse selection of minors online. You can combine horticulture with a minor in business or a second language to create an even more powerful résumé fit for today's competitive job market.