Agriculture/Natural Resources

Horticulture - Garden Design Career Certificate

DEPARTMENT:

Agriculture/Natural Resources

TOTAL UNITS

27.0 Units

CAREER PROGRAMS

Career Certificates are intended to certify that students successfully completing this program are prepared to enter the careers associated with this certificate. They usually take at least one to two years to complete. These programs are approved by the California Community College Chancellor's Office.

CONTACT:

Pj LoCoco, (707) 527-4409; Steve Mullany, (707) 527-4650

PROGRAM

The Garden Design Certificate program is desinged to provide a qualification for students who wish to concentate their training towards garden design occupations within the landscape industry as well as job positions that require garden design skills.

Garden design focuses primarily on residential landscape situations and small commercial sites. Projects may range from the design of small focal planting beds and perennial borders to complete garden layouts. Garden designers provide the planting design in addition to developing the landscape spatial composition.

The Garden Design Certificate is one rung on a career ladder. Students, upon completing the basic coursework for this certificate, may complete additional four units of coursework and receive the Garden Design with CAD Skills Certificate. Futhermore, since a core component of the courses is also required for other SRJC horticulture certificate programs, students may earn the Landscape Management or the Nursery Management Cereer Certificate by completing additional courses.

The certificate program emphasizes hands-on learning, and most courses incorporate lab activities that apply knowledge and skills in realistic settings. The Garden Design Certificate will be awarded upon fulfillment of the 27 units of requirements with a grade of "C" or better. The program is actively supported by the local horticulture industry.

OCCUPATION

Horticulture, which involves the growing, selling, planting and servicing of plants and landscapes for human environments, is one of the fastest growing industries in America. California's $10 billion horticulture industry sets the pace for the nation, benefiting the state's economy with the contribution of over 100,000 jobs, plus throusands of new jobs and business start-ups each year.

The landscape industry in Sonoma County has expanded dramatically in the last decade. Retail nurseries and full-service garden centers have seen substantial increases in sales from previous years, and the services of large and small landscape firms are in high demand. In addition, a significant number of independent, entrepreneurial landscape/garden designers offer services throughout the county.

This industry-wide expansion has been accompanied by an increase in the demand for employees with garden design skills. Men and women who work in the garden design field, find employement in design/build landscape contracting firms, full service retail garden centers, landscape architecture offices, entrepreneurial gardent design enterprises, and other postions that require the application of plant knowledge and drafting/design skills. The certificate will also provide excellent preparation for students planning to enter bachelor's degree programs in landscape architecture.

DATE

The requirements for this certificate are effective beginning the semester shown below. If you began working on this certificate before the effective semester, you may not be affected by any changes to the program. Consult with a counselor or department chair to determine your eligibility to complete the certificate under previous requirements.

Effective FALL 2003

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Select 3 units from the following list: ::AG 991:Occ. Wk. Exp.-Intern Program::1.0-4.0

NOTES

(F) offered fall semester

(S) offered spring semester

* Students with extensive horticulture-related workplace experience may wish to consult with an instructor prior to enrolling.

The Garden Design Career Certificate will be awarded with completion of 27 units of requirements with a grade of "C" or better.