Cornell University offers master's and doctoral level degrees in horticulture. The school's Master of Science degree, which can be completed in two years, teaches students about the different methods of horticulture and horticultural biology, management and production. Students in this program must complete a thesis and fulfill a teaching requirement. Students who pursue the Master of Professional Studies degree must complete 30 credit hours of coursework and a special project under the supervision of an academic committee. Students pursuing the Public Garden Leadership M.P.S. degree complete an internship and those enrolled in the Masters International Program work for the Peace Corps.
Doctoral students who pursue horticulture degrees at Cornell learn about horticulture methods, biology and production. This program, which can be completed in four to five years, requires that students complete a teaching requirement and coursework, take a comprehensive oral exam and write a dissertation.
Cornell University
Department of Horticulture
134A Plant Sciences Bldg.
Ithaca, NY 14853
607-255-4568
Purdue University, which was founded in 1869, offers master's level and Ph.D. degrees in horticulture. Students in these programs may take courses in horticulture marketing, plant physiology, plant breeding, environmental horticulture, computer science, chemistry and the genetics of plants. These programs, which generally take two to four years to complete, require that students complete coursework, an oral comprehensive examination, seminars, a written comprehensive examination and an original research project under the supervision of faculty members.
Purdue University
625 Agriculture Mall Dr.
West Lafayette, IN 47907
765-494-1306
hort.purdue.edu/hort/grad/gradprog.shtml
The University of Delaware offers a graduate horticulture master's degree program that prepares students for careers in public horticulture. Students who complete this program may work at institutions such as arboretums and botanical gardens. Students in the program complete coursework in areas such as statistics, museum studies, plant science, history, political science and soil science. Students are also required to complete a thesis and take visits to horticultural institutions.
The University of Delaware organizes a symposium where students can learn from experts in the field about public gardens and how to create and manage plant collections.
University of Delaware
126 Townsend Hall
Newark, DE 19716
302-831-2517
http://ag.udel.edu/Longwoodgrad/