Horticulture: CP
Certificate of Proficiency | 30 credit hours minimum
Area of Interest: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)
Program Description:
The Certificate of Proficiency in Horticulture focuses on the science and the art of horticulture through a combination of classroom theory, practical laboratory application, and on-the-job training. Courses in soils, plant diseases, integrated pest management, plant identification, plant culture, and cooperative horticulture are integral parts of the program. Students receive their training in the College’s greenhouses, outdoor garden classroom, and laboratories. Students should enjoy working with plants and observing the growth process.
Graduates may specialize in landscape design, landscape management, greenhouse management, horticulture retail sales, and urban forestry. Employment opportunities include national, state, and city parks departments, landscape contracting firms, golf courses, retail sales, greenhouse growing, plant research or biotech companies, and retail garden centers.
Location. This program is offered in its entirety at Meramec.
Related Programs. The Horticulture Department offers an associate and a certificate in the following areas:
Cannabis and Hemp Production, Certificate of Specialization
Horticulture, Associate in Applied Science
Cost of Attendance. For more information on cost of attendance visit MoSCORES.
Program Career and Salary Information. Pursuant to Missouri HB 1606 (2018), information regarding the number of credit hours, program length, employment rate, wage data, and graduates employed in careers related to their program of study at St. Louis Community College can be found at the following URL: https://scorecard.mo.gov/scorecard/. Search using School / Program “St. Louis Community College” and choose the degree or credential type of interest.
The following limitations to the data apply: Information provided is based on the most recent cohorts available. Typically, most recent cohorts for wage and completion data are six years prior to the current academic year. Time to complete a program of study varies depending on the number of credit hours students earn per semester.
Interested in this program? Start the enrollment process by visiting the Apply to STLCC page.
At the completion of the program, students are expected to:
- identify an array of plant material in a landscape, greenhouse, or garden center setting.
- utilize soil test results for proper plant selection.
- manage landscape areas and gardens using proper and professional methods of pruning, planting, and fertilizing.
- develop a landscape maintenance schedule.
- identify plant pests, insects, diseases, and weeds.
- identify the botanical components of plants and their contributions to the life cycle of a plant.
- manage plant pests, insects, diseases, and weeds using sustainable methods.
- manage turf grass using proper methods of seeding, installing, watering, fertilizing, and mowing.
- discuss the advantages to the local ecology offered by native plants.
- grow a variety of plants in a greenhouse or landscape setting.
- utilize plants according to their preferred culture and soil requirements.
Program of Study
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Horticulture Core | ||
| HRT 101 | Introductory Horticulture | 4 |
| or BIO 124 | General Botany I (MOTR BIOL 100LB) | |
| HRT 102 | Soils | 3 |
| HRT 105 | Workplace Learning | 2 |
| HRT 206 | Woody Plants - Trees and Vines | 3 |
| HRT 207 | Woody Plants - Shrubs and Evergreens | 3 |
| HRT 230 | Herbaceous Perennials and Ornamental Grasses | 3 |
| HRT 214 | Landscape Management | 3 |
| HRT 227 | Integrated Pest Management | 3 |
| Horticulture Electives | 6 | |
| Select 6 credit hours of the following: | ||
| Plant Propagation | ||
| Landscape Graphics | ||
| Digital Applications in Landscape Design | ||
| Micropropagation of Plants | ||
| Introduction to Cannabis | ||
| Cannabis and Hemp Cultivation | ||
| Laboratory Methods for Cannabis Extraction | ||
| Topics in Horticulture | ||
| Turfgrass Management | ||
| Nursery and Garden Center Practices | ||
| Landscape Design I | ||
| Landscape Design II | ||
| Landscape Irrigation | ||
| Annuals and Vegetables | ||
| Greenhouse Management | ||
| Urban Tree Management | ||
| Native Landscaping Practices | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 30 | |
Part-Time Academic Plan
PLEASE NOTE: If you originally enrolled at STLCC prior to Fall 2024, you may need to view an archived catalog for your correct program requirements. Please speak with an advisor or the program coordinator for more information.
| First Year | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credit Hours | Prerequisites | Milestones/Notes | |
| HRT 101 or BIO 124 | Introductory Horticulture or General Botany I (MOTR BIOL 100LB) | 4 | Reading Proficiency | |
| XXX xxx | HRT Elective | 3 | Choose from HRT 106, HRT 134, HRT 135, HRT 140, HRT 201, HRT 205, HRT 217, HRT 220, HRT 241, HRT 242, and HRT 250. See footnote below. | |
| HRT 206 | Woody Plants - Trees and Vines | 3 | Concurrent or prior enrollment in HRT 101 or BIO 124 with a minimum grade of "C", and Reading Proficiency | Offered in the Fall semester only. |
| Credit Hours | 10 | |||
| Spring | Credit Hours | Prerequisites | Milestones/Notes | |
| HRT 102 | Soils | 3 | Concurrent or prior enrollment in HRT 101 or BIO 124 with a minimum grade of "C", and Reading Proficiency | |
| HRT 207 | Woody Plants - Shrubs and Evergreens | 3 | Concurrent or prior enrollment in HRT 101 or BIO 124 with a minimum grade of "C", and Reading Proficiency | Offered in the Spring semester only. |
| XXX xxx | HRT Elective | 3 | Choose from HRT 103, HRT 104, HRT 106, HRT 136, HRT 137, HRT 140, HRT 218, HRT 241, and HRT 242. See footnote below. | |
| Credit Hours | 9 | |||
| Summer | Credit Hours | Prerequisites | Milestones/Notes | |
| HRT 230 | Herbaceous Perennials and Ornamental Grasses | 3 | Concurrent or prior enrollment in HRT 101 or BIO 124 with a minimum grade of "C", and Reading Proficiency | Offered in the summer term only. |
| HRT 214 | Landscape Management | 3 | Concurrent or prior enrollment in HRT 101 or BIO 124 with a minimum grade of "C", and Reading Proficiency | |
| If a student wishes to take HRT 235 to fulfill their Horticulture elective, they should take it in the summer term and adjust their academic plan accordingly. | See footnote below. | |||
| Credit Hours | 6 | |||
| Second Year | ||||
| Fall | Credit Hours | Prerequisites | Milestones/Notes | |
| HRT 227 | Integrated Pest Management | 3 | HRT 101 or BIO 124, HRT 206, HRT 207 with minimum grades of "C", and Reading Proficiency | |
| HRT 105 | Workplace Learning | 2 | HRT 102, HRT 206, HRT 207, HRT 214, and HRT 230 with minimum grades of "C", approval of Horticulture Department Program Coordinator, and Reading Proficiency | |
| Credit Hours | 5 | |||
| Total Credit Hours | 30 | |||
- 1
Horticulture Electives can be taken in any semester, provided the student has met the prerequisites. However, the following Horticulture courses that fulfill the Horticulture Elective requirement are only taught in the fall: HRT 134, HRT 135, HRT 201, HRT 205, HRT 217, HRT 220, and HRT 250. The following courses, that fulfill the Horticulture Elective requirement, are taught in both the fall and spring semester: HRT 106, HRT 140, HRT 241, and HRT 242.
- 2
Horticulture Electives can be taken in any semester, provided the student has met the prerequisites. However, the following Horticulture courses that fulfill the Horticulture Elective requirement are only taught in the spring: HRT 103, HRT 104, HRT 136, HRT 137, and HRT 218. The following courses, that fulfill the Horticulture Elective requirement, are taught in both the fall and spring semester: HRT 106, HRT 140, HRT 241, and HRT 242.
- 3
Horticulture electives can be taken in any semester, provided the student has met the prerequisites. However, HRT 235, which fulfills the Horticulture elective is only taught in the summer.
*Click on the hyperlinked course number to view additional information about the course.
**Students completing a course that has been assigned a MOTR number may transfer that course to any public institution in Missouri. Those who complete CORE 42 requirements will have that verification on their transcript.
*** It is your responsibility to verify that the courses listed above will transfer to the four-year institution of your choice. Maximize your transfer credits/classes by meeting with an academic advisor.