Horticulture Degree

The horticulture program at Virginia Highlands Community College prepares students to be landscape designers, landscape contractors, greenhouse managers, and growers. The program focuses on the general production and processing of plants, shrubs, flowers, foliage, trees, groundcovers, and related plant material. Program courses include: horticulture science and principles, plant identification, proper soil development and management, sustainable landscape and irrigation design, water conservation, turf maintenance practices, integrated pest management, licensing and certification, and business practices. Get more details below including other Virginia colleges that offer horticulture degrees.

Learn more by requesting information now!

Virginia Highlands Community College (VHCC)

1 College Avenue, Wise, VA

Virginia Highlands Community College, located in beautifully mountainous Abingdon, Virginia, enrolls approximately 3,200 students each year into their many programs of study.

VHCC offers the opportunity for students to earn an associate’s degree in many different areas, including: arts, education, business, information technology, science and horticulture, engineering, and industrial technology. VHCC also offers various career studies certificates, including: nurse’s aide certification, pharmacy technician certification, and business management. These certificates allow local businesses and employees to help augment their current knowledge of their already existing job field.

Virginia Highlands Community College is a fully accredited part of the VCCS system and subsequently has an agreement with all Virginia state colleges which allows students automatic acceptance when they have completed their associate’s degree.

Those who need additional financial assistance to attend VHCC may qualify for their Tobacco Scholarship Assistance Program which is geared toward students whose heritages lies with the many tobacco farmers of southern and western Virginia.

The cost to attend Virginia Highlands Community College is $127.00 per credit hour for in-state residents. Those who reside out of state can attend VHCC for $319.00 per credit hour. Those who live within a 30-mile radius, but across the state line, can attend VHCC for $143.00 per credit hour.

If you would like to apply at Virginia Highlands Community College, or would like more information on the many associate’s degree programs and career certificates offered there, click here to access VHCC’s official website.

Students Enrolled in the Horticulture Program

Get more details below regarding enrollment, academics, and school demographics. Virginia Highlands Community College has offered the following programs for students:

• Less Than One Year Certificate
• Associate's Degree

Students by Academic Level (2019)

Students by Gender (2019)

Students by Race (2019)

Source: IPEDS Survey 2012-2020: Data obtained from the US Dept. of Education's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Data may vary depending on school and academic year.

Career Options for Graduates

Nursery and Greenhouse Managers

Description

Plan, organize, direct, control, and coordinate activities of workers engaged in propagating, cultivating, and harvesting horticultural specialties, such as trees, shrubs, flowers, mushrooms, and other plants.

Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary

Description

Teach courses in the agricultural sciences. Includes teachers of agronomy, dairy sciences, fisheries management, horticultural sciences, poultry sciences, range management, and agricultural soil conservation. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers

Description

Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in landscaping or groundskeeping activities. Work may involve reviewing contracts to ascertain service, machine, and workforce requirements; answering inquiries from potential customers regarding methods, material, and price ranges; and preparing estimates according to labor, material, and machine costs.

Career Outlook & Projections ()

According to the BLS, first-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers employment is expected to grow at a rate of 5.3% from 2014 to 2024

Source: Job descriptions, estimated salary and wages, and projected job growth are taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).