| Degree: | Diploma; Co-op; University Transfer |
| Field of Study: | Applied Horticulture/Horticulture Operations, General
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| Description: | The Horticulture Technician diploma is a two-year co-op program with the emphasis on the practical aspects of horticulture. The course develops the academic and practical skill level in students that allow them to easily match a growing need in the green industry. All graduates can be fully employed in the field; there are, according to Landscape Ontario, the provincial trade organization, over 1600 positions available in horticulture in the province annually. Additionally many opportunities exist out-of-province and even out-of-country.
The first year of the Horticulture Technician program is academic-centred while the emphasis in the second year is on hands-on practical training. Approximately 80% of the scheduled class time in the senior year is spent outside the classroom in courses such as Landscape Field Construction, Greenhouse Plant Production, Arboriculture and Garden and Landscape Maintenance. Students and faculty participate in practical lab sessions while maintaining and redeveloping the grounds of the campus in real-time situations. The A.M. (Mac) Cuddy Gardens, in near-by Strathroy, greatly enhances the practical experience in a world-class estate garden which houses a remarkable collection of rare and endangered plants.
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