Academic Programs Catalog

The Bachelor of Science degree in Turfgrass Science and Management is designed to prepare students for career opportunities as golf course superintendents, sports turf managers, lawn care professionals, grounds managers for private and public businesses, green industry salespersons and managers, and positions within governmental and institutional entities.

Turfgrass Science and Management involves the application of biological, chemical, and physical science principles to establish and care for turfgrasses that are used to provide biological, structural, functional, and aesthetic benefits. This major provides students the opportunity to understand the challenges and opportunities to integrate scientific innovations with the science and art of turfgrass management. 

Requirements for the Bachelor of Science Degree in Turfgrass Science and Management

1. The University requirements for bachelor's degrees as described in the Undergraduate Education section of this catalog; 120 credits, including general elective credits, are required for the Bachelor of Science Degree in Turfgrass Science and Management.
   
   The University's Tier II writing requirement for the Cropping Systems Science major is met by completing TURF 402. That course is referenced in item 3. below.
   
   Students who are enrolled in the Environmental Soil and Water Science major leading to the Bachelor of Science degree in the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, may complete an alternative track to Integrative Studies in Biological and Physical Sciences that consists of the following courses: Plant Biology 105 and 106 combined; and Chemistry 141, 143, and 161. The completion of Plant Biology 106 and Chemistry 161 satisfies the laboratory requirement. Plant Biology 105 and 106 combined and Chemistry 141, 143, and 161 may be counted toward both the alternative track and the requirements for the major referenced in item 3. below.
   
   The completion of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources mathematics requirement may also satisfy the University mathematics requirement.
2. The requirements of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources for the Bachelor of Science degree.
   
   Certain courses referenced in requirement 3. below may be counted toward College requirements as appropriate.
3. The following requirements for the major:

   a.	One of the following courses (3 to 5 credits):
   	MTH	103	College Algebra						3
   	MTH	116	College Algebra and Trigonometry						5
   b.	One of the following courses (3 or 4 credits):
   	STT	200	Statistical Methods						3
   	STT	201	Statistical Methods						4
   	STT	224	Introduction to Probability and Statistics						3
   	STT	421	Statistics I						3
   c.	One of the following courses (4 credits):
   	CEM	143	Survey of Organic Chemistry						4
   	CEM	251	Organic Chemistry I						4
   d.	All of the following courses (58 credits):
   	CEM	141	General Chemistry						4
   	CEM	161	Chemistry Laboratory I						1
   	COM	100	Human Communication						3
   	CROP	110	Computer Applications in Agronomy						2
   	CROP	226L	Weed Science Lab						1
   	CROP	326	Weed Science						2
   	ENT	264	Turfgrass Entomology						3
   	PLB	105	Plant Biology						3
   	PLB	106	Plant Biology Lab						1
   	PLP	266	Turf Pathology						3
   	SOIL	210	Fundamentals of Soil Science						3
   	TURF	178	Turf Irrigation						3
   	TURF	181	Pesticide and Fertilizer Application Technology						3
   	TURF	202	World of Turf						2
   	TURF	212	Turfgrass Biology						3
   	TURF	232	Turf Cultural Practices						2
   	TURF	262	Turf Management Seminar I						1
   	TURF	267	Performance Turf Design and Construction						2
   	TURF	269	Turf Management Strategies						2
   	TURF	272	Turf Soil Fertility						2
   	TURF	282	Turfgrass Physiology						2
   	TURF	402	Turf in the Environment and Society (W)						3
   	TURF	462	Turf Management Seminar II						1
   	TURF	469	Advanced Turf Management Strategies						1
   	TURF	472	Advanced Turf Soil Fertility						1
   	TURF	482	Advanced Turfgrass Physiology						1
   	TURF	493	Professional Internship in Turfgrass Science and Management						3
   e.	One of the following courses: (3 credits):
   	CROP	350	Introduction to Plant Genetics						3
   	CROP	441	Plant Breeding and Biotechnology						3
   f.	One of the following courses: (3 credits):
   	GEO	103	Introduction to Climate Change Studies						3
   	GEO	203	Introduction to Meteorology						3
   	GEO	402	Agricultural Climatology						3
   g.	Two of the following courses: (5 or 6 credits):
   	ACC	230	Survey of Accounting Concepts						3
   	HB	425	Golf Operations and Management						3
   	MGT	325	Management Skills and Processes						3
   	TURF	171	Operations Budgeting for Golf Course Managers						2
   h.	A minimum of 3 credits from the following courses:
   	CROP	451	Biotechnology Applications in Plant Breeding and Genetics						3
   	CROP	460	Plant-Microbe Interactions						3
   	CROP	485	Physiology in Plant Nutrition						3
   	CSUS	354	Water Resources Management						3
   	ENT	404	Fundamentals of Entomology						4
   	ENT	477	Pesticides in Pest Management						3
   	GLG	411	Hydrogeology						3
   	MGI	425	Microbial Ecology						3
   	PLP	405	Plant Pathology						4
   	PLP	407	Diseases and Insects of Forest and Shade Trees						4
   	SOIL	330	Soil Chemistry						2
   	SOIL	340	Applied Soil Physics						2
   	SOIL	360	Soil Biology						3
   	SOIL	455	Environmental Pollutants in Soil and Water						3
   	SOIL	470	Soil Resources						3