The Horticultural Research option is designed for students interested in graduate school and a career in academic or industrial research. It provides an excellent foundation in the natural sciences and horticulture, and accommodates the specific interests of each student. Graduates of this program will be critical thinkers, and experienced technical communicators. They will be skilled in finding and using information, as well as synthesizing information from many sources to analyze novel situations and solve problems.
The relationship between the student and the research mentor is a key feature of this program. The mentor will assist the student in choosing upper-division classes that match the student's interests. Each student also completes a research project under the guidance of his or her mentor, and writes an undergraduate thesis. Students can work with horticulture researchers on the OSU campus or at research institutions of their choosing. Our undergraduates have been welcomed at local research institutions including the United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service laboratories, the National Clonal Germplasm Repository in Corvallis, the Corvallis Plant Materials Center of the National Resources Conservation Service, and the North Willamette Research and Extension Center.
Major Core
General Science
BI 211, BI 212, BI 213. *Principles of Biology (4,4,4)
CH 231, CH 232, CH 233. *General Chemistry (4,4,4)
and CH 261, CH 262, CH 263. *Laboratory for Chemistry 231, 232, 233 (1,1,1)
MTH 251. *Differential Calculus (4)
Orientation
HORT 101. Integrating Plant, Soil and Insect Science (1)
Agricultural Science
BOT 331. Plant Physiology (4)
BOT 350. Introductory Plant Pathology (4)
CROP 440. Weed Management (4)
ENT 311. Introduction to Insect Pest Management (4)
SOIL 205. Soil Science (4)
Experiential Learning
HORT 403. Thesis (6–12)
HORT 407. Seminar (1)
Ecology
Select one of the following courses:
BI 370. Ecology (3)
BOT 341. Plant Ecology (4)
HORT 318. Applied Ecology of Managed Ecosystems (3)
Technology
Select one of the following courses:
HORT 414. Information Systems Management (4)
PBG 441. Plant Tissue Culture (4)
Writing Intensive Course
Select one of the following courses:
BOT 323. ^Flowering Plants of the World (3)
CROP/SOIL 325. ^Ag and Environmental Predicaments: A Case Study Approach (3)
HORT 318. ^Applied Ecology of Managed Ecosystems (3)
Capstone Course
Select one of the following courses:
HORT 452. Berry and Grape Physiology and Culture (4)
HORT 453. Grapevine Growth and Physiology (3)
HORT 454. Principles and Practices of Vineyard Production (3)
HORT 463. Seed Biology (3)
HORT 480. Case Studies in Cropping Systems Management (4)
HORT 495. Horticultural Management Plans (3)
PBG 450. Plant Breeding (4)
Option Requirements
Horticultural Science
HORT 112. Introduction to Horticultural Systems, Practices and Careers (2)
HORT 301. The Biology of Horticulture (3)
HORT 311. Plant Propagation (4)
HORT 316. Plant Nutrition (4)
HORT 411. Horticulture Book Club (1)
HORT 412. Career Exploration: Internships and Research Projects (1)
Advanced Horticultural Science
PBG 430. Plant Genetics (3)
Plant Materials
Select one of the following courses:
BOT 313. Plant Structure (4)
BOT 321. Plant Systematics (4)
BOT 425. Flora of the Pacific Northwest (3)
CROP 200. Crop Ecology and Morphology (3)
FOR 141. Tree and Shrub Identification (3)
HORT 226. Landscape Plant Materials I: Deciduous Hardwoods and Conifers (4)
HORT 228. Landscape Plant Materials II: Spring Flowering Trees and Shrubs (4)
HORT 251. Temperate Tree Fruit, Berries, Grapes, and Nuts (2)
HORT 255. Herbaceous Ornamental Plant Materials (3)
HORT 433. Systematics and Adaptation of Vegetable Crops (4)
Math and Science Foundation Courses
BB 350. Elementary Biochemistry (4)
CH 331, CH 332. Organic Chemistry (4, 4)
MTH 252. Integral Calculus (4)
PH 201, PH 202. *General Physics (5,5)
ST 351. Introduction to Statistical Methods (4)
Select 12 credits of upper-division horticulture and life science courses (with approval of research mentor)
Research
HORT 403. Thesis (6–12)
HORT 406. Projects: Data Presentations (1)
Ecology and Sustainability Ecosystems Courses
Meets Synthesis Requirements. Each course must be from a different department.
Contemporary Global Issues (Select one of the following courses):
AREC 351. *Natural Resource Economics and Policy (3)
AREC 461. ^Agricultural and Food Policy Issues (4)
BI 301. *Human Impacts on Ecosystems (3)
BI 306. *Environmental Ecology (3)
BI 349. *Biodiversity: Causes, Consequences and Conservation (3)
CROP 330. *World Food Crops (3)
FOR 365. *Issues in Natural Resources Conservation (3)
FW 325. *Global Crises in Resource Ecology (3)
GEO 300. *Sustainability for the Common Good (3)
GEO 330. *^Geography of International Development and Globalization (3)
Science, Technology and Society (Select one of the following courses):
ANS 315. *Contentious Social Issues in Animal Agriculture (3)
AREC 352. *Environmental Economics and Policy (3)
BI 435. *Genes and Chemicals in Agriculture: Value and Risk (3)
CH 374. *Technology, Energy, and Risk (3)
CSS 395. *World Soil Resources (3)
ENGR 350. *Sustainable Engineering (3)
ENSC 479. *^Environmental Case Studies (3)
FST 421. *Food Law (3)
FW 485. *Consensus and Natural Resources (3)
GEO 300. *Sustainability for the Common Good (3)
GEO 335. *Introduction to Water Science and Policy (3)
HST 481. *Environmental History of the United States (4)
HSTS 421. *Technology and Change (4)
HSTS 470. *Ecology and History: Landscapes of the Columbia Basin (3)
NUTR 312. *Issues in Nutrition and Health (3)
PH 313. *Energy Alternatives (3)
PS 476. *Science and Politics (4)
RNG 477. *Agroforestry (3)
Z 348. *Human Ecology (3)
Total=180
Grade Requirements
Students pursuing a major or minor in horticulture are required to receive a grade of C– or better in all HORT (horticulture) and PBG (plant breeding and genetics) courses that are required for completion of their major and option, or minor. If a grade below C– is received in a HORT or PBG course required for their major and option, or minor, a student will need to re-take the course and receive a grade of C– or better. If the grade below a C– was received for a course that is part of a group of courses where the student can select which courses to take (i.e., they do not need to take all of the courses, just a specified number of courses or credits) then it would be acceptable for the student to substitute a course for the one that they had received a grade below a C–. For example, in most of our options, a student needs to complete three of four plant identification courses. If a student received a grade lower than a C– in one of the classes, they could either re-take the same course or complete the other three courses with a grade of C– or better.
2004 Oregon State University