Student Learning Outcomes

Learning outcomes for the crop science program

Students will be able to identify plant vegetative and reproductive structures.
Students will understand basic principles, processes and functions of plant growth and reproduction, including photosynthesis, respiration, transpiration, vegetative growth and reproductive growth, fertilization and fruit formation.
Students will understand factors affecting the need to find sustainable practices for production of feed, feed and fiber crops and how to implement and evaluate them.
Students will understand how to propagate, plant, sustainably grow, manage and harvest a variety of plants in a diverse set of environmental, marketing, and financial conditions.
Students will understand how the environment influences plant growth and crop yields, and ways to modify the environment to improve plant growth and yields.
Students will be able to identify soil types and will be able to identify ways to improve soil fertility as well as reduce soil erosion and improve water quality and availability.
Students will understand sustainable practices for production of food, feed and fiber crops and how to implement and evaluate them.
Students will be able to apply their knowledge to solve problems related to plant growth, crop production and natural resource management.
Students will learn how crop science relates to the economy and environment, both currently and in the future.
Students will be able to find detailing information on a topic from print as well as online information sources.
Students will be able to critically evaluate current events and public information related to crop science as being scientifically-based or opinion-based and contribute to the knowledge base of information.
Students will work with others to coordinate activities to achieve group/team objectives.
Students will understand how to write in a style appropriate for technical or informative publications for various audiences related to crop science.
Students will have supervised, hands-on work experience related to crop production.

Learning outcomes for the horticulture program

Students will be able to identify plant vegetative and reproductive structures.
Students will understand basic principles, processes and functions of plant growth and reproduction, including photosynthesis, respiration, transpiration, vegetative growth and reproductive growth, fertilization and fruit formation.
Students will understand how the environment influences plant growth and crop yields, and ways to modify the environment to improve plant growth and yields.
Students will understand the factors affecting the need to find sustainable practices for production of food, feed and fiber crops and how to implement and evaluate them.
Students will be able to identify many of the commonly used herbaceous and woody ornamental plants and how to propagate, establish and care for them.
Students will understand the nutritive value of fruits, nuts and vegetables in the human diet.
Students will understand how to propagate, plant, grow/manage and harvest vegetable, fruit and nut crops.
Students will be able to identify soil types and how they are formed and ways to modify soil structure and drainage to reduce erosion and improve water quality and water availability to plants.
Students will understand how soil fertility is determined and how plant nutrient deficiencies are identified, and means of improving soil fertility and adding nutrients for plant growth.
Students will understand how to identify and sustainably manage plant diseases in various production systems.
Students will understand how to identify and sustainably manage insects in various plant production systems.
Students will understand how to identify weeds and sustainably manage them in various plant production systems.
Students will understand how to propagate herbaceous and woody plans by seed, cuttings, micropropagation, grafting, budding and layering.
Students will understand the basic concepts, compounds and reactions occurring in organic and biochemical systems, particularly as related to the environment, plants and food crops.
Students will understand the basic concepts of accounting, economics, marketing and management.
Students will be able to apply knowledge to solve problems related to crop production and plant growth.
Students will have a greater knowledge of how horticulture relates to the economy and environment, both currently and in the future.
Students will be able to find detailed information on a topic from print as well as online information sources.
Students will be able to critically evaluate the information related to horticulture as being scientifically-based or opinion-based and contribute to the knowledge base of information.
Students will work with others to coordinate activities to achieve group/team objectives.
Students will write in a style appropriate for technical or informative publications for various audiences related to horticulture.
Students will have supervised, hands-on work experience in an area of horticulture.