Horticulture

Earn a Horticulture Associate Degree

Are you interested in working with plants and starting a career in agriculture and related fields? From lawns to gardens and florists to farms, society needs skilled cultivators to grow plants. Aims offers two horticulture associate degree programs that can give you the skills and knowledge to help you succeed in a variety of related industries. Learn from experienced faculty members in Weld County, the heart of Colorado farm country and gain practical skills through labs taught in a state-of-the-art greenhouse facility.

While earning a horticulture associate degree at Aims, you’ll learn about:

Botany
Soil science
Plant propagation
Pest identification
Greenhouse management
Turf Management

Choose Between Two Horticulture Associate Degree Programs

Aims offers two horticulture liberal arts associate degrees, each with a unique focus.

1. Associate of Science in Environmental Horticulture Landscape Business

Study the ways in which landscaping skills intersect with business principles and practices.

2. Associate of Science in Horticulture Business Management

This liberal arts associate degree focuses on large-scale crop production.

Both horticulture degrees are designed to transfer to a bachelor’s degree program at a four-year school, although you can also choose to enter the workforce upon graduation from Aims.

"If you love plants and are interested in horticulture, Aims can open doors for you."

--Lynn Ingegneri, horticulture instructor at Aims

View Degree Requirements

Learn How Your Passion for Plants Can Blossom Into a Career

Learn the fundamentals of soil science, plant propagation and management and the business of landscaping. Combine lecture and classwork with hands-on training in a state-of-the-art greenhouse lab to prepare for a career in horticulture.

Instructor Lynn Ingegneri explains how the Aims horticulture program gives students the skills and opportunities needed to pursue a variety of agriculture industry jobs.

Growing and nourishing plants
Soil management
Greenhouse operations
Weed and pest management
Garden management
Data collection

$51,894 Lanscape Architect median salary w/associate Source: salary.com

Earn a Horticulture Certificate

You can earn a horticulture certificate at Aims to explore a specific subject area or to strengthen skills in less time than it takes to earn a two-year degree. Learn the basics of plant and business management with an introductory certificate or dive deeper into food and greenhouse management with a more robust horticulture certificate.

Introduction to Horticulture Certificate
Horticulture Certificate

Careers in Horticulture

Channel a passion for flowers and plants by developing skills to work with a florist or landscaping company. Use an entrepreneurial spirit to start a business or improve the existing business for a family-owned shop or farm. Build on your interest in food crop science to increase food yields and safety by working as a pest advisor.

Examples of career focus areas for horticulture graduates include:

Florist
Orchard or nursery manager
Landscape designer
Pest control advisor
Greenhouse manager
Agricultural sales for seed or horticultural supply companies
Public gardener

Marketing
Research
Teaching
Industry support
Inspection
Landscape construction and management
Communications

Horticulture Faculty and Staff

Aims horticulture program instructors bring a background of diverse industry expertise to your educational experience. Instructors synchronize classroom and lab lessons so you get hands-on practice that supports your coursework. Small class sizes provide many opportunities for personalized attention from instructors who are invested in your success.

Amy McFarland

Department Chair, Agriculture
Cassandra Anderson

Part-Time: Faculty, Agriculture
Jason French

Part-Time: Faculty, Agriculture
Lynn Ingegneri

Part-Time: Instructional Lab Coordinator I, Agriculture Sciences
David Swieter

Part-Time: Professional Equipment Mechanic, Automotive
Megan Blaser

Program Coordinator II, Agriculture & Technology
Linda Richardson

Staff Associate, Business & Technology