Planning Your Degree

The Undergraduate Catalog contains all the course requirements for each degree. Each degree requires 120 credits to graduate, which is equivalent to 15 credits per semester for eight semesters.

2024-25 4-year plans

  • AGRO 4-year plan (PDF, Excel)
  • PLAS, Horticulture 4-year plan (PDF, Excel)
  • PLAS, Landscape Design and Management 4-year plan (PDF, Excel)
  • PLAS, Turfgrass Science and Management 4-year plan (PDF, Excel)
  • PBIO, Ecology and Management 4-year plan (PDF, Excel)
  • PBIO, Biotechnology 4-year plan (PDF, Excel)

2024-25 Check-lists

  • Agronomy check-list (PDF, Excel)
  • PLAS, Horticulture option check-list (PDF, Excel)
  • PLAS, Landscape Design and Management option check-list (PDF, Excel)
  • PLAS, Turfgrass Science and Management check-list (PDF, Excel)
  • PBIO, Ecology and Management 
  • PBIO, Biotechnology

Course Descriptions

To see a course description, use the search box on the UNL Undergraduate Catalog page (https://catalog.unl.edu/undergraduate/). Click on ‘Course’, then type in the course prefix and number (i.e. AGRO 100), and click ‘search’.

Semester and Time of Course Offering

Courses are typically offered during the same semester (spring, summer, or fall) each year. Rarely are changes made to the semester in which the course is offered. The day(s) and time of day when the course is taught is often the same from year to year. You can use this information to make sure you do not have any time conflicts with the courses you want to take by looking the previous and/or future days and times the courses are offered.

Advising

Students should meet with their academic advisor minimally each semester to discuss professional goals and classes for the upcoming semester. Contact Meghan Sindelar for the Agronomy major, Anne Streich for the Plant and Landscape Systems major, and Cheryl Dunn or Christian Elowsky for the Plant Biology major.

See the undergraduate catalog for course requirements in all the emphases and minors.

To answer your general advising, enrollment, and graduation questions please see the FAQ page.

Current Student FAQs

FAQs on general advising, enrollment and graduation questions.

Current Student FAQs

EMPHASES AND MINORS

Agronomy and Plant and Landscape Systems majors only

Students in the Agronomy and Plant and Landscape Systems majors have 12–24-credits to design their academic program to meet their professional goals. Students are required to select two emphases, two minors (one in CASNR), or a combination of one emphasis and one minor. Emphases are 12 credits and minors are 12-18 credits. Both Agronomy and Plant and Landscape Systems majors have 14-17 hours of free electives. This allows students to complete two minors without exceeding the 120 credits required for graduation. For an 18-hour minor, 12 credits would come from the credits allocated to emphases/minors and 6 credits from free electives. See the undergraduate catalog for all the emphases and minors. Common combinations for each academic program are listed below.

Agronomy Major

PLAS major, Horticulture option

PLAS major, Landscape Design and Management option

PLAS major, Turfgrass Science and Management option

Agronomic Crop Production emphasis

The Agronomic Plant Production emphasis provides foundational and advanced coursework in crop and soil management and prepares students for careers as agronomists, seed and input sales representatives, crop advisors, and farm managers. 

Ecological Landscape Design emphasis

Students completing the Ecological Landscape Design emphasis will benefit from foundational knowledge in plant identification and will gain an appreciation for landscapes and design principles that make them functional and aesthetic. 

Entrepreneurship emphasis

The Entrepreneurship emphasis focuses on opportunities to create a unique path that fulfills your career purpose. This emphasis will allow you to explore the mindset and process of becoming an entrepreneur. These skills are critical to compete in the 21st century workplace as well as preparing for business ownership.

Flowers emphasis

The Flowers emphasis will prepare students for careers in the floral industry including growing and managing floral crops and designing and marketing floral arrangements and ornamental plants.

Natural Resources Conservation emphasis

The Natural Resources Conservation emphasis prepares students for careers in soil, water, and landscape conservation. These professionals could be experts in providing technical and conservation planning assistance related to agricultural operations and environmental conservation. Emphasis completion meets the minimum requirements for the current federal occupational requirements in positions in soil and/or natural resources conservation or management. 

Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Biotechnology emphasis

The Plant Breeding, Genetics and Biotechnology emphasis prepares students for careers in the seed industry. These professionals could be experts in generating and evaluating new varieties in the field or conducting DNA-based analysis in the lab.

Plant Protection minor

The Plant Protection minor prepares students for careers in the plant protection industry with advanced coursework in weed science, entomology, plant pathology, and wildlife management. These professionals may enjoy careers as crop scouts and advisors, agronomists and horticulturists, chemical sales representatives, custom applicators, and farm and greenhouse managers.

Plant Science Research emphasis

The Plant Science Research emphasis is designed for students interested in pursuing M.S. or Ph.D. degrees in agronomy, horticulture, or turfgrass science. Coursework in physics, math, and chemistry provides broad expertise in the life sciences, and fulfills graduate admission requirements at most research universities – including UNL.

Soil Science emphasis

The Soil Science emphasis prepares students for careers as a soil scientist, agronomist, or crop advisor. These professionals may enjoy careers as a soil conservationist, in a soil testing laboratory, or consulting with farmers about soil management.

Specialty Crop Production emphasis

The Specialty Crop Production emphasis provides foundational knowledge in speciality crop propagation and production along with more advanced coursework with a focus on pest and fertility management in field and controlled environment specialty crop systems. This emphasis leads to careers in farm management, greenhouse and hydroponic production, seed and input sales, and crop consulting. 

Sustainable Landscape Management emphasis

Students completing the Sustainable Landscape Management emphasis will benefit from foundational knowledge in landscape management. This emphasis may lead to careers in management of public parks, arboreta and gardens, zoos, city and state properties, corporate landscapes, and private residences.

Turfgrass Science and Management emphasis

The Turfgrass Science and Management emphasis is targeted toward students who desire additional turfgrass science knowledge to support their professional goals. These goals could be to expand seed, chemical and fertilizer sales and management services to turfgrass systems. 

Urban Food Systems emphasis

The Urban Food Systems emphasis offers a multidisciplinary exploration of urban agriculture and local food systems. Courses in specialty crop production, urban soils, food science and nutrition, and entrepreneurship will prepare students to manage or consult with urban farms and food system stakeholders.

Water for Food emphasis

The Water for Food emphasis provides an opportunity for specialization in water quality and management leading to careers working in landscapes with high ground water vulnerability and in irrigated plant production systems.