Academic Programs Catalog

The Agricultural Industries program provides students with in-depth agricultural industry expertise paired with essential business knowledge. Students can apply this knowledge to their own operations or for launching a career in various agricultural sectors. Through both on-campus learning and hands-on experiences, courses provide a background in crop and soil sciences along with agribusiness management. Upon completion of the program, students are often recruited by agricultural businesses within their chosen focus areas or are prepared to lead their own successful organizations. Some common career paths include crop production management; agricultural retail management; agricultural sales (such as seed, fertilizer, chemicals or feed); and crop and agricultural processing or manufacturing.

Requirements for Agricultural Industries

The Agricultural Operations program provides students with a comprehensive education in the fundamental principles soil science, precision agriculture, water management, entomology, plant pathology and business management. Through hands-on training and experiential learning opportunities such as field laboratories and internships, students gain the practical skills and knowledge needed to succeed in various sectors of the agricultural industry. Students have the option to choose their own specialization within a broad curriculum. Upon completion of the program, graduates achieve successful careers in areas such as equipment retail sales and service; farm operations; crop production management; production service; and crop processing.

Requirements for Agricultural Operations

Students must complete 60 credits from the following:

The Dairy Management program provides students with a foundation of knowledge and practical skills regarding dairy cows, the dairy industry and dairy farming as a business. Courses are relevant to the modern dairy industry’s trends by focusing on skills needed to be a successful dairy farm owner, herdsperson or employee. Upon completion of the program, graduates often follow successful career paths in dairy farm management; dairy feed management; dairy herd reproduction; dairy health management; and dairy genetics.

Requirements for Dairy Management

The student must complete 48 credits from the following:

The Electrical Technology program provides electrical apprenticeship training with an emphasis on residential, agricultural, commercial and industrial wiring. Students study the latest electrical fundamentals, codes, various installations, motor controls and solid-state electronic applications, as well as energy efficiency and alternate power systems. This program is recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training, and the State of Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes. Upon completion of the program, graduates often achieve successful careers as manufacturing facilities managers; alternate energy installers; electrical inspectors; State government electricians; electrical contractors; or equipment service personnel.

Requirements for Electrical Technology

The Food Processing, Technology and Safety program provides students with hands-on education in the processes and technologies used to convert commodities into consumable food products. Students are able to personalize their curriculum from various areas of study, from food processing and technology, to facilities management, to chemistry. The program incorporates applied learning experiences within a mobile food processing lab and industry internships. Upon completion of the program, graduates go on to follow successful career paths in areas such as raw ingredient manufacturing; food technology; food safety; food machinery and equipment maintenance; and specialty food processing.

Requirements for Food Processing, Technology and Safety

Students must complete 60 credits from the following:

The Forest Technology program provides students with the competencies and technical skills necessary to sustainably manage forested systems in Michigan and beyond. Through internships and networking opportunities, students connect with local forestry experts and employers to gain hands-on experience. The program’s curriculum incorporates a variety of in demand skills, such as tree identification and forest inventory, forest ecology and silviculture, wildland firefighting and timber harvest operations. Upon completion of the program, graduates are often in high demand by a variety of industry and agency employers, and go on to achieve careers as forest technicians; procurement foresters; consultants; wildland firefighters; and land surveyors.

Requirements for Forest Technology

Students must complete 63 credits from the following:

The Fruit and Vegetable Crop Management program provides students with practical knowledge and training regarding the selection, use and management of fruit and vegetable crops. The program blends hands-on experiences like field laboratories and internships with curriculum across a variety of focus areas, such as farm management, agricultural compliance and safety, soil science, plant pathology and irrigation systems. Upon completion of the program, graduates often lead successful careers in horticultural, farming and crop production industries, with roles across farming operations, crop production and management, urban farming and greenhouse production.

Requirements for Fruit and Vegetable Crop Management

Students must complete 48 credits from the following:

The Fruit, Vegetable and Organic Horticulture Management program provides students with hands-on skills needed to thrive in the fruit and vegetable industries. Core courses lay the foundational principles in horticulture, soils, entomology and plant pathology. From there, students tailor their studies with courses in agribusiness, fruit and vegetable production, organic farming practices, greenhouse management and more. Upon completion of the program, graduates often lead careers in food crop industries; fruit and vegetable production; urban farming; organic farms and community-supported agriculture programs; greenhouse and controlled environment crop production; farmers’ markets; and irrigation installation and management.

Requirements for Fruit, Vegetable, and Organic Horticulture Management

Students must complete 48 credits from the following:

The Landscape and Nursery Management program provides students with hands-on knowledge regarding the production, selection, use and management of landscape plants. Students can personalize their learning with specialized focus areas, such as plant identification, soil sciences, pest management, irrigation design and more. Upon completion of the program, graduates often begin successful careers in expanding horticultural industries, such as landscape design, construction and management; nursery and greenhouse management; garden center management and sales; public gardens and arboreta; and urban tree care.

Requirements for Landscape and Nursery Management

The Landscape Management program provides students with practical knowledge and training regarding the selection, use and management of landscape plants and lawns. Students explore plant growth, development and identification, with areas of study in soil science, landscape maintenance, irrigation, weed management and more. Upon completion of the program, graduates are prepared for careers in the green industry such as landscape design, construction and management; irrigation systems; retail equipment and supply centers; greenhouse and field nursery operations; professional lawn services; and retail garden centers.

Requirements for Landscape Management

Students must complete 48 credits from the following:

The Livestock Industries program provides students with the expertise and hands-on skills that are directly applicable to managing a livestock operation. Students explore focus areas of livestock production, from animal reproduction to nutrition and feeding, to anatomy and physiology. Upon completion of the program, graduates often lead successful careers as farm owners; herdspeople; livestock production managers; nutritionists and feed specialists; equipment sales or services managers; and pharmaceutical sales or service professionals.

Requirements for Livestock Industries

Students must complete 48 credits from the following:

The growing demand for recreational areas and rededication to the maintenance of green spaces in America has created a shortage of turfgrass specialists. With an international reputation in turfgrass research and education, we offer two pathways in turfgrass management—Golf Course Management or Sports and Commercial Turf Management.
 
The Turfgrass Management – Golf Course program provides students with a solid foundation in plant science along with the specific expertise and skills needed for a career in golf course supervision and management. This program offers students hands-on learning experiences across numerous areas of study, such as soil and landscape science, pest management and golf course design and construction. Previous work experience on a golf course maintenance crew is expected. Upon completion of the program, graduates often achieve successful careers at the more than 14,000 golf courses in the United States, as senior crew members; superintendents; professional groundskeepers; golf course managers; turf specialists; licensed irrigators; or sales and marketing professionals.
 
The Sports and Commercial Turf Management program provides students with a solid foundation of knowledge in turfgrass management as it pertains to sports beyond golf. This program offers students hands-on learning experiences across numerous areas of study, such as soil and landscape science, plant biology, pesticide and fertilizer technology, and performance turf design and construction. Upon completion of the program, graduates often achieve successful careers in sports and turf management, as professional baseball groundskeepers; football and soccer turf managers; turf specialists in lawn-care and landscape-maintenance companies; licensed irrigators; sod production managers; or sales and marketing professionals.
 

Requirements for the Golf Course Emphasis

Requirements for the Sports and Commercial Turf Management Emphasis

Program offerings in both emphasis areas are integrated with other areas in turfgrass and landscape and nursery.  Courses  include technical, communication, mathematics, and business content.  Placement training opportunities are offered at many leading industrial businesses.

The Urban Forest Management program provides students with the knowledge and technical skills necessary to sustainably manage trees in an urban environment, both in Michigan and beyond. Students connect directly with urban forestry leaders and professionals to gain hands-on experience in areas such as tree identification, tree selection, planting and pruning, climbing and aerial work, tree health care and risk assessment and more. Upon completion of the program, graduates are often in high demand in this growing industry and go on to pursue careers as urban tree planting coordinators; arborists; vegetation mapping coordinators; and urban forest technicians.

Requirements for Urban Forest Management

Students must complete 60 to 61 credits from the following:

The Viticulture program provides students with practical knowledge and training regarding the selection and use of grape production and vineyard management. The program blends a background in plant science with specific viticulture skills, such as soil science, plant diseases, pruning techniques, vineyard management and business management. Students can also choose to take online courses from the Viticulture and Enology Science and Technology Alliance (VESTA). Upon completion of the program, graduates are equipped with the skills needed to pursue a career as a vineyard owner; vineyard manager; vineyard nursery manager; vineyard appraiser; consultant; or viticulturist.

Requirements for Viticulture