Environmental Horticulture
Associate in Science School of Agriculture and Industrial Technology · Merced College · 2026-2027 Catalog
The Environmental Horticulture Program at Merced College is designed to meet the need for trained personnel in a broad range of occupational opportunities involved with or related to the environmental horticulture industry.
Students in the program build knowledge of all aspects of horticulture through in-class and online learning paired with hands-on practice. Classroom knowledge is applied in labs utilizing project-based learning in our campus nursery, plant science laboratory, and various campus landscapes and gardens.
Students work with a variety of edible, ornamental, and medicinal plants and gain a working knowledge California’s Central Valley climate as well as microclimates across the state. During their time in the program students propagate, grow, identify, and sell horticultural specialty crops as well as create designs and construct projects utilizing these crops. Students who have completed this program have moved on to a broad range of careers in areas such as nursery management, landscape design and construction, public garden and arboretum management, wildlife management, tree management, small farming, and business entrepreneurship
The Associate of Science degree in Environmental Horticulture is available for students who meet the graduation requirements and complete the following required courses, with a minimum grade of a “C” (or P) in each course in the degree and maintain a 2.0 GPA.
Program Student Learning Outcomes
A. Given an area to be landscaped and customer parameters, plan a workable landscape design including the bid and customer presentation.
B. Demonstrate the ability to perform the hands on skills and abilities to build / construct various projects related to the Landscape industry. These will include, but not be limited to, carpentry, electrical, plumbing and irrigation, concrete, site preparation, and bid and job estimation.
C. Select the most appropriate plants and trees with the decision based on the environment conditions, plant characteristics and customer preferences.
D. Faced with either a hypothetical or actual problem dealing with plantings or sprinkler/irrigation systems and the appropriate references, formulate a solution to the problem.
Program Requirements:
Program Core: (16 Units)
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| AGEH-01 | Elements of Landscape Horticulture | 3 |
| AGEH-06 | Landscape Design | 3 |
| AGPS-01 | Elements of Plant Science | 4 |
| AGMA-01 | Equipment Safety | 1 |
| Plant Identification and Usage | 3 | |
| Plus 3 units from the following: | ||
| AGEH-02 | Plant Identification and Usage: Fall | 3 |
| AGEH-03 | Plant Identification and Usage: Spring | 3 |
| Nursery Production | 3 | |
| Plus 3 units from the following: | ||
| AGEH-04 | Nursery and Garden Center Practice | 3 |
| AGEH-05 | Plant Propagation | 3 |
| Electives: Plus 6 units from the following electives: | ||
| AGAB-08 | Agricultural Computer Applications | 3 |
| AGEH-07 | Landscape Construction and Installation | 3 |
| AGEH-08 | Landscape Maintenance | 3 |
| AGEH-50 | Residential Gardening | 3 |
| AGPS-03 | Economic Entomology | 3 |
| AGPS-06 | Fertilizers and Soil Amendments | 3 |
| AGPS-13 | Fruit Tree Maintenance | 3 |
| Mechanized Agriculture | ||
| Plus 3 units from the following: | ||
| AGMA-06 | Small Engine Repair/Maintenance | 3 |
| orAGMA-07 | Compact Power Equipment | 3 |
| Total | 22 | |
Completion of MCCD-GE Breadth: (24 units)
Elective (as needed to reach 60 units) Units: (13 Units)
Total Degree Units: (60 Units)