The Longwood Graduate Program – A Partnership Between Longwood Gardens and the University of Delaware

The Longwood Graduate Program is a partnership between Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, PA, and the University of Delaware, Newark, DE. The two-year academic program was founded in 1967 and to date has graduated over 150 Fellows. Each year, five Fellows matriculate at the University to achieve the degree of M.S. in Public Horticulture through academic coursework and thesis research. The Program is both a financial and experiential partnership between the two institutions. The academic unit resides within the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, the Director has faculty status, and he is salaried by the University of Delaware. Longwood Gardens fully funds each year’s five Fellows and the Program falls within the purview of its Education Department. The partnership affords all Fellows and the Director opportunities for integration into all levels of staff structure and functions at Longwood Gardens, including but not limited to meetings, projects, and program planning and implementation. Conversely, several of Longwood Gardens’ Ph.D. staff members hold adjunct faculty positions at the University. Fellows are deeply involved in the public horticulture profession through several on-site and outreach projects. Each year the Fellows plan, develop, and implement a professional symposium for peer professionals; partner with a public horticulture institution to produce tangible solutions for challenging, real world needs of a client institution; and participate on regional Boards, to name but a few of the Program’s components. The Program emphasizes experiential learning and provides extraordinary opportunities for leadership and career development, national and international travel, conference attendance, and networking.