Plant Science B.T.
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Application Curriculum Code 0897
Overview
The Bachelor of Technology Degree program in Plant Science offers students excellent opportunities for highly relevant technical preparation for potential employment in agronomic, floricultural, and horticultural production, natural resource management and protection, environmental protection, recreational and sports area management, turfgrass management, golf course management, and landscape contracting.
This broadly designed, flexible program allows students to select courses that provide a specific focus with a common foundation in applied sciences.
Student Learning Outcomes
Agronomy Track - Student will be able to:
- accurately interpret soil tests and make proper recommendations
- explain plant physiological systems such as photosynthesis, respiration, nutrient uptake, and nitrogen fixation.
- recommend controls for insect, disease, and weeds; find sources of information regarding other pests.
- recommend nutrient deficiency correction practices in plants.
- develop farm biowaste management procedures.
Landscape Contracting Track - Student will be able to:
- identify approximately 200 species of trees, shrubs, vines, and groundcovers common to the northeastern United States and know their common and botanical names.
- select and arrange together plants that share common cultural requirements and environmental tolerances.
- select and demonstrate the safe use of hand and power tools common to the installation and/or maintenance of landscapes.
- select the motorized vehicles appropriate to specfic landscape construction and/or maintenance tasks and demonstrate their safe operation.
- use traditional design and drafting tools to create scaled illustrations of landscape plans.
- develop salable landscape plants that meet customer needs by application of design principles.
- develop cost estimates for plans as and after they are developed.
- interpret plans using varied graphic and model techniques.
- install trees, shrubs, groundcovers, flowers, and turf in a manner that assures their successful transplant in the United States northeast.
- install materials such as concrete, pavers, wood, bricks, stonework, and fencing correctly.
- demonstrate the ability to identify soil structure, nutrient content, pH, and water retention.
- prepare a soild sample for testing and perform the test.
- recognize, identify, and classify the major insect pests of ornamental plants.
- recognize, identify and classify the major pathogens of plant disease.
- recognize the symptoms of plant injuries and ascertain their probable causes.
- demonstrate the ability to create landscape plans and related graphic illustrations using computer driven drawing progrms.
- demonstrate ability to print the products of the programs.
Internship Program
The Bachelor of Technology Degree is distinguished by the comprehensive 15 credit internship requirement. This program component provides students the opportunity to work with industry specialists or government agency professionals in their selected areas of academic emphasis. Completion of a required 600 hour (minimum) internship gives graduates valuable real-world experiences that complement the applied instruction received in formal coursework and that enhance their future employability. Each internship is custom designed to meet the specific educational and career needs of the student, and each intern is carefully guided and monitored by a faculty member of the Plant Science Department.
Representative Internship Site Examples
| Augusta National Golf Club | Pebble Beach Golf Course | National Golf Links |
| Adirondak Mountain Club | Beth Page State Park | Shinnecock Hills Country Club |
| Chester's Flower Shop | Clark Foundation | Hines Color |
| Matterhorn Nursery | Longwood Gardens | Imperial Nursery |
| Monrovia Nursery | Pleasant View Gardens | Shemin Nursery |
| National Resource Conservation Service | Soil and Water Conservation Districts | U.S. Bureau of Land Management |
| U.S. Forest Service | Wetlands Studies and Solutions, Inc. | Dow Elanco |
| American Cyanamid | Cornell University Agriculture Experiment Station | USDA Plant Materials Center |
The Bachelor of Technology in Plant Science will require the following course work:
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.
Plant Science Bachelor of Technology
(SUNY Application Curriculum Code - 0897)
Degree Requirements
To fulfill the requirements for the Bachelor of Technology degree in Plant Science, the candidate must complete 126 credit hours with a minimum of 44 credit hours of major field requirements, 26 credit hours of technical electives, 36 credit hours of Liberal Arts and Science courses 20 credit hours of general electives with a GPA of not less than 2.00.
MAJOR FIELD REQUIREMENTS
Upper-Division Requirements
Select 18 credits from either Group One or Group 2, including a minimum of 6 credits from Group One.
| Group One | ||
| Course Number | Class Name | Credit |
| AGRN 335 | Agricultural Chemicals | 3 |
| AGRN 350 | Plant Nutrition | 3 |
| AGRN 362 | Applied Plant Physiology | 3 |
| ORHT 377 | Integrated Pest Management | 3 |
Select 18 credits from either Group One or group Two, including a minimum of six credits from Group One.
| Group Two | ||
| Course Number | Class Name | Credit |
| AGRN 313 | Soil Fertility | 3 |
| AGRN 338 | Weed Identification and Control | 3 |
| AGRN 368 | Small Grains | 3 |
| AGRN 424 | Water Resources | 3 |
| ORHT 317 | Wildflower Culture and Propagation | 3 |
| ORHT 321 | Herbaceous Plant Materials | 3 |
| ORHT 322 | Herbaceous Plants: Garden Design | 3 |
| ORHT 325 | Environmental Design I | |
| ORHT 329 | Hydroponics | 3 |
| ORHT 332 | Speciality Cut Flower /Pot Production | 3 |
| ORHT 335 | Irrigation | 3 |
| ORHT 356 | Plant Propagation | 3 |
| ORHT 360 | Advanced Landscape Contracts | 3 |
| ORHT 421 | Landscape Plants: Association and Uses | 3 |
| ORHT 433 | Landscape Firm Management | 3 |
| ORHT 444 | Landcadd | 3 |
| ORHT 472* | Marketing of Horticultural Products | 3 |
| RECM 378 | Golf Course Management | 3 |
| 300 / 400 level course from AGRN, AGSC, ORHT, or RECM | 3 | |
| *ORHT 472 | May substitute any 3 credit upper-division AGBU course |
Other Major Field Requirements
11 credits. These include lower-or upper division AGRN, AGSC, ORHT or RECM courses. 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.
Technical Electives
26 credits. Courses with the following prefixes: ACCT, AGBU, AGEN, AGRN, AGSC, ANSC, BADM,
BIOL, CITA, ENHT, FSMS, FWLD, ORHT or RECM (Includes 6 credits of upper division courses.
Liberal Arts and Science Requirements
36 credits. Includes 6 credits of upper-division courses. May not include MATH 101X or MATH 101. Bachelor of Technology students must complete 3 credits in 8 of 10 areas of the Trustee's General Education Core Requirements.
Mathematics Competency
Students must meet the college Mathematics Competency Requirements for Graduation.
Free Electives
20 credits. Courses may be taken from any area within the college.
Agronomy Advisement Track Courses
| Course Number | Class Name | Credit |
| AGRN 313 | Soil Fertility | 3 |
| AGRN 338 | Weed Identification and Control | 3 |
| AGRN 368 | Small Grains | 3 |
| AGRN 424 | Water Resources | 3 |
| CHEM 101 | Introductory Chemistry | 3 |
| OR | ||
| CHEM 111 | General Chemistry | 4 |
| ORHT 329 | Hydroponics | 3 |
| ORHT 335 | Irrigation | 3 |
| ORHT 472* | Marketing of Horticultural Products | 3 |
Environmental Studies Advisement Track Courses
| Course Number | Class Name | Credit |
| AGBU 440 | Environmentaal Issues in Agriculturre | 3 |
| AGRN 313 | Soil Fertility | 3 |
| AGRN 338 | Weed Identification and Control | 3 |
| AGRN 424 | Water Resources | 3 |
| CHEM 101 | Introductory Chemistry | 3 |
| OR | ||
| CHEM 111 | General Chemistry | 4 |
| FWLD 350 | Wetland Delineation | 3 |
| GIST 130 | Geographic Systems | 3 |
| ORHT 317 | Wildflower Culture and Propagation | 3 |
| ORHT 321 | Herbaceous Plant Materials | 3 |
| ORHT 329 | Hydroponics | 3 |
| ORHT 335 | Irrigation | 3 |
| ORHT 356 | Plant Propagation | 3 |
| ORHT 421 | Landscape Plants: Association and Uses | 3 |
| ORHT 444 | Landcadd | 3 |
Floriculture Advisement Track Courses
| Course Number | Class Name | Credit |
| AGRN 494 | Plant and Soil Diagnostics | 3 |
| CITA 110 | Microcomputer applications | 3 |
| ORHT 317 | Wildflower Culture and Propagation | 3 |
| ORHT 321 | Herbaceous Plant Materials | 3 |
| ORHT 322 | Herbaceous Plants: Garden Design | 3 |
| ORHT 325 | Environmental Design III | 3 |
| ORHT 329 | Hydroponics | 3 |
| ORHT 332 | Specialty Cut Flower / Pot Production | 3 |
| ORHT 356 | Plant Propagation | 3 |
| ORHT 472 | Marketing of Horticultural Products | 3 |
Horticulture Advisement Track Courses
| Course Number | Class Name | Credits |
| AGRN 338 | Weed Identification and Control | 3 |
| AGRN 424 | Water Resources | 3 |
| AGRN 429 | Plant and Soil Diagnostics | 3 |
| BIOL 116 | Botany I | 3 |
| CHEM 101 | Introductory Chemistry | 3 |
| OR | ||
| CHEM 111 | General Chemistry I | 4 |
| ORHT 317 | Wildflower Culture and Propagation | 3 |
| ORHT 321 | Herbaceous Plant Materials | 3 |
| ORHT 322 | Herbaceous Plants: Garden Design | 3 |
| ORHT 325 | Environmental Design III | 3 |
| ORHT 329 | Hydroponics | 3 |
| ORHT 332 | Specialty Cut Flowers / Pot Flower Production | 3 |
| ORHT 335 | Irrigation | 3 |
| ORHT 356 | Plant Propagation | 3 |
| ORHT 421 | Landscape Plants: Association and Uses | 3 |
| ORHT 472 | Marketing of Horticultural Products | 3 |
Landscape Contracting Advisement Track Courses
| Course Number | Class Name | Credits |
| AGRN 424 | Water Resources | 3 |
| AGRN 494 | Plant and Soil Diagnostics | 3 |
| CHEM 101 | Introductory Chemistry | 3 |
| OR | ||
| CHEM 111 | General Chemistry | 4 |
| CITA 110 | Microcomputer Applications | 3 |
| ORHT 317 | Wildflower Culture and Propagation | 3 |
| ORHT 321 | Herbaceous Plant Materials | 3 |
| ORHT 322 | Herbaceous Plants: Garden Design | 3 |
| ORHT 325 | Environmental Design III | 3 |
| ORHT 332 | Speciality Cut Flowers / Pot Flower Production | 3 |
| ORHT 335 | Irrigation | 3 |
| ORHT 356 | Plant Propagation | 3 |
| ORHT 360 | Advanced Landscape Contracts | 3 |
| ORHT 421 | Landscape Plants: Association and Uses | 3 |
| ORHT 433 | Landscape Firm Management | 3 |
| ORHT 444 | Landcadd | 3 |
| ORHT 472 | Marketing of Horticultural Products | 3 |
Turfgrass and Recreation / Sports Area management Advisement Track Courses
| Course Number | Class Name | Credits |
| AGRN 313 | Soil Fertility | 3 |
| AGRN 338 | Weed Identification and Control | 3 |
| AGRN 424 | Water Resources | 3 |
| AGRN 494 | Plant and Soil Diagnostics | 3 |
| ORHT 335 | Irrigation | 3 |
| ORHT 356 | Plant Propagation | 3 |
| ORHT 421 | Landscape Plants: Association and Uses | 3 |
| ORHT 444 | Landcadd | 3 |
| RECM 378 | Golf Course Management | 3 |
| RECM 413 | Advanced Golf Course Management | 3 |
| BADM 310 | Human Resources Management (or any other business course) | 3 |
| BADM 349 | Total Quality Management | 3 |
For more specific information on degree requirements for Bachelor of Technology Degree in Plant Science go to the Registrar's Page.
To view the college course catalog go to course catalog.
For more information about the Bachelor of Technology Degree in Plant Science program contact:
Dr. John Kowal
KOWALJJ@Cobleskill.edu
518-255-5280
