What Can I Do With a Major In Horticulture?

UGA Specific Information for Horticulture

The horticulture major provides the education necessary for a career in production, sales, of horticultural commodities (fruits, vegetables, indoor and outdoor ornamental plants, turfgrasses, and flowers). The horticulture curriculum is designed to instruct and educate students in the application of basic principles to the propagation, culture, production, and postharvest physiology of ornamental plants, turfgrasses, fruits, vegetables, and flowers. The curriculum has the flexibility to allow a student to select courses in turf management (the culture and management of turfgrasses on golf courses, recreational areas, and home lawns); floriculture/woody ornamentals (including the use of plants indoors for aesthetic, therapeutic, as well as pollution abatement purposes); and fruit and vegetable production and management. 

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Class of 2019 Career Outcomes for Horticulture*

** Includes Self-Employed

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Additional UGA Career Center Recommendations/Considerations

Typical Horticulture Jobs

Horticulturists can specialize in a number of fields. As a result, what you will actually be doing in your job will vary depending on the field you are in. A few areas you can specialize in include: 

Landscaping: Designing and maintaining commercial and residential grounds using your eye for design and knowledge of irrigation, plants, flowers, and trees.

Nurseries: People in this profession grow plants from seedlings and make sure they make it through their entire lifecycle.

Research: In this field, you may study plant genetics or develop plants that have natural immunity to diseases and resist environmental damage.

Horticultural Therapy: You would use your knowledge of plants and design to help patients with cognitive and physical disabilities. There are many other areas that may be more or less appealing to you. It is best to determine what your interests are and find the area of specialty that fits your preferences

Other Horticultural Fields

If you are a highly creative person but landscaping just doesn’t appeal to you, you can become a floral designer. People in these jobs use their eye for art and design to create colorful floral arrangements for a variety of events like funerals, weddings, and anniversaries. No formal education is required to enter the field, though you can earn a number of credentials to prove your expertise. Those with horticulture degrees would do very well in this field since you will be cultivating and maintaining an assortment of flora. There is a high turnover rate in floral design, so job opportunities will be plentiful.

Another interesting horticulture career is botany. This is for people who are deeply interested in how plants work. Botanists don’t get their hands dirty handling plants. Rather, they study their inner workings and may specialize in plant diseases, the life cycle, or how plants interact with their environment. You can get started in the field with just a bachelor’s degree, but most high-level positions require a master’s or doctorate degree. Unfortunately, job opportunities are limited because the field of botany is so small.

There are numerous opportunities in horticulture. Follow your passions for a rewarding career.

*Taken from here.

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Tip: Join LinkedIn groups that are related to your career interest. Need help finding groups? Check out the Groups You May Like link under the Interests/Groups tab. Review the groups that professionals in your field of interest have joined and consider joining them as well. 

The information below represents employers and position titles from the Class of 2019 Career Outcomes Survey. To view historical Career Outcomes for this major, click here and select "Historical Data" from the navigation menu.

Employer Position Title(s)
AmeriCorps Grow it Know it VISTA
Barnsley Resort Horticulturist
Caterpillar Consultant
Copiana Greenhouse Manager
Nicholson Landscaping Owner
RP Marzilli & Co. Horticulture Assistant
* denotes no responses received.
*Source: Areas above marked with an Asterisk (*) have been created utilizing data taken from the UGA Career Outcomes Survey. The "Employers Hiring...," "Job Titles of...," "Career Outcomes for...," and "Graduate/Professional Schools and Programs..." information listed above represent UGA Class of 2019 Graduates. The lists are not exhaustive and therefore do not represent all potential career options. Click here for more detailed Career Outcomes information regarding this major.

GRADUATE/PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS ATTENDED BY UGA Horticulture - Bachelor's Degree MAJORS FOR THE CLASS OF 2019**

Graduate School Program(s)
University of Georgia Horticulture, MS
* denotes no responses received.

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