Horticulture (B.S.)

Horticulture and the plant sciences are a part of everyone’s lives. If you have eaten a fruit or vegetable, seen the beauty of flowers, walked in a park or enjoyed a garden, there was undoubtedly a plant person working to provide these experiences.Ìý


The horticulture degree program at Delaware Valley University can offer you the opportunity to study many different subjects pertaining to the plant world such as botany, plant physiology, vegetable and flower production, pest management, and hydroponics and greenhouse management. Your courses will cover both organic and conventional agricultural approaches to horticultural crop production. Our graduates are well equipped to work in any production system in both field and controlled environments. Ìý

  • The faculty members in our horticulture program are extremely knowledgeable and experienced, and they maintain numerous industry connections.
  • You will receive one-on-one advising and mentoring from our faculty
  • We offer multiple teaching tools and techniques, including more than 1,000 acres of living laboratories
  • Our students have domestic and international travel opportunities in the Global Field Studies course

Our horticulture students have access to vegetable production areas on campus, the Roth Center for Sustainable Agriculture (which boasts a high tunnel and a certified organic field), and more than 12,000 feet of modern greenhouse space with many types of hydroponic and aquaponics production systems. Our campus itself is a 60-acre arboretum. We also have orchards located on both the main campus and the Gemmill Farm. You will gain knowledge in current lab techniques, insect, weed and plant disease identification, and soils and soil fertility.Ìý

A mircoscope is seated next to a computer with hemp diagrams.
New! Specialization or Certificate in Cannabis

In response to the increasing demand for employees with specialized training in cannabis production and agribusiness, the department of Plant Science, Landscape Architecture and Environmental Science offers a Horticulture major with a specialization in Cannabis for students desiring a four-year degree, or a stand-alone 17-credit one-year certificate in Cannabis.Ìý

100%
real-world experience
A female rider and horse in silhouette walking in a barn.
Four college-aged students walking together under some trees.
$28,000
average scholarship and grant amount awarded to freshmen in 2023-24
14:1
student to faculty ratio
College-aged students in a classroom.
A headshot of jaclyn fiola wearing a delval green collared shirt in a field of soil.
DelVal Influencer: Dr. Jaclyn Fiola

See how Dr. Fiola gets her hands dirty with our students to teach them all things soils.Ìý

Freight Farm
Freight Farm Technology

This new freight farm technology grows nearly 4 acres of produce in the size of a shipping container, in the course of one year. Hydroponic farming and computerized sensors maximize output as the world faces food production challenges. DelVal students work in the freight farm and produce is served at Terrain Café on campus, and in the dining hall.

Tour Our Crop Science and Horticulture Facilities

hort tour
HORTICULTURE AT-A-GLANCE

Delaware Valley University will prepare students for various careers in horticulture with diverse course offerings.
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Sample Horticulture Courses:

  • Botany of Vascular Plants
  • Plant Physiology
  • Plant Pathology
  • Plant Propagation
  • Plant Breeding and Genetics
  • Commercial Fruit Production
  • Commercial Vegetable Production
  • Hydroponics
  • Greenhouse Management
  • Integrated Pest Management
  • Organic Food and Fiber
  • Principles of Sustainable Agriculture
  • Marketing of Horticulture Products
  • Medicinal Plants

Specializations:

Certificates:Ìý

  • Horticultural TherapyÌý

  • Organic Farming Certificate ProgramÌý

PossibleÌýMinors:

  • AgribusinessÌý
  • Business AdministrationÌý
  • CommunicationÌý
  • Food SystemsÌý
  • One Health Communication
  • Policy StudiesÌý
  • WritingÌý

Related Programs:

  • Crop Science
  • Sustainable Agriculture Systems
  • Turf ManagementÌý
Brian Lutz with students
NEW! One Health Communication Minor

The One Health Communication minor provides students with the opportunity to bridge the study of writing and rhetoric with the sciences. Students who complete this minor will enhance their analytical and communication skills related to sciences including the University’s pre-veterinary, pre-health, STEM and science programs. They will gain skills for effectively communicating science topics to non-scientists and the general public.

Career Paths

The horticulture degree program at DelVal is known as a leader in hands-on, practically oriented horticulture programs. In addition to the comprehensive in-classroom education, the real-world, hands-on experience our students gain helps set them up for successful careers in the industry after graduation. Our graduates have pursued careers with:

  • Botanical gardens and arboreta
  • State and federal agencies such as the USDA
  • Agricultural product sales and marketing companies
  • Agricultural research and education organizations
  • Greenhouse and nursery production facilities
  • Florists and floral companies
  • Garden centers
  • Food and agriculture-related nonprofits
  • Farms or other businesses
  • Crop management companies

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Four horticulture students at A Day stand
Get Involved
Student Clubs & Organizations
  • -ÌýExpand your knowledge of horticulture through club projects, field trips, discussions, and guest speakers!
  • -ÌýExpand your knowledge through field trips, speakers and practicing floral techniques!
  • -ÌýWork with other students toÌýincrease knowledge of plant sciences and agricultural technology!
DelVal Horticulture
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The Experience360 Program gives you the opportunity to apply classroom lessons to real-world activities like internships, career exploration experiences, student research, study abroad, leadership development and more.

The Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture

Learn more about our programs and hear from students!

The Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture
Contact
Dr. Jacqueline A. Ricotta, Chair, Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, Professor

Office: Feldman 115

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