University of Rhode Island

Department of Plant Sciences

Turfgrass Management

Overview

Curriculum Requirements

General Education Courses

Pre-Professional Courses 

Professional Concentration Courses

Suggested Supporting Electives

Minor for Turfgrass Students in the College of Business Administration

 

Overview

The Turfgrass Management program is intended to educate students in both natural and social sciences, in preparation for professional careers in the many fields of environmental horticulture. This program has as its unifying theme the culture and use of plants that enhance the human environment. Graduates of this program receive a Bachelor of Science degree. They may pursue careers as 

Others may enter graduate school and pursue careers in research and education in both public and private institutions. 

This program qualifies the graduate for certification as a turfgrass manager or turfgrass specialist with the American Registry of Certified Professionals in Agronomy, Crops, and Soils, Ltd. (ARPACS) of the American Society of Agronomy. This program also meets the requirements of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA).

Back to Top

 

Curriculum Requirements

A total of 130 credits are required for graduation, among which 30 are General Education requirements, 88 are program requirements and 12 are free electives. With the assistance of a faculty advisor, each student can formulate a program of study to meet their own educational and professional objectives.

Entrance Preparation: Students who wish to enter the Turfgrass Management specialization should have a sound background in chemistry, biology, mathematics, physics and English.  Minimum requirements for entry are 18 units of college preparatory work including 4 units in English, 3 units in algebra and plane geometry, 2 units in physical or natural science, 2 units in history or social science, and 7 additional units in the above or other areas.

Back to Top

 

General Education Courses 

(30 credits required)

See General Education Requirements under UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS section in the catalog: BULLETIN of the UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND for courses that fulfill the general education requirements. Courses that qualify for each area of general education have a capital letter (C, Cw, M, S, L, A, or F) after the course description in the catalog. Credits within a student’s professional college may not be counted toward any General Education Requirements. Examples: LAR 202 is listed as qualifying as a letters (L) course, NRS 100 as a Social Sciences (S) course, and PLS 233 as a Fine Arts and Literature (A) course. Since all of these courses are within a Turfgrass Management professional college (Resource Development), they cannot be used by Urban Horticulture and Turfgrass Management students to fulfill Letters (L), Social Sciences (S), or Fine Arts and Literature (A) general education requirements. A few suggested courses are listed below. Courses in bold type are required or suggested for a minor in business (see separate sheet). 

                C: COM 101 Public Speaking

3

                C: COM 103 Interpersonal Communication

3

                Cw: WRT 101 Composition

3

                Cw: WRT 201 Introduction to College Research Writing

3

                Cw: WRT 227 Business Communications

3

                Cw: WRT 235 Writing with Computers

3

                M: MTH 107 Introduction to Finite Mathematics

3

                M: MTH 108 Topics in Mathematics

3

                M: MTH 111 Precalculus

3

                M: MTH 131, 132 Applied Calculus I, II

3 ea.

                M: BAC (QBA) 110 (formerly 207) Business Computing Applications

3

                S: APG 200 Language and Culture

3

                S: APG 202 The Prehistoric Ages

3

                S: APG 203 Cultural Anthropology

3

                S: CNS 220 Consumer in the Economy (Anderson)

3

                S: *ECN 201 Principles of Microeconomics

3

                or *REN 105 Introduction to Resource Economics

3

                S: ECN 202 Principles of Macroeconomics

3

                S: ENG 330 The Structure of American English

3

                S: MGT 110 Introduction to Business

3

                L: COM 200 The Art of Human Communication

3

                L: COM 205 Great American Speeches

3

            L: JOR 110 Introduction to the Mass Media

3

            A: ART 103 Three Dimensional Studio I

3

            A: ENG 160 Masterpieces of Literature

3

            A: ENG 241, 242 American Literature I, II

3 ea.

            A: ENG 243 The Short Story

3

            A: ENG 251, 252 (A or F) English Literature I, II

3 ea.

            F: See catalog for options and courses

 

Back to Top

 

Pre-Professional Courses 

(25 credits, 7-8 apply to General Education)

                 BOT 111 General Botany

4

                 CHM 101, 102 General Chemistry I, Lab (Chem. majors)

3, 1

                 CHM 103, 105 Introductory Chemistry, Lab (non-chem. majors)

3, 1

                 CHM 124, 126 Organic Chemistry, Lab

3, 1

                 NRS 212 Introduction to Soil Science (Amador)

3

                 PLS 200 Introduction to Plant Pathology (Englander)

4

                 PLS 205 Problem Solving in Plant Biology (Kru1)

3, 1

                 PLS 255 Horticultural Plant Physiology (Hull)

2

Back to Top

 

Professional Concentration Courses

(41-46 credits required)

                      PLS 306 Landscape Management (Maynard)

3

                      PLS 322 Power Units (Wing)

3

                      PLS 332 Plant Pathology (Mueller)

3

                      PLS 341 Introductory Turfgrass Management (formerly Lawn                                    Management) (Ruemmele)

3

                      PLS 353 Landscape Plants I (Simeoni)

3

                      ENT 385, 386 Introductory Entomology, Lab (LeBrun)

3 ,1

                      ENT 387 Insects of Turfgrasses, Trees, and Ornamentals (Alm)

3

                      ENT 395 Pesticides and the Environment (Alm)

3

                      PLS 390 Irrigation Technology (Sullivan)

3

                      PLS 399 Plant Science Internship (Alm)

1-6

                      PLS 440, 441 Diseases of Turfgrasses, Trees, and Shrubs, Lab                                   (Jackson)

3, 1

                      PLS 442 Advanced Turfgrass Management (formerly Professional                           Turfgrass Management) (Jackson)

3

                      PLS 461 Weed Science (Sullivan)

3

                      PLS 475 Plant Nutrition and Soil Fertility (Hull)

4

Back to Top

 

Suggested Supporting Electives 

(19-20 credits; Courses in bold type are required or suggested for business minor - see last page)

                      ACC 201, 202 Elementary Accounting

3

                      BSL 333, 334 Legal and Ethical Environment of Business I, II

3 ea.

                      CHM 112, 114 General Chemistry II, Lab

3, 1

                      *CNS 320 Personal Finance (Anderson)

3

                      *CNS 415 Retirement Planning (Anderson)

3

                      CPL 434 Introduction to Environmental Law

3

                      CVE Surveying I

3

                      CSC 101 Computing Concepts

3

                      ENT 550 Insect Taxonomy and Systematics (Alm)

3

                      *ENT 555 Insect Pest Management (Casagrande)

3

                      HLT 172 First Aid

1

                      HLT 272 Advanced First Aid (Seleen)

2

                      *INS 301 Fundamentals of Risk Management and Insurance

3

                      *MGT 300 Introduction to Management and Supervision

3

                      *MGT 301 Organization and Management

3

                      MGT 303 Personnel Administration

3

                      MGT 380 Business and Society

3

                      MKT 301 Marketing Principles

3

                      NRS 301 Fundamentals of Forest Management (Brown)

3

                      NRS 450 Soil Conservation and Land Use

3

                      NRS 451 Soil Conservation and Technology

1

                      NRS 471 Soil Morphology and Mapping

3

                      PHY 109, 110  Introduction to Physics, Lab

3, 1

                      *PLS 210 Plant Protection Practicum (Englander)

1

                      *PLS 301 Nursery Crop Production Management (Maynard)

3

                      PLS 311 Trees and Small Fruit Culture (Alm)

3

                      PLS 315 Introduction to Horticultural Therapy (Shaw)

3

                      PLS 316 Gardens and Therapy (Shaw)

3

                      PLS 324 Vegetable Science (Wallace)

3

                      *PLS 331 Floriculture and Greenhouse Management (Shaw)

3

                      PLS 320 Landscape Design (Simeoni) (CCE - Register at Hart House,                       no phone registration)

3

                      PLS 350 Interior Plantscaping

3

                      *PLS 354 Landscape Plants II (Simeoni)

3

                      *PLS 401,402 Plant Sciences Seminar (Hull)

1, 1

                      *PLS 405 Propogation of Plant Materials (Maynard)

3

                      PLS 415 Theories and Principles of Therapeutic Horticulture (Shaw)

3

                      PLS 436 Floriculture and Greenhouse Crop Production (Shaw)

3

                      *PLS 476 Environmental Plant Physiology (Hull)

3

                      PLS 484 Structures (Wing)

3

                      PLS 491, 492 Special Projects and Independent Study (Staff)

1-3

                      *REN 325 Planning and Managing a Small Natural Resources Firm

3

                      REN 341 Economics of Agricultural and Seafood Marketing

3

                      REN 440 Benefit-Cost Analysis

3

                      WRT 333 Scientific and Technical Writing

3

 *Recommended

Back to Top

Minor for Turfgrass Students in the College of Business Administration

This formalized minor is designed to give non-business students the opportunity to gain some business career skills to supplement their non-business major.  Included are basic foundation courses that must be completed by all students and upper-level courses selected from the various functional areas.

 University requirements are:

 1.        Undergraduate students may declare a “minor” field of study.  Requirements may be satisfied by completion of 18 or more credits of related studies offered by more than one department and sponsored by the College of Business Administration.  To declare this minor students must have the Assistant Dean of the College of Business Administration and the student’s academic dean’s approval.  A student’s approved minor will be listed on the student’s academic record after graduation.

 2.        At least twelve of the 18 credits required for the minor shall be at the 200-level or above.  A minimum average of 2.0 must be earned in the 18 or more credits required for the minor.

 3.        At least half of the credits for a minor must be earned at the University of Rhode Island.

 4.        No course may be used to apply to both major and minor fields of study.  Courses in general education may be used for the minor.  Courses in the minor may not be taken under the pass-fail option.

 5.        Application for a minor must be filed in the academic dean’s office no later than the beginning of the student’s final semester or term.

 Approval of a minor does not guarantee space in any course required for the minor.

Back to Top