Course Titles/Content that Support the AHTA Core Curriculum Topic Areas
If you attended an educational institution that was on a quarter system as opposed to a semester system you can use those credits but, you must convert those quarter credits to the equivalent semester credits. You may find that you may need additional courses to fulfill the total credit hour or content requirement in each subject area. Reference the quarter hour to semester hour conversion table to convert your credits.
Course descriptions and titles that fulfill the required core curriculum courses plus one elective in Plant Science:
| AHTA Course Title | Course Content must include: | Example of Course Titles |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Horticulture | -Introduction to horticultural crops -Understanding of environmental factors involved in production of horticultural crops, -Overview of plant science -Horticultural practices -Careers in horticulture | -Introduction to Horticulture -Horticulture Science -General Horticulture |
| Plant Propagation | -Overview of the techniques -Materials, and conditions necessary for plant propagation of the vegetative and sexual reproduction of herbaceous, woody, greenhouse, and interior foliage plants | -Plant Propagation -Plant Propagation Methods -Principles of Plant Growth, Plant Propagation, and Development |
| Pest and Disease Plant Management | -Overview of the identification, diagnosis, and treatment of common pests and disease of horticultural crops -How to analyze symptoms -A discussion of treatment options -Cultural and preventive practices | -Integrated Pest Management -Pest Management Principles and Practices -Pest and Disease Plant Management |
| Electives | ||
| General Plant Pathology | -Introduction to organisms and environmental conditions that cause plant disease -The methods and interactions between plants and the disease causing agent -The role of plant disease in plant production | -General Plant Pathology -Introduction to Plant Pathology -Plant Pathology |
| Greenhouse or Nursery Production/Management | -Management and production of foliage and floral crops in the field or greenhouse -Environmental controls -Cultural production -An overview of different crops grown in the greenhouse | -Greenhouse Management -Nursery and Greenhouse Management -Nursery and Greenhouse Operations |
| Landscape Design | -Introduction to: -Landscape design elements, -Site analysis, -Practical solutions to landscape problems, and -May include the construction of landscape structures, turf management, and irrigation systems. | -Introduction to Landscape Design -Landscape Design Techniques -Landscape Construction and Design |
| Plant Materials | -Overview of trees, shrubs, and groundcovers used in the landscape -Identification of materials through form, color, texture, and habitat -The uses for plant materials in the landscape design | -Landscape Plant Materials -Herbaceous Plant Materials -Plant Materials |
| Soils | -Introduction to soil characteristics and their relationship to plant growth -The biological, chemical, and physical processes which occur in soil -Soil management -Conservation of soils as natural bodies in the environment | -Soil Science -Fundamentals of Soil Science -Principles of Soil Science |
Horticultural Therapy Course Content
Horticultural therapy coursework completed as an independent study is required to cover the content areas as defined. The following subject areas do not represent actual course titles. A course may include additional topic areas.
The AHTA website lists colleges and universities that offer horticultural therapy as a degree option and lists AHTA accredited horticultural therapy certificate programs.