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.
Class of 2020 Career Outcomes for Horticulture*
** Includes Self-Employed
Campus Resources
- College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Clubs and Organizations
- Horticulture Club Pi Alpha Xi (Horticulture Honor Society)
- Soil and Water Conservation Society
- UGA Turf Club
- Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS)-
- Alpha Gamma Rho (Men pursuing careers in agriculture)
- Sigma Alpha (Women pursuing careers in agriculture)
- The Trail Gardens at UGA
- UGA Mentor Program
- To find additional clubs and organizations, go to the Center for Student Organizations
- Connect with your Career Consultant
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.
Supplemental Career Research Dashboard
Additional Career Research Resources
- O*NET (click on Find Occupations)
- Occupational Outlook Handbook (type in general term for career of interest)
- Georgia Career Information Center (accessible only on campus computers)
- Career Insider: Vault Guides (Under the “Resources” tab and select “Online Resources”)
- Candid Career (View professionals speaking about their careers under the “Resources” tab and select “Online Resources”)
Employment Websites
- The Environmental Careers Organizations Job Board
- Environmental Career Opportunities
- Jobs in Horticulture
- Green Industry Jobs
- AgCareers.com
- American Horticultural Society Internship Opportunities
- American Society for Horticultural Science Job Board
- Association of Zoological Horticulture Job Openings
Professional Associations/Resources
- American Horticultural Society
- American Society for Horticultural Science
- Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association
- Northern Nut Growers Association
- Association of Zoological Horticulture
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
- USDA Extension Service Homepage
- Agriculture Future of America
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.
Employers/Position Title Reported by Class of 2020 Horticulture majors
The information below represents employers and position titles from the Class of 2020 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) |
---|---|
Bartlett Tree Experts | Arborist Groundsman | Cherokee County OSU Extension Office | Agriculture Educator | Costa Farms | Assistant Grower | Lakefront Landscaping & Property Care | Horticulture Consultant | McCorkle Nurseries | Propagation Assistant Manager | Not Specified | Vineyard Manager | Pike Nurseries | Manager Trainee | Planters Inc. | Landscaper, Maintenance Manager | State Botanical Gardens | Assistant to the Curator | Uhuburg-Eagle Owl Castle | Lead Gardener |
Graduate/Professional Schools attended by Class of 2020 Horticulture majors
The information below represents graduate/professional schools and programs reported through the Class of 2020 Career Outcomes Survey. To view historical Career Outcomes for this major, click here and select "Historical Data" from the navigation menu.
Graduate School | Program(s) |
---|---|
University of Georgia | Horticulture, Master's; Landscape Architecture, Master's |