The 2012 ASHS Annual Conference

Whether training undergraduate or graduate students in horticulture, all educators hope that their students have mastered specific skills and knowledge. Curricula around the country are based on key learning objectives that assess skills and knowledge over a range of horticultural topics. In a time of dwindling resources, it is critical to ensure that we are preparing our students to be successful when they leave our institiutions. The American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) had developed the Certified Horticulturist examination with 35 learning objectives that correspond to tasks or sets of teacks in which a horticulturist should be proficient. These tasks were independently determined by a job task force that worked with the industry to develop a list of proficiencies each graduate should possess.