Master of Professional Studies in Horticulture

What Can I Do With a Horticulture Degree?

You can go into a variety of related fields. Companies are looking for employees who not only have a plant science background but can also communicate and manage effectively.

• 49%Employment growth in Minnesota in occupations related to horticulture between 2019-29*

Horticulturists can work in a wide variety of organizations—owned by industry, government, institutions, or privately—that are involved in the care and maintenance of plants, such as:

• Parks, aquariums, or zoos
• Greenhouses or garden centers
• Botanical or public gardens
• Nurseries or orchards
• Golf courses or athletic fields
• Sod or tree farms
• Landscaping companies

With a master's degree in horticulture, you could become a: *

• Climate Research Farm Manager
• Agricultural Specialist
• Garden Manager
• Farm Manager
• Ranch Manager
• Agronomist

* Burning Glass Technologies: Program Insight™, accessed 08/5/21

To hear about more opportunities from former Horticulture Director of Graduate Studies, Mary Meyer, watch this short video.

Align Your Skills with a Rewarding Career

The chart below can help you see how your interests might position you in the job market.

Trees, Flowers, Landscapes	Landscape designer or gardener, greenhouse technician, garden manager, plant collection manager, nursery owner, conservationist, arborist
Food Production	Orchardist, vegetable specialist, urban farm manager, community garden manager
Turfgrass	Golf course, athletic field, or park manager, caretaker, groundskeeper, park superintendent, lawn care specialist
Pest Management	Controller of insects, diseases, and other pests for public spaces
Restoration Ecology	Crew manager, conservationist, land care manager, plant records analyst
Public Gardens	Education manager, teacher, curator, horticulture manager, landscape gardener, conservationist

Requirements and Courses

Degree Requirements

Course Options

MPS in Horticulture students can choose from a number of different course and thematic options at University in varying colleges and departments, such as:

• Horticulture (HORT)
• Agronomy (AGRO) and Entomology (ENT)
• Environmental Sciences (ESPM) and Plant Pathology (PLPA)
• Natural Resource Management (FNRM)
• Conservation Biology (FW) and Soil, Water, and Climate (SOIL)

For detailed course information, visit the U of M Schedule Builder and enter the designator above.

Students are also encouraged to explore Applied Professional Studies (APS) courses to complement their professional goals and career preparation. These include:

• Ecological Design for Horticulture (APS 5101)
• Garden Design: Theory and Application (APS 5102)
• Integration of Sustainable Agriculture Concepts (APS 5103)
• Conservation at Botanic Gardens (APS 5104)
• Finance for Nonfinancial Managers (ASCL 6312)
• Data for Decision Making (ASCL 6313)
• Leading Projects and Teams (ASCL 6314)

Sample Specializations

The program areas described below are suggestions; we encourage you to pursue your own interests and objectives in consultation with the Horticulture Director of Graduate Studies.

Public Garden Management

For students interested in conservation, display gardens and plant collection management involving arboreta, botanic gardens, zoological gardens, parks, and other organizations.

Restoration and Conservation

For students who seek positions involving the design, development, restoration, and maintenance of natural and man-made landscapes.

Sustainable Landscape Plant Production

For students who are interested in sustainability issues involving fruit and nut crops, vegetables, nursery, and greenhouse crops within our rapidly changing climate.

Urban Agriculture and Food Production

For students interested in food and ornamental plant production practices that emphasize organic, community-focused methods and strategies.

Additional Areas of Interest

You might also consider these areas of study.

• Landscape design
• Safe and healthy food
• Horticultural marketing
• Horticultural education
• Horticultural therapy
• Environmental horticulture
• Urban horticulture
• Horticultural writing and illustration

Apply

Fall Semester Application Deadline: March 15
Spring Semester Application Deadline: October 15

We strive to be fair in the admissions process. Our program thrives when we have students from different backgrounds and cultural experiences. The admissions committee looks at all the pieces of your application equally to ensure that you will be successful in the program. We do not require standardized test scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).

If you have questions about the admission requirements or would like advice on how to put together application materials, please contact Steve Wicks.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite coursework should be completed before you apply. Your application may be considered if you are currently enrolled in your last prerequisite course. You may complete prerequisite coursework at the University of Minnesota or at other accredited educational institutions, but the transcript must be received prior to official admission.

Algebra

Any one of the six math courses listed below satisfies the algebra requirement.

• MATH 1031 College Algebra and Probability (3 credits; prereq. 3 years of high school math and placement exam or GC 0731 with a grade of C or better)
• MATH 1051 Precalculus I (3 credits; prereq. 3 years of high school math and placement exam or GC 0731 with a grade of C or better)
• MATH 1142 Short Calculus (3 credits; prereq. 3−5 years of high school math or MATH 1031 with a grade of C or better)
• MATH 1151 Precalculus II (3 credits; prereq. 3−5 years of  high school math and placement exam or MATH 1051 with a grade of C or better)
• MATH 1155 Intensive Precalculus (5 credits; prereq. 3 years of  high school math and placement exam or GC 0731 with a grade of C or better. Equivalent to MATH 1051 plus 1151)
• MATH 1271 Calculus I (4 credits; prereq. 4 years of  high school math including trigonometry and placement exam or MATH 1151 or MATH 1155 with a grade of C or better)
• STAT 3021 Introduction to Probability and Statistics ( 3 credits; prereq. MATH 1272)

Chemistry

Either of the two chemistry courses listed below satisfies the chemistry requirement:

• CHEM 1015/1017 (or CHEM 1011) Introductory Chemistry (4 credits; prereq. high school chemistry and 2 years of high school math; high school physics recommended; for students not passing placement exam)
• CHEM 1021 Chemical Principles I (4 credits; prereq. placement exam, or CHEM 1011, or CHEM 1015/1017)

Biology, Botany, or Plant Propagation

Any one of the three options below satisfies this requirement:

• BIOL 1009 General Biology (4 credits; prereq high school chemistry, one term of college chemistry recommended)
• BIOL 2022 General Botany (3 credits; prereq. BIOL 1001 or BIOL 1009)
• HORT 1001 Plant Propagation (4 credits; no prereq.)

Several of the courses listed above are also prerequisites for other classes you’ll likely take.

Admission Requirements

We welcome applications from students who have:

• a bachelor's degree from an accredited post-secondary US institution, or its foreign equivalent
• a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.8*
• evidence of knowledge of current, introductory college level concepts of algebra and chemistry and biology or botany or plant propagation
• completed prerequisite coursework (see above)

* If you have a GPA below 3.0, please include an explanation in the extenuating circumstances part of your professional statement.

Application Checklist

Your complete application will include:

• An online application
• A professional statement
• Two letters of recommendation
• College transcripts
• A resume or curriculum vitae
• English proficiency test scores (if applicable)
• An application fee

Ready to take the next step and start gathering your materials?

Prepare Your Application Materials