Skip to main content
Online and Distance Education

General Horticulture

Apply Now 

Application Deadlines

  • August 14 for Fall
  • January 2 for Spring
  • May 11 for Summer

Program Contact

Issac LewisAdvisor919-515-3189ijlewis@ncsu.edu
Undergraduate Certificates | General Horticulture | Courses

Courses

The Undergraduate Certificate in General Horticulture is offered to anyone who desires a strong foundation in the principles of horticultural science with an emphasis on current technologies and environmentally responsible practices. Students will be required to complete six hours (two courses) of foundational horticultural coursework and select nine hours (three to four courses) from a list of electives where the student may choose to specialize in a certain area of horticulture or maintain a broad, general focus. All the coursework will be available as distance education courses. With completion of 15 credit hours and a grade of C (2.0) or better in each course, the student will be awarded a certificate acknowledging their accomplishments.

Foundational Courses

Units: 3

Principles of plant growth and development relating to production and utilization of fruit, vegetable, floricultural, and ornamental crops. Historical, economic, and global importance of horticultural crops and services.

GEP: Natural Sciences

Offered in Fall Spring Summer

Units: 3

Not for Horticultural Science Majors [SH, THG, THL]. Substitution of HS 203 for HS 301 are not allowed. An introduction to the basic principles of sexual and asexual plant propagation, including seeds, cuttings, layering, Grafting, and Division.

GEP: Natural Sciences

Offered in Spring Only

Horticultural Science Elective Courses

9 credit hours - Select 3 of the following:

Units: 3

Introduction and review of home horticulture as it relates to the horticultural enthusiast. A general understanding of plant growth, structure, and development; house plant selection and care, selecting trees, shrubs, and flowers for the home landscape, and other related topics. Note: this course was previously offered as HS 100.

GEP: Natural Sciences

Offered in Fall Spring Summer

Units: 3

An introductory course developed in conjunction with Longwood Gardens on plant taxonomy, identification, characteristics, and use in the home landscape. A palette of 150 plants will be covered including identification by scientific and common names and aspects of their cultivation. Not for Horticultural Science Majors [SH, THG, THL].

Offered in Spring Only

Units: 3

Home food production will play an important role in increasing the sustainability of the world's food systems for the foreseeable future. The goal of this course is to familiarize students with the scientific knowledge and tried-and-true practices needed to successfully produce food at home, even in small-scale environments such as decks and patios. On-campus students will be required to participate in two Saturday field trips to visit local home gardens. Distance educations students will be required to visit two home gardens in their area. Not for Horticultural Science Majors [SH, THG, THL].

Offered in Fall and Spring

Units: 3

Home landscape design is a 3-credit hour course for non-landscape design majors. Students will be introduced to the various issues associated with landscape design at the residential level. Through a series of Power Point lectures, on-line discussions, and small projects/exercises, students will gain an understanding of landscape graphics. Skills in design, and develop landscape plans and other forms of landscape graphics. Students will use all of their learned skills to develop a design for a given site using provided design software.

Offered in Summer

Units: 3

This course will provide students a fundamental and practical understanding of applied techniques in horticulture. Students will learn basic hardscape construction, basic wooden landscape structure construction, vegetable harvest, propagation of perennial plants, principles of irrigation installation, safe and efficient use of landscape equipment including arboriculture, and professional certification and licensing. Pesticide Licensing Fee of $75 required.

Offered in Summer

Units: 3

Permaculture means "permanent culture," and ..."is the conscious design and maintenance of cultivated ecosystems that have the diversity, stability, and resilience of a natural ecosystem." [Bill Mollison] This course will explore a design/thinking methodology that seeks to provide our essential physical needs, food, water, shelter, energy, etc., while doing so in an environmentally friendly, sustainable manner. This course is restricted to upper level undergraduate, graduate, or matriculated continuing education students. STUDENTS MAY NOT RECEIVE CREDIT FOR BOTH HS 432 AND HS 532.

Offered in Fall and Summer

Units: 3

An understanding of the basic mineral nutrient requirements, nutritional monitoring procedures, and fertilizer application methods in horticultural production systems including those for fruits, field vegetables, fruits and vegetables under plasticulture, nursery crops, landscapes, greenhouse flowers and vegetables, interior plantscapes, hydroponics, and organic farming.

Offered in Spring Only

Units: 3

Preharvest and postharvest factors that affect market quality of horticultural commodities with an emphasis on technologies to preserve postharvest quality and extend storage life of fruits, vegetables and ornamentals.

Offered in Spring Only

Approved Courses

Select a maximum of three credit hours from the following:

Units: 4

Fundamental principles of plant pathology with emphasis on disease etiology, nature of pathogenesis, ecology of host/parasite interaction, epidemiology of plant diseases, current strategies and practices for integrated disease control.

Offered in Fall Only

Units: 3

Major diseases of forest trees and deterioration of wood products emphasizing principles of plant pathology; diagnosis; nature, physiology, ecology, and dissemination of disease-causing agents; mechanisms of pathogenesis; epidemiology and environmental influences; principles and practices of control.

Offered in Fall and Spring

Units: 3

Utilization of turfgrasses for lawns and recreational areas. Emphasis on: the cultural and environmental benefits of grassed areas, concepts of grass growth and development, selecting adapted grasses for proper use, techniques for successful establishment and management of cool-and-warm-season turfgrasses, fertilization, irrigation, aeration, and pest management. The history and benefit of natural and artificial sports fields will also be discussed. Credit will not be awarded for both CS 200 and CS 210.

GEP: Natural Sciences

Offered in Fall Spring Summer

Units: 3

This course explores the science of entomology by focusing on the basic principles of systematics, morphology, physiology, development, behavior, ecology, and management of insects. Field trips provide opportunities to collect insects and study their adaptations to a wide variety of natural environments.

GEP: Natural Sciences

Offered in Fall Only

Units: 3

Fundamentals of soils including origin, composition and classification; their physical, chemical, and biological properties; significance of these properties to soil-plant relationships and soil management.

GEP: Natural Sciences

Offered in Fall Spring Summer

Units: 3

The course provides detailed information on plant nutrition, soil fertility, and management of essential plant nutrients and other amendments affecting plant growth and nutrition. The influence of numerous biological, physical, and chemical soil properties on plant nutrient availability will be emphasized. Students will be familiar with contemporary diagnostic tools to assess nutrient availability, and the soil and nutrient management technologies essential for enhancing soil and plant productivity while minimizing the impact of nutrient use on the environment.

Offered in Fall Spring Summer