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Turf and Turfgrass Management

Overview

Programs in turf and turfgrass management prepare people to work with commercial grasses.

Programs in turf and turfgrass management prepare people to install and maintain commercial grasses. Students learn how to develop, grow, produce, and transplant grasses. They learn to install turfgrass in commercial, public, and residential areas. They also study principles of plant science and business management.

Turf and turfgrass management programs include topics such as:

Students also learn how to manage a turfgrass business. They study business principles, including accounting, marketing, and personnel management.

Schools

Many community colleges and technical schools offer certificate and associate degree programs in turf and turfgrass management. A certificate program usually takes a year of full-time study. An associate degree program at a community college usually takes two years of full-time study to complete.

Several colleges and universities offer bachelor’s degrees in turf and turfgrass management. Turfgrass management is often a concentration within programs of plant and soil science or horticulture. A bachelor's degree usually takes about four years of full-time study.

See schools that offer this program.

Related Educational Programs

Related Careers

Careers Directly Related to this Program of Study

Other Careers Related to this Program of Study

Program Admission

You can prepare for this program by taking courses in high school that prepare you for college. This typically includes four years of English, three years of math, three years of social studies, and two years of science. Some colleges also require two years of a second language.

Below is a list of high school courses that will help prepare you for this program of study:

Typical Course Work

Program Courses

In this program, you typically take courses such as the following:

Some programs incorporate an internship or practicum into their curriculums. This gives you the opportunity to apply your knowledge hands-on in real-life turfgrass management settings. You might assist the groundskeeper at a country club, help a researcher develop a sturdier type of grass, or assist a sales representative at a turfgrass supplies company. These are just a few possibilities. Whatever the setting, you benefit from working under the guidance and direct supervision of an experienced turfgrass professional.

Things to Know

A background in turf and turfgrass management prepares you for a wide range of careers in the turf industry, including groundskeeper or greenskeeper, landscape technician, and golf course manager. You could work at a country club, a park, a cemetery, or a turf management supplies company.

Commercial grass seed is a major agricultural product with large farm operations. Turf and turfgrass professionals develop and plant special types of grasses in order to harvest and sell seeds. They also cultivate sod and grass plugs for lawns.

If you want to study at the graduate level, you can sometimes pursue a graduate degree in a field such as plant science or crop and soil science, and specialize in turfgrass management. Graduate work prepares you for a career of academic or industry research or for teaching at the university level.

For information about farm occupations, opportunities, and 4-H activities, contact your local county extension service office.

Schools

East Side Area

Walla Walla Community College

Washington State University - Pullman

Spokane Area

Spokane Community College