Horticulturists work to enrich our lives by integrating and applying plant science, environmental science, molecular biology, biotechnology, genetics, physiology, and management. Specifically, horticultural science deals with the development, production, growth, distribution, and use of fruits, vegetables, greenhouse crops, ornamentals, turf, and specialty plant crops (used for flavoring and medicine). Horticultural science is one of the most diverse biological sciences one can study at a university. Not only are the biology and genetics of crop plants interesting, but the application of this knowledge is equally important in a myriad of situations. Undergraduate horticulture majors will obtain specialized training in greenhouse/field management and the production and use of fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbaceous/woody ornamentals, and turfgrass through the bachelor of science degree program.
In addition to obtaining a job with an undergraduate degree in horticulture, the major provides an excellent background for graduate study in the field of plant sciences. Areas of graduate study include plant breeding and plant genetics, horticulture, agronomy, plant pathology, or other related fields such as biology, environmental science, natural resource management, agroecology, and genetics.
Students with either undergraduate or graduate degrees in horticulture have a variety of career opportunities. Recent studies show that there are more jobs in agriculture in the U.S. than there are students graduating with agricultural bachelor of science degrees to fill them. Estimates in 2015 showed that there were 57,900 job openings in agriculture and related fields and only 35,400 students graduating annually in those areas. As our world grapples with the need to contribute science-based solutions to feeding 9 billion people by 2050, students trained in the agricultural and horticultural sciences will be called on to contribute.
Horticulture graduates may find opportunities in working on developing higher yielding crops or crops that can withstand more stressful growing conditions. Others may find opportunities working on improving qualities such as flavor, appearance, texture, and postharvest shelf life for a wide range of horticultural commodities from fruits to vegetables to flowers. Sustainable production is a particular area of growth where horticultural expertise can make a contribution. Students may wish to read a recent report from the United States Department of Agriculture and Purdue University on the subject of employment opportunities in this area.
The horticulture degree serves as excellent preparation for careers in food production, plant nurseries, community supported agriculture (CSA), public gardens, landscaping, greenhouse production, teaching, public parks, vegetable fields, golf courses, urban agriculture, extension and community based educational work, work in research labs, and the health sciences. In addition, many horticultural science majors go on to work in public sector jobs including city and state positions with the Department of Natural Resources, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, and University of Wisconsin Extension. Students with degrees in horticulture also work in hospitals (horticultural therapy), aerospace (food and recycling in space labs), and zoos (managing environments for animals and visitors). Although the career opportunities are numerous, horticulture students have a common desire to work intensively with plants to improve our environment and our health.
To declare this major, students must be admitted to UW–Madison and the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS). For information about becoming a CALS first-year or transfer student, see Entering the College.
Students who attend Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration (SOAR) with the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences have the option to declare this major at SOAR. Students may otherwise declare after they have begun their undergraduate studies. For more information, contact the advisor listed under the Advising and Careers tab.
University General Education Requirements
All undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison are required to fulfill a minimum set of common university general education requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. Various schools and colleges will have requirements in addition to the requirements listed below. Consult your advisor for assistance, as needed. For additional information, see the university Undergraduate General Education Requirements section of the Guide.
| General Education |
* The mortarboard symbol appears before the title of any course that fulfills one of the Communication Part A or Part B, Ethnic Studies, or Quantitative Reasoning Part A or Part B requirements. |
College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Requirements
In addition to the University General Education Requirements, all undergraduate students in CALS must satisfy a set of college and major requirements. Specific requirements for all majors in the college and other information on academic matters can be obtained from the Office of Academic Affairs, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, 116 Agricultural Hall, 1450 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706; 608-262-3003. Academic departments and advisors also have information on requirements. Courses may not double count within university requirements (General Education and Breadth) or within college requirements (First-Year Seminar, International Studies and Science), but courses counted toward university requirements may also be used to satisfy a college and/or a major requirement; similarly, courses counted toward college requirements may also be used to satisfy a university and/or a major requirement.
College Requirements for all CALS B.S. Degree Programs
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Quality of Work: Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.000 to remain in good standing and be eligible for graduation. | ||
| Residency: Students must complete 30 degree credits in residence at UW–Madison after earning 86 credits toward their undergraduate degree. | ||
| First Year Seminar | 1 | |
| International Studies | 3 | |
| Physical Science Fundamentals | 4-5 | |
| General Chemistry I | ||
or CHEM 108 | Chemistry in Our World | |
or CHEM 109 | Advanced General Chemistry | |
| Biological Science | 5 | |
| Additional Science (Biological, Physical, or Natural) | 3 | |
| Science Breadth (Biological, Physical, Natural, or Social) | 3 | |
| CALS Capstone Learning Experience: included in the requirements for each CALS major (see "Major Requirements") | ||
Major Requirements
Courses may not double count within the major (unless specifically noted otherwise), but courses counted toward the major requirements may also be used to satisfy a university requirement and/or a college requirement. A minimum of 15 credits must be completed in the major that are not used elsewhere.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics and Statistics | ||
| Select one of the following (or may be satisfied by placement exam): | 5-6 | |
| Algebra and Trigonometry | ||
| Algebra and Trigonometry | ||
| Calculus with Algebra and Trigonometry I 1 | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-5 | |
| Calculus | ||
| Calculus with Algebra and Trigonometry II 1 | ||
| Calculus and Analytic Geometry 1 | ||
| Calculus and Analytic Geometry 2 | ||
| Introduction to Statistical Methods | ||
| Introductory Applied Statistics for the Life Sciences | ||
| Programming II | ||
| Chemistry | ||
| Select one of the following: | 5-9 | |
| General Chemistry I and General Chemistry II | ||
| Advanced General Chemistry | ||
| Biology | ||
| Select one of the following options: | 10-12 | |
| Option 1: | ||
| General Botany | ||
| Animal Biology | ||
| Animal Biology Laboratory | ||
| Option 2: | ||
| Introductory Biology | ||
| Introductory Biology | ||
| Option 3: | ||
| Evolution, Ecology, and Genetics | ||
| Cellular Biology | ||
And select two of the following: | ||
| Evolution, Ecology, and Genetics Laboratory | ||
| Cellular Biology Laboratory | ||
| Organismal Biology Laboratory | ||
| Agricultural Breadth | ||
| ENTOM/ZOOLOGY 302 | Introduction to Entomology | 3-4 |
| or ENTOM 351 | Principles of Economic Entomology | |
| GENETICS 466 | Principles of Genetics | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Plant Anatomy | ||
| Plant Morphology and Evolution | ||
| Plant Physiology | ||
| PL PATH 300 | Introduction to Plant Pathology | 3-4 |
| or PL PATH/F&W ECOL/HORT/LAND ARC 309 | Diseases of Trees and Shrubs | |
| SOIL SCI 301 | General Soil Science | 4 |
| Horticultural Core | ||
| HORT 120 | Survey of Horticulture | 3 |
| HORT 121 | Horticulture Colloquium | 1 |
| HORT 227 | Propagation of Horticultural Plants | 3 |
| HORT 320 | Environment of Horticultural Plants | 3 |
| HORT/AGRONOMY/SOIL SCI 326 | Plant Nutrition Management | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Greenhouse Cultivation and Greenhouse Cultivation Lab 2 | ||
| Special Topics (Organic Vegetable Production) | ||
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
| Ornamental Plants | ||
| Sustainable Turfgrass Use and Management and Turfgrass Management Laboratory | ||
| Special Topics (Arboriculture and Landscape Maintenance) | ||
| Landscape Plants I | ||
| Fruit Crop Production (alternate years) 2 | ||
| World Vegetable Crops | ||
| Electives | ||
| Select 5 elective credits (see list below) | 5 | |
| Capstone | ||
| Select one of the following: | 1-3 | |
A course as approved by advisor and chair of the curriculum committee, usually taken as the following: 3 | ||
| Tropical Horticultural Systems and Tropical Horticultural Systems International Field Study | ||
| Coordinative Internship/Cooperative Education | ||
| Special Problems | ||
| Total Credits | 70-84 | |
| 1 | |
| 2 | Alternate years. |
| 3 | Example activities include broad-based internships or broad-based international study. |
Elective Courses
Students may not double count courses within the major requirements (Agricultural Breadth, Horticultural Core, Electives, Capstone)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Business and Economics | ||
| A A E 215 | Introduction to Agricultural and Applied Economics | 3 |
| A A E/ENVIR ST 244 | The Environment and the Global Economy | 3 |
| A A E 246 | Climate Change Economics and Policy | 3 |
| A A E 319 | The International Agricultural Economy | 3 |
| A A E 320 | Farming Systems Management | 3 |
| A A E 323 | Cooperatives | 3 |
| A A E/ECON/ENVIR ST 343 | Environmental Economics | 3-4 |
| GEN BUS 310 | Fundamentals of Accounting and Finance for Non-Business Majors | 3 |
| GEN BUS 311 | Fundamentals of Management and Marketing for Non-Business Majors | 3 |
| Ecology, Conservation, and the Environment | ||
| BOTANY/F&W ECOL/ZOOLOGY 460 | General Ecology | 4 |
| F&W ECOL/C&E SOC/SOC 248 | Environment, Natural Resources, and Society | 3 |
| F&W ECOL/ENVIR ST/ZOOLOGY 360 | Extinction of Species | 3 |
| F&W ECOL/BOTANY 455 | The Vegetation of Wisconsin | 4 |
| F&W ECOL 550 | Forest Ecology | 3 |
| F&W ECOL/LAND ARC/ZOOLOGY 565 | Principles of Landscape Ecology | 2 |
| F&W ECOL/BOTANY/ENVIR ST/ZOOLOGY 651 | Conservation Biology | 3 |
| GEOG/ENVIR ST 120 | Introduction to the Earth System | 3 |
| GEOG/ENVIR ST 127 | Physical Systems of the Environment | 5 |
| GEOG/ENVIR ST 139 | Global Environmental Issues | 3-4 |
| GEOG/BOTANY 338 | Environmental Biogeography | 3 |
| GEOG/ENVIR ST 339 | Environmental Conservation | 4 |
| GEOSCI/ENVIR ST 106 | Environmental Geology | 3 |
| HISTORY/ENVIR ST/GEOG 460 | American Environmental History | 4 |
| LAND ARC/ENVIR ST 361 | Wetlands Ecology | 3 |
| ZOOLOGY/ENVIR ST 315 | Limnology-Conservation of Aquatic Resources | 2 |
| ZOOLOGY 316 | Laboratory for Limnology-Conservation of Aquatic Resources | 2-3 |
| Food, Health and Human Well-being: | ||
| A A E/C&E SOC/SOC 340 | Issues in Food Systems | 3-4 |
| AGRONOMY/ENTOM/NUTR SCI 203 | Introduction to Global Health | 3 |
| AGRONOMY 300 | Cropping Systems | 3 |
| AGRONOMY/A A E/INTER-AG/NUTR SCI 350 | World Hunger and Malnutrition | 3 |
| AGRONOMY 377 | Cropping Systems of the Tropics | 3 |
| C&E SOC/SOC 222 | Food, Culture, and Society | 3 |
| C&E SOC/SOC 650 | Sociology of Agriculture | 3 |
| FOOD SCI/AN SCI 321 | Food Laws and Regulations | 1 |
| GEOG/ENVIR ST 309 | People, Land and Food: Comparative Study of Agriculture Systems | 3 |
| HORT 345 | Fruit Crop Production | 3 |
| HORT 350 | Plants and Human Wellbeing | 2 |
| HORT 370 | World Vegetable Crops | 3 |
| HORT 375 | Special Topics (Organic Vegetable Production) | 1-4 |
| NUTR SCI 132 | Nutrition Today | 3 |
| PL PATH 311 | Global Food Security (Food Systems, Sustainability, and Climate Change) | 3 |
| PL PATH 375 | Special Topics | 1-4 |
| Landscape Horticulture | ||
| BSE 201 | Land Surveying Fundamentals | 1 |
| BSE 243 | Operating and Management Principles of Off-Road Vehicles | 3 |
| F&W ECOL 375 | Special Topics (Tree Risk Assessment and Decay Detection) | 1-4 |
| HORT 234 | Ornamental Plants | 3 |
| HORT/PL PATH 261 | Sustainable Turfgrass Use and Management | 2 |
| HORT/PL PATH 262 | Turfgrass Management Laboratory | 1 |
| HORT/LAND ARC 263 | Landscape Plants I | 3 |
| HORT/SOIL SCI 332 | Turfgrass Nutrient and Water Management | 3 |
| HORT 334 | Greenhouse Cultivation | 2 |
| HORT 335 | Greenhouse Cultivation Lab | 1 |
| HORT 375 | Special Topics (Arboriculture and Landscape Maintenance) | 1-4 |
| LAND ARC 250 | Survey of Landscape Architecture Design | 3 |
| LAND ARC 260 | History of Landscape Architecture | 3 |
| LAND ARC 211 | Landscape Inventory and Evaluation Methods | 4 |
| Pest Management | ||
| AGRONOMY/HORT 328 | Integrated Weed Management | 4 |
| ENTOM/BOTANY/ZOOLOGY 473 | Plant-Insect Interactions | 3 |
| ENTOM/F&W ECOL 500 | Insects in Forest Ecosystem Function and Management | 2 |
| PL PATH/BOTANY 332 | Fungi | 4 |
| Plant Biology | ||
| BOTANY 300 | Plant Anatomy | 4 |
| BOTANY 305 | Plant Morphology and Evolution | 4 |
| BOTANY 400 | Plant Systematics | 4 |
| BOTANY 401 | Vascular Flora of Wisconsin | 4 |
| BOTANY/ANTHRO/ZOOLOGY 410 | Evolutionary Biology | 3 |
| BOTANY 422 | Plant Geography | 3 |
| BOTANY/AMER IND/ANTHRO 474 | Ethnobotany | 3-4 |
| BOTANY 500 | Plant Physiology | 3-4 |
| F&W ECOL 415 | Tree Physiology | 3 |
| Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Biotechnology | ||
| AGRONOMY/C&E SOC/MED HIST/PHILOS 565 | The Ethics of Modern Biotechnology | 3-4 |
| BIOCHEM 501 | Introduction to Biochemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 341 | Elementary Organic Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 342 | Elementary Organic Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| CHEM 343 | Introductory Organic Chemistry | 3 |
| HORT/AGRONOMY 338 | Plant Breeding and Biotechnology | 3 |
| HORT/AGRONOMY/BOTANY 339 | Plant Biotechnology: Principles and Techniques I | 4 |
| HORT/AGRONOMY/BOTANY 340 | Plant Cell Culture and Genetic Engineering | 4 |
| HORT/AGRONOMY 360 | Genetically Modified Crops: Science, Regulation & Controversy | 2 |
| HORT 375 | Special Topics (Epigenetics) | 1-4 |
| HORT/PATH-BIO 500 | Molecular Biology Techniques | 3 |
| HORT/AGRONOMY 501 | Principles of Plant Breeding | 3 |
| HORT/AGRONOMY 502 | Techniques of Plant Breeding | 1 |
| HORT/GENETICS 550 | Molecular Approaches for Potential Crop Improvement | 3 |
| HIST SCI 202 | The Making of Modern Science | 3 |
| Public Policy and Environmental Ethics | ||
| C&E SOC/SOC 541 | Environmental Stewardship and Social Justice | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG 439 | US Environmental Policy and Regulation | 3-4 |
| ENVIR ST/SOIL SCI 575 | Assessment of Environmental Impact | 3 |
| POLI SCI 272 | Introduction to Public Policy | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI/ECON/ENVIR ST/URB R PL 449 | Government and Natural Resources | 3-4 |
| Soil Science | ||
| SOIL SCI 305 | Field Study of Soil | 1 |
| SOIL SCI 321 | Soils and Environmental Chemistry | 3 |
| SOIL SCI 322 | Physical Principles of Soil and Water Management | 3 |
| SOIL SCI/PL PATH 323 | Soil Biology | 3 |
| SOIL SCI/ENVIR ST 324 | Soils and Environmental Quality | 3 |
| SOIL SCI/ENVIR ST 575 | Assessment of Environmental Impact | 3 |
| Weather and Climate Change | ||
| ATM OCN 101 | Weather and Climate | 4 |
| ATM OCN/ENVIR ST/GEOSCI 102 | Climate and Climate Change | 3 |
| ATM OCN/ENVIR ST 171 | Global Change: Atmospheric Issues and Problems | 2-3 |
| ATM OCN/ENVIR ST/GEOG 332 | Global Warming: Science and Impacts | 3 |
| ATM OCN/ENVIR ST 520 | Bioclimatology | 3 |
Honors in the Major
Admission to the Honors Program is not competitive provided students meet the required admission criteria.
Admission Criteria for New Freshmen:
- In the upper 10% of their high school graduating class
- ACT score of 28 or higher
- SAT score of at least 1240
Admission Criteria for Transfer and Continuing UW-Madison Students:
- UW-Madison cumulative GPA of at least 3.25
Highly motivated students can apply for admission to the program in the absence of these requirements by including a letter with their application addressed to the Honors Dean in 116 Agricultural Hall explaining why they should be in the program.
How to Apply
Apply to the program online or pick up an application in the Office of Academic Affairs, 116 Agricultural Hall. Applications are accepted at any time.
New freshmen will automatically be enrolled in Honors in Research. It is possible to switch to Honors in the Major in the student’s first semester on campus after meeting with the advisor for that major by completing the application form and selecting Honors in the Major. Transfer and continuing students may apply directly to Honors in Research or Honors in the Major (after meeting with the major advisor).
How to Cancel Participation
Students who are no longer interested in pursuing Honors should complete the form to cancel their participation. Students may cancel their participation at any time, and this will not be noted on the student’s transcript.
Requirements
To earn Honors in the Major, students are required to take at least 20 honors credits. In addition, students must take HORT 289 Honors Independent Study, HORT 681 Senior Honors Thesis and HORT 682 Senior Honors Thesis when completing their thesis project; please see the Honors in Major Checklist for Horticulture for more information. The Department of Horticulture also works collaboratively to strongly support students through the Honors in Research program.
University Degree Requirements
| Total Degree | To receive a bachelor's degree from UW–Madison, students must earn a minimum of 120 degree credits. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 degree credits. Students should consult with their college or department advisor for information on specific credit requirements. |
| Residency | Degree candidates are required to earn a minimum of 30 credits in residence at UW–Madison. "In residence" means on the UW–Madison campus with an undergraduate degree classification. “In residence” credit also includes UW–Madison courses offered in distance or online formats and credits earned in UW–Madison Study Abroad/Study Away programs. |
| Quality of Work | Undergraduate students must maintain the minimum grade point average specified by the school, college, or academic program to remain in good academic standing. Students whose academic performance drops below these minimum thresholds will be placed on academic probation. |
1. Acquire, integrate and apply knowledge of plant science to horticultural systems.
2. Demonstrate interdisciplinary knowledge and competency in managing horticultural systems.
3. Synthesize knowledge and use insight and creativity to better understand and improve horticultural systems.
4. Appreciate and communicate the diverse impacts of horticulture on people.
5. Demonstrate professionalism and proficiency in skills that relate to horticulture.
Four-year plan
Sample Horticulture Four-Year Plan (with Botany 130 in the first semester)
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| HORT 120 | 3 | MATH 113 | 3 |
| HORT 121 | 1 | Ethnic Studies Course | 3 |
| BOTANY/BIOLOGY 1301 | 5 | ZOOLOGY/BIOLOGY 101 & ZOOLOGY/BIOLOGY 102 | 5 |
| MATH 112 | 3 | International Studies / Electives Courses | 5 |
| COMM A Course | 3 | ||
| First Year Seminar | 1 | ||
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Total Credits 32 | |||
| Sophomore | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| HORT 320 | 3 | CHEM 104 | 5 |
| CHEM 103 | 4 | HORT 334 & HORT 335 (Organic Vegetable Production)2 | 3-4 |
| COMM B Course | 3 | HORT 227 | 3 |
| Electives | 4-5 | Electives | 4-5 |
| 14-15 | 15-17 | ||
| Total Credits 29-32 | |||
| Junior | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| SOIL SCI 301 | 4 | SOIL SCI/AGRONOMY/HORT 326 | 3 |
| PL PATH 300 or 309 | 4 | ENTOM/ZOOLOGY 302 or 351 | 3-4 |
| Horticulture Breadth Course | 3 | Math / Statistics / Computer Science Course | 3 |
| Electives | 4-5 | Botany Course | 3-4 |
| Electives | 3 | ||
| 15-16 | 15-17 | ||
| Total Credits 30-33 | |||
| Senior | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Horticulture Capstone Course | 3 | Horticulture Capstone Course (if not taken in fall) | 3 |
| Horticulture Breadth Course | 3 | Horticulture Breadth or Elective Courses3 | 12 |
| GENETICS 466 | 3 | ||
| Horticulture Breadth or Elective Courses | 6-7 | ||
| 15-16 | 15 | ||
| Total Credits 30-31 | |||
| 1 | BOTANY/BIOLOGY 130 and ZOOLOGY/BIOLOGY 101/ZOOLOGY/BIOLOGY 102 are the preferred biology track |
| 2 | Offered alternate years |
| 3 | Note that at least 120 credits must be completed to be eligible for graduation. Aim to complete an average of 15 credits per semester. |
Note: HORT 121 Horticulture Colloquium can be taken in any year |
Sample Horticulture Four-Year Plan (with Chem 103 in the first semester)
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| HORT 120 | 3 | Ethnic Studies Course | 3 |
| HORT 121 | 1 | CHEM 104 | 5 |
| CHEM 103 | 4 | BOTANY/BIOLOGY 1301 | 5 |
| MATH 112 | 3 | COMM A Course | 3 |
| First Year Seminar | 1 | ||
| 12 | 16 | ||
| Total Credits 28 | |||
| Sophomore | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| HORT 320 | 3 | International Studies / Electives | 5-6 |
| Hort Breadth | 3 | HORT 227 | 3 |
| COMM B | 3 | HORT 334 & HORT 335 (Organic Vegetable Production)2 | 3-4 |
| ZOOLOGY/BIOLOGY 101 & ZOOLOGY/BIOLOGY 102 | 5 | ENTOM/ZOOLOGY 302 or 351 | 4 |
| 14 | 15-17 | ||
| Total Credits 29-31 | |||
| Junior | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| SOIL SCI 301 | 4 | SOIL SCI/AGRONOMY/HORT 326 | 3 |
| PL PATH 300 or 309 | 4 | Horticulture Breadth or Elective Courses | 10 |
| Horticulture Breadth Course | 3 | Botany Course | 3-4 |
| International Studies / Elective Courses | 4-5 | ||
| 15-16 | 16-17 | ||
| Total Credits 31-33 | |||
| Senior | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Horticulture Capstone Course | 3 | Horticulture Capstone Course (if not taken in fall) | 3 |
| Horticulture Breadth or Elective Courses | 10 | Horticulture Breadth or Elective Courses3 | 12 |
| GENETICS 466 | 3 | ||
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Total Credits 31 | |||
| 1 | BOTANY/BIOLOGY 130 and ZOOLOGY/BIOLOGY 101/ZOOLOGY/BIOLOGY 102 are the preferred biology track |
| 2 | Offered alternate years |
| 3 | Note that at least 120 credits must be completed to be eligible for graduation. Aim to complete an average of 15 credits per semester. |
Note: HORT 121 Horticulture Colloquium can be taken in any year |
Advising
Undergraduate students in the Department of Horticulture are assigned to a minimum of two advisors: our staff advisor and a faculty mentor. Prospective students should meet with the staff advisor first; the advisor will help match students to a faculty mentor in the area of interest. Current students can meet with either the staff advisor or their assigned faculty mentor. Students are required to meet with their advisor at least once each semester.
Staff Advisor
Our staff advisor is available to help prospective and current students with major exploration, general degree requirements and policies, academic planning, campus resources, and so on.
Contact: Kathryn Jones, kjones26@wisc.edu; schedule an advising appointment here.
Faculty Mentors
Our faculty mentors are available to help current students with internships and careers, graduate school preparation, research opportunities, etc. Contact information for faculty mentors is available on the faculty profile page.
Careers
A degree in horticulture serves as excellent preparation for careers in: applied plant science, food crop production, plant breeding & plant genetics, urban agriculture, gardening, landscaping, community supported agriculture (CSA), extension and community based educational work, horticulture education, research, greenhouse production, horticultural therapy, etc. For sample career profiles in horticulture, see Career Opportunities on the department website.
Professors
Bamberg, Colquhoun, Goldman (chair), Havey, Jansky, Krysan, Nienhuis, Palta, Patterson, Simon, Spooner, Yandell
Associate Professors
Bethke, Jull, Weng, Zalapa
Assistant Professors
Atucha, Dawson, Endelman, Wang
Instructional staff
Calderon, Futa, Nelson, Oosterwyk
Students in the horticulture program have some unique opportunities for learning outside the classroom. Our introductory horticulture course, HORT 120 Survey of Horticulture, is known campus-wide for its extensive engagement with service learning. Service learning projects in a variety of settings, where students gain hands-on experiences in community projects, are a core part of student engagement in the horticulture program. Many of our students participate in internships during the summer and even during academic semesters at locations that vary from seed companies to wineries to public gardens. Multiple internship opportunities for horticulture students exist on or near campus at facilities such as the Allen Centennial Garden, the UW Arboretum, and the Agricultural Research Stations.
Horticulture students have a unique opportunity to study tropical horticulture during the fall semester and then travel to Costa Rica and other countries in Central America for a two week intensive field experience during winter break. Spring break opportunities also exist for tropical horticultural experiential learning.
The Department of Horticulture has a very active undergraduate club known as the Horticulture Society. The mission of the Horticulture Society is to interest and acquaint students in the college with career opportunities and requirements in the field of Horticulture and related fields. They aim to provide opportunities to further this interest through combined effort and achievement; to create awareness and interest in students entering the college with the field of horticulture; to be available to industrious students interested in expanding their knowledge of horticulture; and promote an exchange of ideas and mutual understanding. The Society is made up of undergraduates, some of whom are majoring in Horticulture. A faculty advisor works with the group, and the group meets bi-monthly. The Society travels to horticultural events and meetings, visits botanical gardens and arboreta around the country, has traveled internationally, and runs programming for children at elementary schools and gardens around Wisconsin. The Society runs a large and successful plant sale each fall on campus.
Embedded in the department is the Wisconsin Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, or WISA. WISA’s long-term vision is to develop an Institute whose networking with client groups helps develop and share knowledge that promotes a diverse Wisconsin agricultural and food system that is environmentally sound, socially just, and economically viable. The Institute promotes research, education and outreach programs that are trans-disciplinary and implement a systems approach to the study of food and agricultural production throughout the supply chain. These include development and enhancement of undergraduate and graduate student learning experiences.