Minor in Public Garden Management (18 credits)

The Public Garden Management Minor provides students with a customizable curriculum that focuses on various aspects of public horticulture, with content geared towards career development in public gardens administration, horticultural design and installation, and plant production and curation. The diverse courseload in the Public Garden Management minor gives students an interdisciplinary approach to cater their experiences to their personal interests and career goals, following specific tracks for Garden Design, Planting Materials Management, and Institutional People Skills and Management.

Students in the Planting Materials Management track take Plant Science Program courses that focus on plant identification, production, and curation. This minor complements several SEBS majors including but not limited Landscape Architecture, Environmental and Business Economics, Public Health, and Environmental Planning.

Foundation Courses (Required, 6 Credits)

11:550:240 (3) Public Garden Management
11:776:211 (3) Introduction to Horticulture

Tracks (Choose One of the Following)

I. Garden Design (12 credits)

This track includes aspects of public garden design such as development of outdoor displays and creation of attractive seasonal displays. Projects range from garden scale to the occasional landscape scale design.

Learning Goals

1. Explore how to creatively design space and spatial relationships [creative thinking]
2. Understand, analyze, and incorporate natural features and systems to create design solutions [critical thinking]

Required (7 Credits)

11:550:220 (1) Public Garden Display – Case Studies*
11:550:221 (3) Design of Public Display Gardens**
11:550:235 (3) Herbaceous Plants in the Landscape

Choose a Minimum of 5 Credits From the Following:***

11:550:250 (3) History of Landscape Architecture
11:550:338 (1.5) Introduction to Digital Design and Presentation
11:573:445 (4) Ecological Design and Stewardship
11:573:415 (3) Open Spaces Planning and Management

*New course: taught second half of Fall semester in conjunction with 11:550:235 Herbaceous Plants in the Landscape

**Course redesigned and retitled from (previous) 11:550:221 Introduction to Site Design to refocus material to creating and building a garden in a public context.

***Note: The substitution of a 300- or 400-level class related to your interests is permitted with permission of the UPD.

II. Planting Materials Management (Choose 12 Credits From the Following)

This track includes selection, care, and pest management of plant material appropriate for use in public gardens.

Learning Goal

1. Describe basic knowledge of horticultural principles, landscape/garden plant management, or pest management [technical proficiency]

Choose 12 Credits From the Following

11:776:202 (3) People-Plant Relationships
11:766:210 (3) Principles of Botany
11:776:242 (3) Plant Science
11:776:310 (3) Plant Propagation
11:776:304 (3) Turfgrass Management
11:776:391 (3) Weeds, Diseases, and Insects of Plants
11:550:238 (3) Landscape Management and Maintenance
11:550:233 (3) Landscape Plants I
11:550:234 (3) Landscape Plants II
11:020:321 Principles and Practices of Small Organic Farming

III. Institutional People Skills and Management

This track includes fundraising, volunteer management, budgets and accounting, community building and leadership for students in the public gardens sphere.

Learning Goals

1. Demonstrate effective leadership communication and conflict management skills [communication, context]
2. Evaluate group process and team dynamics [context]

Required (3 Credits)

11:607:485 (3) Understanding Group Dynamics and Team Processes

Choose 9 Credits From the Following

11:193:200 (3) Community Gardening for Health and Wellness
11:373:205 (3) Small Business Essentials OR 33:010:272 (3) Introduction to Financial Accounting (credit will not be given for both)
11:550:436 (3) Landscape Enterprise
11:607:402 (3) Building Community Partnerships
11:607:203 (3) Foundations of Volunteer Management

Minor Advisor

Dr. Nrupali Patel
Foran Hall, Rm 372
848-932-6392
Email: npatel@sebs.rutgers.edu

Martin Hall, Suite 109
848-932-3516