Creativity blooms with a Horticulture degree - Southwestern Illinois College

If you are passionate about plants, flowers and soil, and love working outdoors, a career in horticulture might be right for you. SWIC provides opportunities to earn a Degree, or Certificate.

Horticulture Training Program

Students in the program will will learn the basics of horticulture such as soil, plant and turf management and the principles of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers and ornamental plants.

Career Opportunities

  • Landscape designer
  • Golf course superintendent
  • Grounds superintendent for a school, college, park, industrial complex or municipality
  • Turf manager for construction contractor, country club, highway department, sod farm or landscape contractor
  • Retail or wholesale greenhouse operator
  • Floral designer
  • Garden center manager
  • Fruit and vegetable retail or wholesale manager

Be Career Ready in Two Years or Less

  • Associate in Applied Science Degree
  • Horticulture Certificate

Core Courses for Associate in Applied Science Degree

Total Credits 32
Course Number Course Description Credits
HORT 102 Intro to Horticulture 3
HORT 132 Garden Center & Nursery Management 4
HORT 152 Greenhouse Management 4
HORT 136 Identification & Use of Ornamentals 3
HORT 135 Turf Management 4
HORT 287 Supervised Intern Employment 2
HORT 215 Horticultural Diagnostics 3
HORT 288 Supervised Intern Employment 4
HORT 226 Landscaping 3
HORT 298 Horticulture Project 2

Courses for Horticulture Certificate

Course Number Course Description Credits
HORT 102 Intro to Horticulture 3
HORT 136 Identification & Use of Ornamentals 3
HORT 152 Greenhouse Management 4
HORT 112 Media & Fertility 6

Other Horticulture Courses

Course Number Course Description Credits
HORT 235 Advanced Turf Management 3
HORT 228 Computer-Aided Landscaping 3
HORT 237 Arboriculture 3 3
HORT 275 Grounds Maintenance 4
HORT 252 Advanced Greenhouse Management 3 3
HORT 175 Home Gardening 3
HORT 242 Fruit Production 3
HORT 262 Small Fruit Production 2
HORT 280 Vegetable Gardening 2

Find Out More About the SWIC Horticulture Program

Please submit the form below, if you’d like to contact us about the program or find out more about how to get started.

For more information, please fill out the contact form.