Sustainable Horticulture
Skills Competency Award (SCA) Environmental Horticulture · Santa Barbara City College · 2026-2027 Catalog
Overview
The Environmental Horticulture Program teaches the basic skills and provides state-of-the-art information required to develop a strong foundation for a variety of career specialties within the landscaping, ornamental horticulture and the regenerative and restoration industry. The program encourages professional standards, a strong work ethic and environmentally sound management practices.
Horticulture industry professionals from throughout the community serve as members of the college’s Environmental Horticulture Advisory Committee. These “hands-on” professionals provide guidance, expertise and leadership in enhancing the program’s response to community and industry needs. They meet yearly with program staff members, college administrators and student representatives to review program goals and objectives. Course offerings and content have been determined through this participation and are geared to meet the needs of the landscape, ornamental horticulture and habitat management trades.
On the college’s East Campus, practical lab classes utilize two outdoor classroom gardens, the SBCC Lifescape and Chumash Point Ethnobotanical Preserve. The gardens are also the site of the nursery/ greenhouse unit. The Environmental Horticulture (EH) Program is designed to provide the student with the necessary skills at the apprentice level to begin work in a wide range of landscape trades. There are three vocational approaches within the Environmental Horticulture program: (1) the one-semester Skills Competency Award approach; (2) the Certificate of Achievement approach, where the certificate is awarded after the one-year (two-semester) format is successfully completed; and (3) the certificate can lead to any one of the four two-year A.S. Degree options in:
a. Landscape Contracting, C-27 License (satisfying one or more years of State requirements)
b. Environmental Landscape Design
c. Nursery & Greenhouse Technology
d. Ecological Restoration and Management
The program cannot guarantee job placement; however, many landscape industry employers, in search of energetic and skilled apprentices, contact the college to request referral of program graduates. The EH Program Skills Competency Award, EH Certificate and Certified Green Gardener, and Associate Degrees often provide expanding job opportunities.
Requirements
Skills Competency Award Requirements
Complete all Major Requirements with a “C” or higher or "P" in each course. Candidates for a Skills Competency Award are required to complete at least 20% of the major requirements through SBCC.
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements | ||
| Required Core | ||
| EH 101 | Plant Identification And Culture | 3 |
| EH 103 | Irrigation And Garden Waterworks | 3 |
| EH 104 | Landscape Maintenance | 3 |
| EH 110 | Introduction to Horticulture | 3 |
| Total Units | 12.00 | |
Optional:
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| EH 290 | Work Experience In Environmental Horticulture | 2-4 |
Learning Outcomes
- Identify common ornamental plants and appropriate placement within the landscape for sustainability.
- Correctly prune, water, feed and maintain plants in their landscape environment.
- Properly use and maintain manual and power gardening tools, machinery and equipment.
- Read an irrigation plan.
- Repair, maintain, retrofit and troubleshoot common irrigation systems.
- Conduct a simple landscape water audit, test sprinkler stations and calculate precipitation rates.
- Demonstrate familiarity with the regulations and laws regarding irrigation.
- Cope with ordinary pest, disease and weed problems to promote a safe, sustainable garden ecology.