About Environmental Horticulture in University of Maryland

The Environmental Horticulture specialization (Formerly Plant Sciences: Horticulture and Crop Production) is designed to lead students toward becoming an owner-operator or a manager in fields such as: environmental horticulture; greenhouse management; container nursery production; fresh fruit and vegetable production; and plant protection.  For students who have a strong interest in education, numerous possibilities for rewarding careers also exist in agricultural extension, public gardens, and ornamental horticulture.

WHY STUDY ENVIRONMENTAL HORTICULTURE?

The Green Industry is a vibrant and growing component of local and global agriculture.  In the State of Maryland it generates more than a billion dollars in annual sales and continues to increase in value despite continued urbanization.  Much of this growth is fueled by the production of horticultural plants in nurseries, greenhouses and on farms.  Students have the possibility of developing a career in the production, handling and management of a variety of plants and crops.

The Environmental Horticulture academic specialization focuses on the science, technology and management of fruit, vegetable, flower and woody ornamental plant production. In contrast to the Agronomy curriculum, Environmental Horticulture encompasses a smaller, more intensive scale of cultivation and produces a greater diversity of crops. Environmental horticulturists typically produce non-commodity crops which have a much a higher value per unit land area, but are time-sensitive and require precise postproduction handling and marketing. The goal of this curriculum is to provide students with a balanced approach to science and technology that will enable them to become successful managers of horticultural crop production enterprises. Students receive a blend of classroom and hands-on training in the basic principles associated with commercial production systems. The applied aspects of the curriculum include training in plant propagation, greenhouse crop production systems, containerized nursery production, and the application of high tunnels for extending the fruit and vegetable crop production season. Courses in plant science, soil science, plant protection and food safety practices provide the students with the academic resources to implement the production technologies. Graduates of this program pursue careers in urban agriculture, horticultural enterprises and public education programs. There is currently a growing demand for these graduates in the Maryland’s emerging wine and microbrew enterprises. Students can prepare for plant science graduate programs by taking additional courses in Math and Chemistry. These individuals have been employed in government agencies such as the USDA, FDA and university extension programs.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

• Environmental  Horticulture

• Extension Education

• Food Safety and the Postharvest Handling of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

• Ornamental Horticulture

• Plant Protection of Agronomic and Horticultural Crops

• Public Horticulture

• Sustainable Agriculture and the Direct-Marketing of Horticultural Crops

• Value-added Products from Fruits, Vegetables and Grains

Academic qualification equivalents 

• The University of Maryland (UMD) seeks to enroll international students who demonstrate strong academic performance with records suggesting potential for success at the university. Admission to the University of Maryland is competitive. Typically, admission is offered to applicants whose academic credentials indicate marks of "very good" to "excellent." 

English language requirements

• International English Language Testing System (IELTS) | UMD accepts official IELTS and IELTS Indicator scores. 

               UMD passing score: 7

               Maryland English Institute score: 6.5 or lower

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) | UMD accepts official TOEFL and TOEFL Home Edition scores. At this time, we are not accepting TOEFL superscores known as MyBest Scores. 

               UMD passing score: 95

               Maryland English Institute score: 94 or lower

University of Maryland Highlights

University of Maryland Cost of Attendance

The estimated cost of attendance for international students to study at the university is mentioned-below: