Bachelor’s in Horticultural Plant Production
At the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt, our degree program in horticulture provides hands-on training that combines academic research with practical experience. The Bachelor of Science in Horticultural Plant Production (B. Sc.) aims to prepare students for management positions in horticultural businesses and related economic sectors as well as for consultancy and experimental work.
The subject matter and structure of the Bachelor's degree in Horticultural Plant Production is geared towards the key horticultural skills. Each semester, certain modules are offered that first impart basic knowledge and later cover increasingly specialist fields.
Among the subjects studied up to the 3rd semester are Botany, Plant Physiology, Chemistry, Statistics, Agroecology, Plant Nutrition, Phytomedicine, Plant Science in addition to the fundamentals of technology and economics.
From the 3rd semester onwards, the students take specific compulsory and compulsory elective modules. These include, for example, Business Planning, Vocational and Occupational Pedagogy, Quality and Environmental Management, Experimentation, Breeding and Ecology, Ecological Plant Production and Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation.
In the 5th semester, the students work on a practical project, designed to apply the knowledge they have acquired in practice.
Teaching takes the form of lectures, seminars, project work and self-study.
Students are assessed on the basis of oral and written exams, participation and the Bachelor's thesis and colloquium.
For further details, please refer to the module catalogue.
The objective of the degree program is to prepare students for the very different fields of work by means of a broad-based horticultural education, which, in addition to the scientific basics, primarily includes aspects of plant cultivation/production technology and economic matters. A range of teaching and learning formats are used to help students fulfil the various qualification objectives. In addition to lectures and seminars, the students also acquire important skills through work placements, laboratory work and field trips.
FAQs
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The aim of the pre-study placement is to give first-year students an impression of their future working environment through practical horticultural work and insights into the various activities of a horticulturist.
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No, they don't. If you have completed an apprenticeship in a horticultural business, you do not have to do a pre-study placement as long as you can provide proof that you have passed your apprenticeship with your certificate.
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As a rule, yes.
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The 8-week pre-study placement must be done before the start of the semester. In pre-approved exceptional cases, it is also possible to only undertake part of the placement (but at least 50 % = 4 weeks) by the start of the degree program, with the remaining 4 weeks having to be completed by the start of the 3rd semester at the latest.
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Yes, the department even recommends doing an apprenticeship in horticulture or plant cultivation as the best preparation for gaining comprehensive insights into the field.
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As a rule, the work placement must be carried out in a recognized training company in the field of horticulture or plant production. Exceptions are possible if they are agreed well in advance with the person in charge of the Placement Office. Typical host organizations may include: practical horticultural businesses in all sectors, public administrations, authorities or horticultural service providers, horticultural research institutes, botanical gardens, professional associations and organizations, or other businesses approved by the head of the Placement Office.
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The degree program takes 6 semesters.
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Students are required to do a practical work placement module in the 4th semester of their degree program.
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The program leads to a Bachelor of Science (B. Sc.) degree.
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The degree program always begins in the winter semester.
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There are no admission restrictions for the Bachelor's in Horticulture, but a pre-study placement of 8 weeks must be undertaken.
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General Botany, Plant Physiology, Ecology, Statistics, Agricultural Chemistry and Soil Science, Technology, Ecological Plant Production, Climate Change Mitigation
Ornamental Plant Cultivation, Tree Nurseries, Fruit Farming, Vegetable Farming, Plant Nutrition, Phytomedicine, Plant Breeding, Commercial Horticulture, Sales and Marketing,
In addition to lectures, there are also seminars and projects in which students work on their own.
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Ideally, you should have a science (maths, biology, chemistry) and/or economics-related university entrance qualification, but it is possible to take the degree program without this prior knowledge.
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In our experience to date, we can say that the career opportunities are exceptionally good.
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The relevant specialist literature can be borrowed free of charge from the university library.
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If you wish to have credits from your previous university recognized, you need to proceed as follows:
Apply for recognition of the modules passed in your previous degree program that are equivalent to our modules. For this purpose, the equivalent module in our module catalogue must be named and at least the module description from the partner university must be attached for the module to be approved. If possible, please provide details of the lecture content (the more detailed the better the decision can be made). If the documents submitted are insufficient to determine equivalence, we will not approve the credit transfer. In this case, you will have to submit a new application with more detailed documents (you can obtain the application forms from the faculty secretary).
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Depending on the number of credits in question and the reliability of the documents, this can take up to 8 weeks.
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In principle, yes, and in the past, many students have done so. However, depending on the amount of work you do, it may affect your academic performance. The degree program is taught full-time and is comparable to a 40-hour working week, including preparation and follow-up work.
- Title Bachelor Horticultural Plant Production
- Qualification/degree Bachelor (Bachelor of Science)
- Duration 6 semesters
- Mode of study full-time
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Flexibility
Part-time studies possible
Open to affiliate students
Open for occasional students
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Beginning
Winter semester
- Costs -
- Period for enrolment 15.05. - 15.09.
- General Requirements Yes Show
- Special Requirements No
The Bachelor's program in Horticultural Plant Production at the Fachhochschule Erfurt has a standard duration of 6 semesters. The degree program is run by the Faculty of Landscape Architecture, Horticulture and Forestry and is based at the campus in Leipziger Straße 77. The conditions here are ideal for a practical degree program and applied research: One of the most modern greenhouse facilities in Europe with an area of 2400 m², divided into 19 compartments that can be individually climate-controlled, as well as a 3.5-hectare outdoor experimental area that is used for demonstrations and trials.
The degree program is modular in structure. Only compulsory modules need to be taken up to the 3rd semester, after which compulsory electives must be taken each semester in addition to the compulsory modules. The 4th semester is spent on work placement. In the 5th semester, a project is integrated into the curriculum. In the 6th semester, students have to write their Bachelor's thesis.
Entry requirements
Enrolment for the degree program at Fachhochschule Erfurt is regulated by the Thuringian Higher Education Act and the Enrolment Regulations of the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt, as most recently amended, as well as in the program regulations for Horticultural Plant Production.
The following are the main qualifications necessary to study on this program:
- general university entrance qualification (Abitur)
- specific qualification for university entrance (Fachgebundene Hochschulreife)
- specialist qualification for entry to universities of applied sciences (Fachhochschulreife)
Admission to the degree program can also be granted to holders of a master craftsman's diploma, state-certified technicians or state-certified economists, or holders of a vocational further education diploma equivalent to the master craftsman's diploma according to the Vocational Training Act (Berufsausbildungsgesetz).
In addition, before you begin your studies, a pre-study placement of at least 8 weeks must be undertaken in a horticultural business or proof of a completed apprenticeship in horticulture must be provided.
Applications
There are no restrictions on admissions to the department of Horticulture.
You can apply for the degree program online. The complete application documents, which you need to upload to the online applications portal during the respective application period of the current year, include
- certificates, university entrance qualification (copies of certificates must be officially certified)
- written confirmation or preliminary confirmation of the pre-study placement (already completed or to be completed) or your apprenticeship certificate
- proof of all qualifications listed: university entrance qualification, vocational training certificates, periods of service (military service, alternative civilian service, voluntary social or ecological service, periods of childcare), work placements, etc.
The documents of applicants who are not admitted will be destroyed at the end of the admissions procedure. Upon enrolment, you are required to present certified copies or the originals for comparison.
When does the program begin?
It is only possible to start this program in the winter semester, i.e. the end of September/beginning of October.
The Bachelor of Science in Horticultural Plant Production opens up a wide range of career opportunities in horticulture and in areas outside the traditional professional field. In addition to managerial positions in horticultural production, trade and service companies, it is also common to find graduates employed in consulting public administration, research and experimental work. Managerial roles in horticulture require specialists with a broad fundamental knowledge of the natural sciences and economics, combined with expertise in plant cultivation and production technology.
Above all, methodological skills are required to quickly understand specific aspects of the job. The aim is to apply academic and research findings in and for horticultural practice. The primary focus is on finding solutions to technical, economic and crop cultivation challenges.
Since the professional and academic fields of horticulture combine approaches from the natural sciences, plant sciences, production technology and management, it is important to learn about the interactions and relationships between the individual areas as part of a degree program in horticulture.
This degree is designed to qualify students to work in the following areas:
- management of horticultural businesses or departments in large companies
- managerial positions in horticultural wholesale and retail
- consultancy work and advisory roles
- product consulting in the horticultural supply industry
- experimental work in state institutions and industry
- administrative work in state and municipal authorities
- involvement in the management of professional associations and organizations for amateur horticulture and allotment gardens
The job market currently looks rather promising for graduates of horticulture. By the time they are awarded their Bachelor's degree, more than half of our graduates already have either a firm job offer or at least the prospect of one.