Masters of Professional Studies in Horticulture: Water Efficient Landscaping Specialization
Degree Program Synopsis
The Master of Professional Studies in Horticulture: Water Efficient Landscaping specialization (MPSH:WEL) program is a one-year, Plan C (classes only) terminal master's degree program running on a calendar-year basis for students with appropriate under-graduate training in horticulture. The program is designed to provide an advanced-training opportunity in water conservation in urban landscapes that builds program development, public outreach, and coordination skills on a horticultural foundation to mesh with other disciplines in a water agency or a private firm. This degree serves motivated horticultural students seeking graduate-level training for professional positions in terms of time and skills.
Degree Program Overview
The Master of Professional Studies in Horticulture: Water Efficient Landscaping specialization (MPSH:WEL) program is designed to prepare students who have a horticultural undergraduate degree to be urban landscape water conservation specialists for employ-met by water districts, cities, and other water agencies that deal with urban water, primarily in, but not limited to, the arid West. In the arid West, most urban water savings will be extracted from water used to irrigate amenity (ornamental) landscapes. However, there is a knowledge gap regarding water use in amenity landscapes: the green/amenity landscape industry that depends on water for their livelihood, and the general public that benefits from these landscapes, have scant understand-in of the factors that affect demand for water in their landscapes. Reciprocally, water agencies that sell water used on amenity landscapes also have little to no understanding of the factors that influence this demand. Consequently, there are career opportunities for individuals with a strong horticultural background to be advocates for water efficient landscaping by serving as liaisons be-teen water agencies, the green industry, and the general public. The MPSH:WEL degree would be a cross-disciplinary program to provide a solid background understanding of supply and demand for landscape irrigation water upon which students can build the skills needed for developing, marketing, and administering a program in landscape water conservation.
The MPSH degree will require a minimum of 33 semester
credit hours, and will be considered a terminal degree
that does not lead to the PhD. It is a plan C master's
program. Since efficient use of water in the landscape
is a multi-faceted issue, successfully educating students
with the appropriate undergraduate training in horticulture
and landscape irrigation will require a three-component,
cross-disciplinary approach.
" The first component is broad-stroke, but not exhaustive,
background exposure to the social values, economics, politics,
and law of water.
" The second component is enhanced horticulture-water
knowledge in three key areas: landscape water demand analysis,
irrigation, and low water landscaping. This component will
provide the framework for understanding the knowledge gained
from taking the background courses in water law, economics,
and politics.
" The third component is developing liaison skills to
communicate this enhanced horticultural knowledge, including
public speaking and public outreach courses.
Therefore, the graduate course work will include a broad
range of classes in plant science, instructional technology,
human relations, political science, and resource management.
In addition, an internship and a significant scholarly
effort (i.e. development and defense of a product such
as a manual, videotape, educational multimedia program,
or a conservation policy plan related to water conservation)
will also be required.
Degree Program Rationale
The arid west, as well as many other areas of the country, is rapidly urbanizing, and the resulting population growth has appropriated all easily available water around expanding cities and towns. Water to supply future population growth can come from either developing new sources, transfers from agriculture, or reducing existing demand. Developing new sources has little popular or political support and is dauntingly costly. Transfers would require building expensive new delivery structures. Both development and transfers would result in in-creased water costs. Conserving water by reducing demand offers the most affordable, and ostensibly popular, option.
Throughout the West approximately 50% of all treated culinary water is used on amenity landscapes such as home yards, golf courses, and parks. In Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County, this amounts to approximately 22 billion gallons of water yearly applied to landscapes. Conservatively, assuming $0.5/1000 gallons, the cost of this water is over $10 million. Amenity landscape water use is the major target for reduction in urban water demand because it is perceived as less important than indoor use. However, the existence of the $800 million/year landscape and related green industries in Utah is entirely dependent on this water. Water agencies selling, the green industry managing, and the public using, this water poorly understand how much water is actually needed to properly maintain landscapes. The result is that water is often applied to amenity landscapes well in excess of plant needs. As a result, water-efficient urban water users subsidize the inefficient us-ers when the cost of new water sources and delivery structures are passed uniformly onto all users.
In response to dimly-perceived inefficiencies in landscape irrigation, western water purveyors, as well as those from other areas of the country, from the federal to the community level are under increasing pressure to develop water conservation programs, particularly for culinary water use in urban areas. At a state level, Utah legislation was passed in 1998 that requires all water purveyors in Utah to have a formal water conservation program. At the federal level, the Bureau of Reclamation has changed its mission from dam building to water management at all levels, including urban .
Conservation will be fostered by increased water costs from new water development or transfers, or by penalty rates for those consumers who waste water. This funding windfall will need to be used within conservation programs and could be earmarked to fund professional positions in conservation management. Thus water agencies seeking to conserve water will need the skills of horticulturists with appropriate training in developing appropriate conservation programs. Increased conservation requirements are leading to new career opportunities in water conservation at the city, state, and federal level.
Degree Program Description
The proposed MPSH:WEL program is a Plan C non-thesis, master's degree program that includes a culminating creative project. It is designed to increase the depth of student knowledge on landscape water use and water conservation techniques that can be meshed with more broad-based knowledge of how to develop, market, and manage a landscape water conservation program. Using water efficiently in the landscape is a multi-faceted issue involving biology, design, engineering, politics, law, natural resources, history, psychology, economics, and social science. Effectively dealing with these problems will require a cross-disciplinary approach. While similar to a masters of business administration as a plan C degree program, the MPSH:WEL degree differs in that it re-quires a more specific undergraduate background. Our mission is not to create water scientists, but rather horticulturists with an understanding of the complexity of water management and the ability to convey this to the public. We believe this is also the training currently in demand by the water industry. The program has a prerequisite of horticultural training at the Bachelor's level followed by a 3-component graduate training program:
Undergraduate prerequisite.
Students admitted to this master's program will require
an undergraduate degree in horticulture or its equivalent.
In addition to an undergraduate degree in horticulture,
specific prerequisite courses in landscape horticulture
and irrigation will need to be taken prior to entering
the degree program to ensure proper background training
in irrigated landscapes.
Graduate requirements.
A. Component 1, background knowledge of the social aspects
of water. Students will gain a broad but not exhaustive
understanding of water appropriation and use in the western
states. This will include exposure to the legal issues
of water rights, political impact on historical, current
and future water development, and sociological issues regarding
the public's attitudes towards water. This understanding
will provide students a perspective on the role of landscape
water use in the complex societal issues involving water.
B. Component 2, enhanced horticultural knowledge. This
component has three parts. The first is landscape water-demand
analysis. Students will learn how to analyze historical
data on water use (based on knowledge of plant water needs)
to determine the amount of potentially conservable water.
The second component is precision landscape irrigation.
Students will develop in-depth knowledge on weather stations,
irrigation controllers, and soils, as needed to manage
water applications to landscapes as precisely as possible.
The third component is low-water landscaping. Students
will learn appropriate design, plant materials, and maintenance
procedures needed to achieve different levels of low-water
landscaping. Courses on these topics will build on the
existing technical and scientific training in horticulture,
soils, and irrigation received at the bachelor's degree
level.
C. Component Three, integration of components 1 and 2 with
liaison skills. Students will gain competence in
communication and outreach education through course work
in instructional technology, marketing, human relations,
and other related issues.
Admission to the MPSH:WEL program will be open to qualified
graduate students (as per School of Graduate Studies requirements)
regardless of their undergraduate major. However, all students
applying to the MPSH program will need to have completed
the prerequisite courses (as listed be-low), or their equivalent.
Students with an undergraduate horticulture degree from
the PSB department will take the prerequisite courses
as a part of their undergraduate curriculum. Students with
horticulture degrees from other institutions applying to
the program will have their transcripts evaluated on a
case-by-case basis, and specific prerequisite courses will
be identified that the st u-dent may need to take. Students
without an undergraduate horticulture degree, non-traditional
currently working inside the water industry, or those
wishing to change careers, will need to take the undergraduate
horticulture courses prerequisite to the MPSH degree as
well as the graduate courses. This is similar to students
entering the Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning
master's degree program without an appropriate undergraduate
degree. Such students are re-qui red to take a year of
courses to achieve the equivalent to an undergraduate landscape
architecture degree.
In addition to formal course work, each student will be required to undertake and complete two developmental activities. The first will be a summer internship with a water purveyor or related en-tty. To facilitate the internship, the degree program will be designed to follow the calendar year. It will begin with spring semester, followed by the internship in the summer, and then conclude with fall semester courses. The second activity will be a significant culminating creative and scholarly effort (as determined by the student's graduate committee) that has application to further-in landscape water conservation. This could include, but is not limited to, a research paper on historical policy towards landscapes during drought, a web page listing suitable low-water-use plants, or evaluating a new technique in irrigation scheduling.
Since this degree program requires specific undergraduate training and targets a specific career market, admission requirements will also include a telephone or in-person interview, if the students are within reasonable travel distance, with the director of the MPSH:WEL program. This interview will help to ensure that students are well matched to the program in both experience and expectations. In addition, we would expect the students in their application to the program to write a short essay as to their motivation for entering the program. This essay can be the same as the statement of interest that is a part of the USU graduate school application.
The following are courses that will be required for credit toward the degree. Utilization of these courses by the MPSH:WEL program has been reviewed and approved by the respective departments offering them. The courses have been divided into several main categories. These broad categories are intended to accomplish the following purposes:
Prerequisite Undergraduate Courses. To establish the foundation
of knowledge regarding breadth, use, and management
of plants used in amenity landscapes and principles of
landscape irrigation design and management and public speaking
for students without the appropriate undergraduate training.
Component 1: Social Context of Landscape Water. The purpose
of these classes would be to provide insight into the
philosophy behind public resource management. In particular,
students will be exposed to broad water management concepts
and the role of law and politics as they affect landscape
irrigation and water resource allocation.
Component 2: Enhanced Horticultural Knowledge. These courses
in the PSB Department would give students more
extensive and thorough knowledge of plant water use, how
to analyze water demand, and advanced landscape water conservation
techniques. The seminar courses in this component would
also serve to integrate knowledge gained in courses outside
the department and for students to enhance their public
speaking skills.
Component 3: Liaison Skills. To provide students the expertise
needed to develop state-of-the-art educational programs
using current technology, such as computer presentations
or Internet web sites. Also to provide expertise in dealing
with the public, particularly in conveying concepts such
as landscape best management practices or innovative pricing
structures.
Course List
Prerequisite horticulture courses (or equivalent)
PLSC 2600 Annual and Perennial Plant Material 1.5 F
Identification, culture, and utilization of herbaceous
ornamental plants in the landscape, including annual and
perennial flowering plants, herbaceous ground covers, ornamental
grasses, bulbous plants, and herbs.
PLSC 2620 Woody Plant Material: Trees and Shrubs for the
Landscape 3 F
Identification, culture, and utilization of herbaceous
ornamental plants in the landscape, including shade trees,
flowering trees and shrubs, hedge plants, and vines. Review
of native plants commonly used in the landscape.
PLSC 3300 Residential Landscape Design 3 Sp
Functional/aesthetic relationships and structure in the
landscape in connection with installation considerations.
Use of imaging/CAD software in initial computer design
layout.
PLSC 3400 Sustainable Landscaping 3 F, Sp, S
Interaction of expectation, maintenance needs, cost/benefit
analysis, physiology, and ecology in managing on a sustainable
basis.
PLSC 3800 Turfgrass Science 3 F
Fundamentals of turfgrass science: species adaptation,
identification, and cultural requirement; turfgrass growth
and development; establishment; primary cultural practices;
pest management; integrated management planning for turfgrass
systems.
PLSC 4700 Irrigated Soils 3 Sp
Soil salinity, soil-moisture-plant relationships, water
supply and quality, irrigation water measurement, soil
moisture movement, and irrigation methods.
Component 1: Social Context of Landscape Water
FR 6000 Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Mgt. 3 Fa
Focuses on balancing science and social values in ecosystem
management and decision-making. Topics include environmental
justice, communication and behavior change strategies,
landscape perception and attitudes, social of resource-dependent
communities, and conflict management.
RLR 5100 Conflict Management in Natural Resources 2 Sp
Introduction to conflict management techniques in natural
resource planning.
FR 5320 Water Law and Policy 3 F
Introduction to policies, laws, institution, and practices
guiding western water allocation, emphasizing how to efficiently
and equitably allocate increasingly scarce supplies. Explores
re-served water rights, water markets, stream adjudication,
public trust doctrine.
TOTAL SEMESTER CREDITS FOR COMPONENT 1 8
Component 2. Enhance Horticultural Skills (see 5.4.1.3
for descriptions)
PLSC 6100 Techniques in Landscape Water Conservation 3
Sp
PLSC 6240 Professional Experience in Water Efficient Landscaping
4 Su
PLSC 6230 Horticultural Landscape Water Management Readings
1 Sp
PLSC 6250 Horticultural Landscape Water Management Seminar
2 F
PLSC/LAEP 6300 Planting Design for Low Water Use Landscapes
3 F
ASTE 3200 Irrigation Principles and Practices 3 Sp
Introduction to planning principles for irrigation systems
development.
Layout of system components and coverage of practices common
to the
Intermountain West.
TOTAL SEMESTER CREDITS FOR COMPONENT 2 17
Component 3: Liaison Skills
JCOM 3310 Persuasion, Public opinion, and Propaganda 3
Alternative
INST 5230 Instructional Graphic Production 3 F,Sp
Fundamental practices of using the computer to design and
produce a wide variety of instructional graphics and animations.
ASTE 6240 Strategies for Teaching Adults 3 Sp
Features contemporary strategies for and guided practice
for teaching adults in group and individualized settings.
ASTE 6700 Research Methodology in Ag Education 3 S
Introduction to the major research techniques used in the
field of ag education. Involves re-search design and methods
of data generation.
TOTAL SEMESTER CREDITS FOR COMPONENT 3 9
Suggested class schedule (for students with the equivalent
of a B.S. in Horticulture).
Spring
ASTE 3200 Irrigation principles and practices 3
Or JCOM 3310 Persuasion, Public Opinion, and Propaganda
3
PSB 6900 MPSH:WELS Internship Experience 1
RLR 5150 Conflict Management in Natural Resources 2
ASTE 6700 Research Methodology in Ag Education 3
ASTE 6240 Strategies for teaching adults 3
PLSC 6100 Techniques in Landscape Water Conservation 3
PLSC 6230 Horticultural Landscape Water Management Readings
1
Total 16
Fall
PSB 6900 MPSH:WELS Internship Experience 3
INST 5230 Instructional Graphic Production 3
PLSC 6250 Horticultural Landscape Water Management Seminar
2
PLSC 6300 Planting Design for Low Water Use Landscapes
3
FR 5320 Water Law and Policy 3
FR 6000 Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Mgt. 3
Total 17
Grand Total 33
How to Apply to the Master's of Professional Studies in Horticulture: Water Efficient Land-sc aping Specialization
If you are interested in this program, please follow these
steps:
" Initial inquiries can be made to Dr. Roger Kjelgren,
director of the program, at rkjel@mendel.usu.edu. Please
give as complete a description of your horticultural, or
re-la ted field background as possible, and why you are interested
in this program.
" If you desire to apply, make a follow up appointment
for an interview, either in person or by phone, with Dr.
Kjelgren to discuss specifics of the program, and any potential
deficiencies in undergraduate horticultural training.
" After all issues have been addressed in the follow
up appointment, contact the Utah State University School
of Graduate Studies at http://www.usu.edu/gradsch/home.html
for an application. The following items will be required
for any graduate school application
¢ Copy of undergraduate transcripts
¢ Three letters of recommendation
¢ Statement of interest
¢ Raw scores greater than the 40th percentile on either
one of two graduate training exams
- Graduate Record Exam (see http://www.tpcweb.com/mat/
for more information)
- Miller Analogy Test (see http://www.tpcweb.com/mat/ for
more information)
¢ We recommend the Miller Analogy Test because it is
testing skills more appropriate for this degree.
" Because this program only accepts six students per
year, and program is filled by the end of spring term, you
need to make you inquiries as soon as possible.
