Horticulture Major

Get back to your roots with the Horticulture major … literally.

At a glance

You know there’s something miraculous about plants, growing, and being a part of it all. The Horticulture major nourishes that insight, and helps you transform your passion into a thriving career. You’ll use scientific principles in the growing, marketing and utilizing of fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, and grasses. You’ll gain a strong grounding in botany and chemistry, and come out with skills to surround your life with all things green. This major is also available online for transfer students. 

Degree typeBachelor of Science
FormatOn campus and online
Part ofCollege of Agricultural Sciences
Competitive major?No
Accelerated option?No
Not sure if this is the right major for you?
See all of them!

Concentrations

A concentration allows you to specialize in a certain area within your major, offering a depth of information and hands-on experiences that you may not otherwise get. Many students in this major will concentrate in one area to work in a specific field after college, as well as find mentors and internships before they even graduate.

Controlled Environment Horticulture

Controlled environment horticulture focuses on a technology-based approach to crop production within a protected structure to facilitate desired plant growth and development. In this concentration, you will study and gain hands-on experience with the management of controlled environment systems for the production and improvement of both floral plants and food crops. 

Horticultural Food Crops

In Horticultural Food Crops, you’ll study systems related to production of fruits and vegetables, including fruit/vegetable production, irrigation practices, soil fertility, propagation, breeding, and plant pest management courses. 

Horticultural Business Management

Horticultural Business Management gives you the opportunity to gain the broadest horticultural background while participating in business courses to help you gain experience in the business of horticulture and the horticulture industry. 

Horticultural Science

Horticultural Science will teach you conduct research to discover new information about plant growth, development, and environmental response. You’ll receive a solid foundation in the basic sciences and agricultural sciences, leading to technical and scientific careers in laboratory, greenhouse, or field research. 

Some Career Options

A degree in Horticulture will set you up to manage greenhouses, nurseries, and floral outlets, buy and sell supplies, conduct research to help feed the world and improve food conditions, and even edit journals and newsletters in the growing industry. Within this field, you can exercise your talents and interests in computers, construction, engineering, chemistry, physics, social services, or business management. Participation in internships and cooperative education opportunities is highly recommended to enhance practical training and development. 

Related CSU graduate programs

Tour and info session options

Tours may be available as part of Admissions tours and info sessions, offered throughout the year.

For additional opportunities, please reach out to:

Brennan Bates at CAS_recruiting@mail.colostate.edu or (970) 491-7747

academic Info and Tips

Explore even more

Want a more in-depth look at this major? Take a look at the program website to learn more.