Floriculture

Application Curriculum Code - 0643

Overview

Imagine spending your day surrounded by flowers - making floral arrangements, working in a greenhouse, or planting perennials. Your dream can become a reality with an A.A.S. degree in Floriculture from SUNY Cobleskill.

The curriculum is designed to enable students to sample many aspects of floriculture. Once departmental requirements are met students can make course selections from a number of electives. The flexibility of the program helps students to choose an appropriate career path and at the same time maximize their employability.

Excellent Facilities and Learning Experience

Emphasis at Cobleskill is on hands-on learning. Facilities include 13 greenhouses, a production nursery, a 6-acre arboretum, and a working flower shop. Students benefit from the expertise of 12 faculty and 3 technical support staff. Classes are small; laboratory sessions are limited to an average of 15 students.

Career Opportunities

There are many employment opportunities for Floriculture majors. Many students intend to seek employment in a flower shop as a designer. For these students course selection might include all 5 floral design courses along with core requirements, as well as Interior Plantscape and even Art. For those students who want to work in a greenhouse, electives could include Integrated Pest Management and Floriculture II along with the core requirements. These students might also take Bachelor of Technology level courses such as Wildflower Propagation and Herbaceous Plants. Potential careers are not limited to floral design or greenhouse production.

The following is a list of a few of the employment opportunities for the Cobleskill Floriculture graduate.

Commercial Grower
Owner
Production Manager
Plant Breeder   
Propagator
Sales and Marketing Manager
Sales Representative Marketing of Plants

Retail Florist
Owner
Management
Floral Designer
Business Office

Floral Wholesaler
Executive/Business Owner
General Manager
Buyer
Sales (Broker)
Shipping & Receiving 
Importer

Other Areas
Botanical Garden Staff
High School and College Faculty 
Floral Design Instructor               
Horticultural Therapist
Interior Plantscape and Maintenance Technician 
Importer Industry Sales Representative
Mass Market / Supermarket Floral Designer
Publications and Communications
Scientist / Research

Floriculture students must complete a minimum of 66 credit hours of academic work with a GPA of not less than 2.00. This includes 34 credits of major field requirements, 22 credits of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and 10 credits of general electives.

Major Field Requirements (34 credits)

Students should check with their advisors to make sure courses are taken in proper sequence and any prerequisites have been met. Some flexibility is available as to when courses must be taken. Students should consult with their advisors during the scheduling process.

Liberal Arts and Sciences Requirements (22 credits)

Students must meet the Mathematics Competency Requirement set by the College.

Free Electives (10 credits)

For more specific information on degree requirements for the Floriculture Associate in Applied Science go to the Registrar's Page.

For more information about the Floriculture degree program contact:
Prof. R. Christian Cash
CASHC@ Cobleskill.edu
518-255-5246