Turf Management Option
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The turf industry offers professional opportunities in golf course maintenance, park and athletic field maintenance, and landscape maintenance. This continually growing industry offers more career track jobs than any other area in horticulture. Golf course maintenance, leading to positions such as golf course superintendent, historically has drawn the most students and is the largest component of the curriculum. Graduates in this option compete well for top jobs throughout the West, with most finding work in Oregon, Washington, and California. Athletic field maintenance is emerging as a strong career track opportunity as well.

Students in this curriculum must have a passion for the outdoors, for turf maintenance, and for working with other people in a team context. Prior practical work experience and a willingness to work summers and/or extended internships while at OSU is a characteristic shared by our students. The curriculum focuses on science, technology, ‘in field’ hands-on experience, and decision making in real world settings. Active participation in student clubs, class field labs and out-of-class internship work experiences is critical to success. Activities stress networking and exposure to multiple work environments to help students integrate into the industry.

 

Horticulture Core (70-81 credits)

General Science

BI 211, BI 212, BI 213. *Principles of Biology (4,4,4)
CH 121. General Chemistry (5)
CH 122, CH 123. *General Chemistry (5,5)
MTH 112. *Elementary Functions (4)

Plant Materials (9)

Select three of the following four courses:
HORT 226. Landscape Plant Materials (3)
HORT 227. Landscape Plant Materials (3)
HORT 228. Landscape Plant Materials (3)
HORT 255. Herbaceous Ornamental Plant Materials (3)

Agricultural Sciences

BOT 350. Plant Pathology (4)
CSS 305. Principles of Soil Science (4)
CSS 306. Problem Solving: Soil Science Applications (1)
CSS 440. Weed Management (4)
CSS/ENT 311. Intro to Insect Pest Management (5)

Horticulture

Hort 112. Introduction to Turf and Landscape Management (2)
Hort 301. Principles of Horticultural Technology (4)
Hort 407. Seminar (1)
Hort 410. Internship (1–12) or Hort 403. Thesis (6–16)
HORT 412. Career Exploration: Internship and Research Projects (1,1)

 

Option Requirements

AG 312. Engine Theory and Operation (3)
BA 215. Money and Investment Management: Manager, Lender, Investor Viewpoint (4)
CSS 335. *Intro to Water Science and Policy (3)
HORT 314. Principles of Turf Maintenance (4)
HORT 315. Principles and Practices of Landscape Maintenance (4)
HORT 316. M/Plant Nutrition: Nutrient Absorption, Plant Composition (Sect. a) (2)
HORT 316. M/Plant Nutrition: Diagnosing Nutritional Disorders (Sect. b) (1)
   and HORT 317. Turf Fertility (1)
HORT 318. Applied Ecology of Managed Ecosystems (3)
   or Ecology Elective (3-4)
HORT 360. Landscape Construction: Irrigation and Drainage (4)
HORT 418. Golf Course Maintenance (4)


Select 3 of the following:
BOT 313. Plant Structure (4)
CSS 460. Seed Production (3)
CSS 466. Soil Morphology/Classification (4)
HORT 280. Intro to Landscape Design (3)
HORT 315. Principles and Practices of Landscape Maintenance (4)
HORT 358. ^Landscape Construction Techniques (4)
HORT 360. Landscape Construction: Irrigation and Drainage (4)
HORT 380. Advanced Landscape Design Studio (3) Not required for turf management.

Footnotes:
*Baccalaureate core course
^Writing intensive course

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