Degree: B.S.

Undergraduate Program Director: James C. French (aroid@rci.rutgers.edu)

The plant science program prepares students for careers or further study in areas related to food, fiber, turfgrass, ornamental plant production, pest management, plant breeding, plant pathology, or plant science education. The curriculum offers three options: horticulture and turf industry, for students intending to pursue business careers; research, for students intending to pursue careers in laboratories or graduate study; and professional preparation, for students intending to pursue careers in education or horticultural therapy.

I. College Mission: Interdisciplinary Critical Analysis (5-6 credits)

  11:015:101  Perspectives on Agriculture and the Environment (2)

  11:015:400  Junior/Senior Colloquium (3)

II. Introductory Life and Physical Sciences

A. Life Sciences (8 credits)

  01:119:101-102  General Biology (4,4)

B. Physical Sciences (9 credits)

  01:160:161-162  General Chemistry (4,4)

  01:160:171  Introduction to Experimentation (1)

III. Humanities and the Arts (6 credits)

See suggested courses in the Degree Requirements chapter.

IV. Multicultural and International Studies (6 credits)

See suggested courses in the Degree Requirements chapter.

V. Human Behavior, Economic Systems, and Political Processes

A. Human Behavior (3 credits)

See suggested courses in the Degree Requirements chapter. Note that 01:830:101 General Psychology (3) is required in the horticultural therapy specialization.

B. Economic Systems (3-6 credits)

See suggested courses in the Degree Requirements chapter. 11:373:121 Principles and Applications of Microeconomics or 01:220: 103 Introduction to Macroeconomics (3) or equivalents is required of students in the horticulture and turf industry option.

C. Political Processes (3 credits)

See suggested courses in the Degree Requirements chapter.

VI. Oral and Written Communication (6 credits)

See suggested courses in the Degree Requirements chapter.

VII. Experience-Based Education (3 credits)

  11:776:495,496  Special Problems in Plant Science (BA,BA) or equivalent or an appropriate placement in cooperative education

VIII. Proficiency in Plant Science (52-75 credits)

A. REQUIRED COURSES (9-12)

Quantitative Skills

See 01:640:___ in VIII B below.

Computer and Information Technology Competence (0-3)

  01:198:110  Introduction to Computers and Their Application (3) or equivalent or satisfaction of an approved departmental computer competency test

Professional Ethics (3)

  01:730:250  Environmental Ethics (3) or 01:730:251 Ethics and Business (3)

Additional Requirements (6)

  11:776:211  Introduction to Horticulture (3)

  11:776:242  Plant Science (3)

B. OPTIONS (43-63)

One of the following three options is required:

1. Horticulture and Turf Industry (52-58)

Required courses (29-30)

  11:370:350  Agricultural Entomology and Pest Management (3)

  11:373:231  Agribusiness Marketing (3)

  11:373:241  Agribusiness Management (3) or 11:373:341 Management: Human Systems Development (3)

  11:375:266  Soils and Their Management (4) or 11:375: 453 Soil Ecology (3)

  01:460:101  Introductory Geology I: Physical (3)

  01:460:103  Introductory Geology Laboratory (1)

  01:640:115  Precalculus College Mathematics (4) or 01: 960:401 Basic Statistics for Research (3)

  11:770:301  General Plant Pathology (3)

  11:776:382  Plant Physiology (4)

  11:776:406  Plant Breeding (3)

Electives (23-28)

At least eight additional courses selected from the following list:

Plant Science Curriculum Electives

  11:015:492  Tropical Agriculture (3)

  11:015:494  Tropical Agriculture and Natural Resources Field Study (3)

  11:126:406  Plant Gene Transfer (4)

  11:126:413  Plant Molecular Biology (3)

  11:126:427  Methods in Recombinant DNA Technology (4)

  11:370:350  Agricultural Entomology and Pest Management (3)

  11:370:381  Insect Biology (4)

  11:550:230  Environmental Design Analysis (3)

  11:550:233-234  Landscape Plants I,II (3,3)

  11:550:238  Landscape Management and Maintenance (3)

  11:550:239  Planning and Planting the Residential Environment (3)

  11:680:390  General Microbiology (4)

  11:704:332  Plant Ecology (4)

  11:770:402  Mycology: Fungi in the Environment (3)

  11:776:200  Modern Crop Production (3)

  11:776:202  Applied Physiology of Horticultural Crops (3)

  11:776:221  Principles of Organic Crop Production (3)

  11:776:231  Commercial Floral Design (3)

  11:776:3__  Plant Nutrition (3)

  11:776:304  Turfgrass Management (4)

  11:776:305  Plant Genetics (4)

  11:776:310  Plant Propagation (3)

  11:776:312  Medicinal Plants (3)

  11:776:321  Greenhouse Management and Crop Production (3)

  11:776:340  Principles and Practices of Fruit Production (4)

  11:776:341  Fruit Production (3)

  11:776:362  Principles of Vegetable Culture (3)

  11:776:401  Postharvest Physiology of Horticultural Crops (3)

  11:776:402  Principles of Weed Science (3)

  11:776:403  Plant Science Techniques (3)

  11:776:404  Soil Management for Sports and Landscape Applications (3)

  11:776:408  Turfgrass Pest Science (4)

  11:776:439  Nursery Crop Production (3)

  11:776:450  Horticultural Topics (2)

  11:776:451  Fine and Sports Turf (3)

  11:776:452  Plant Tissue Culture (3)

  11:776:495,496  Special Problems in Plant Science (BA,BA)

  01:960:401  Basic Statistics for Research (3)

2. Professional Preparation: Plant Science Teacher Preparation, Plant Protection Preparation, and Horticulture Therapy Specialization (43-57)

Required courses (3-4)

  01:640:115  Precalculus College Mathematics (4) or 01: 960:401 Basic Statistics for Research (3)

and one of the following specializations:

A. Plant Science Teacher Preparation (46-50)

Required courses (24)

  05:300:200  Exploring Teaching as a Profession (3)

  05:300:306  Educational Psychology: Principles of Classroom Learning  (3)

  05:300:401  Individual and Cultural Diversity in the Classroom (3)

  11:300:450  Biology and Society (3)

  11:300:453  Teaching Life Science (3)

  05:300:462  Demonstration and Technology in Science Education (3)

Electives (22-26)

Additional courses from the curriculum electives listed in the horticulture and turf industry option, above, selected in consultation with an adviser.

B. Horticultural Therapy Specialization (53)

Required courses (40)

  11:776:225  Introduction to Horticultural Therapy (3)

  11:776:325  Horticultural Therapy Techniques and Programming (3)

  11:776:425  Special Topics in Horticultural Therapy (2)

  11:776:495,496  Special Problems in Plant Science (a minimum of 8 credits, approved by the adviser)

At least eight of the following human science courses (24-26):

  11:300:327  Applications of Psychology in Education (3)

  11:373:341  Management: Human Systems Development (3)

  01:830:101  General Psychology (3)

  01:830:303, 304  Memory and Memory Laboratory (3,1)

  01:830:321 Social Psychology (3)

  01:830:326, 327  Small Groups and Laboratory (3,1)

  01:830:330  Developmental Psychology (3)

  01:830:333  Adolescent Development (3)

  01:830:335  Adult Development and Aging (3)

  01:830:340  Abnormal Psychology (3)

  01:830:361  Developmental Psychobiology (3)

  01:830:377  Health Psychology (3)

  10:832:416  Mental Illness: Social and Public Policy (3)

  09:910:352  Groups at Risk in Contemporary Society (3) or 09: 910:220 Introduction to Social Work and Social Services (3)

  01:920:210  Sociology of Medicine and Health Care (3)

Electives (13)

Additional courses selected from the curriculum electives listed in the horticulture and turf industry option, above. Recommended electives are 01:119:332, 11:370:350, 11:770:301, and 11:776: 231, 310, 321, 439.

C. Plant Protection (45)

Required courses (15)

  11:370:352  Toxicology of Pesticides (3)

  11:370:381  Insect Biology (4)

  11:770:301  General Plant Pathology (3)

  11:776:402  Principles of Weed Science (3)

  11:776:495Special Problems in Plant Science (3) or appropriate adviser-approved internship in plant protection

Electives (30)

A minimum of 30 credits, with at least one course from each of the five following areas.  Additional electives may be substituted in consultation with the adviser.

I. Economics, Marketing, and Policy

  11:373:231  Agribusiness Marketing (3)

  11:373:241  Agribusiness Management (3)

  11:373:363  Environmental Economics (3)

  11:373:371  Food Health and Safety Policy (3)

II. Insect Pests

  11:370:350  Agricultural Entomology and Pest Management (3)

  11:370:409  Insect Classification (4)

  11:770:416  Principles of Applied Nematology (3)

III. Microbial Pathogens

  11:680:390  General Microbiology (4)

  11:770:402  Mycology: Fungi in the Environment (3)

  11:776:408  Turfgrass Pest Science (4)

IV. Agroecology and Ecology

  11:015:230  Fundamentals of Agroecology (3)

  11:704:351  Principles of Ecology (4)

V. Production/Management

  11:015:301  Topics in Agroecology (3)

  11:375:266  Soils and Their Management (4) or equivalent

  11:776:200  Modern Crop Production (3)

  11:776:221  Principles of Organic Crop Production (3)

  11:776:304  Turfgrass Management (4)

  11:776:321  Greenhouse Management and Crop Production (3)

  11:776:341  Fruit Production (3)

  11:776:439  Nursery Crop Production (3)

3. Research (57-63)

Required courses (43-44)

  11:115:403,404  General Biochemistry (4,3)

  11:126:413  Plant Molecular Biology (3)

  01:160:307-308  Organic Chemistry (4,4)

  01:640:135-136  Calculus I,II (4,4) or equivalent

  01:750:203-204  General Physics (3,3)

  11:776:305  Plant Genetics (4)

  11:776:382  Plant Physiology (4)

  11:776:452  Plant Tissue Culture (3) or 11:126:406 Plant Gene Transfer (4)

Electives (14-19)

At least five additional courses selected from the curriculum electives listed in the horticulture and turf industry option, above.

IX. Unspecified Electives (0-24 credits)