The 2012 ASHS Annual Conference

To expand educational opportunities for students matriculating in the Longwood Gardens’ Professional Gardener (PG) Program, new partnerships are being developed with colleges and universities through articulation agreements. Students graduating from the PG Program typically entered the work force directly, but as industry demand increases for degreed employees, more students are interested in continuing their education. A recent renewal of an existing articulation with Temple University and a newly formed articulation with the University of Delaware have set precedence and provided templates for future partnerships in the region and across the country. The current articulations allow students graduating from the PG Program admission into the two respective universities to achieve a Bachelor’s degree in approximately two years. Credits from the PG Program articulate differently for Temple University and the University of Delaware. Temple University grants graduates a block of 52 credits for their program and provides a structured curriculum toward a BS Degree in Horticulture. With the University of Delaware, each course taken by the PG graduate articulates directly toward a BS in Agriculture and Natural Resources. This agreement allows PG graduates with strong academic knowledge and experience in professional horticulture to focus in areas such as agriculture education, economics, communications, or various other foci within the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Negotiations are currently underway with Pennsylvania State University, Rutgers University, and the University of Maryland for articulation. The ultimate goal is to expand learning opportunities with institutions in the region and across the country to allow PG graduates additional areas of focus for their BS program.