Kathy Schindler | Agronomy and Horticulture
An updated course rotation has been announced for three online horticulture graduate certificates offered through the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the AG*IDEA (Interactive Distance Education Alliance) consortium. The revisions will improve class selections, increase flexibility and make class choices more robust for certificate students.
The three jointly administered horticulture graduate certificates are: 1. Advanced Horticulture 2. Floriculture and Nursery Production Management 3. Ornamentals, Landscape and Turf
Horticulture faculty members met in April via video conferencing to discuss a three-year class rotation. Since the certificates started in 2014, several faculty members have retired, changed duties or left for new positions. As a result, there were classes that were either no longer offered or needed to be redesigned with new instructors.
“Curriculum is dynamic just like course content. With the growth in the program and new directions to pursue, it was time for North Carolina State, Kansas State, Texas Tech and UNL to recast each program,” said Ellen Paparozzi, professor of agronomy and horticulture at Nebraska.
All three horticulture certificates are available online and are for students who already have a bachelor’s degree in horticulture, plant biology, agriculture or a related field. The academic certificates are designed to provide current knowledge for horticulture, landscape and turf management professionals who want to enhance their careers with graduate-level credentials. It takes 12 credits to earn a certificate.
Individuals considering a full master’s degree program may be also able to use these graduate classes toward their degree. Permission from their faculty advisor and their university is required.
The universities involved in the AG*IDEA consortium for the horticulture certificates are University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Nebraska-Kearney, Kansas State University, North Carolina State University, and Texas Tech University. The updated certificate courses may be viewed on the Agronomy and Horticulture online program’s webpage. Follow the links to the Advanced Horticulture; Floriculture and Nursery Production Management; and Ornamentals, Landscape & Turf certificates respectively.
