Department of Horticulture

The Department of Horticulture at Washington State University

The WSU Department of Horticulture serves the Pacific Northwest with science-based solutions farmers, orchardists, and greenhouse operators. In Washington alone, agriculture is an $11 billion per year industry that creates nearly 165,000 jobs. Washington grows 300 different crops — and its workforce is as diverse as the crops we grow. Most of the state’s farms are family-owned — with 27,000 owned by women. From apples to zucchini, the Department of Horticulture has fully integrated programs in teaching, research, and extension.

Undergraduate Programs in Horticulture

Why a Horticulture Degree from WSU?

WSU Horticulture is among the top ten programs in the U.S., offering a world-class education for students interested in a career that can directly impact the welfare of their community.

Multi-campus Learning

Faculty in Horticulture are strategically located across the state working in a wide range of agricultural systems and settings.

Hort Center is Teaching Resource

Deb Pehrson recently observed that people who grew up in a city “may never even have stepped foot in an orchard.” Pehrson is the manager of WSU’s Horticulture Center, the nexus of Pullman-based education and research in all things horticultural. The recently established Center is the home to a newly planted orchard full of apples, pears, and cherries, as well as berries and other fruits.

“So,” she continues, “how would you know if you would like to work in agriculture if you’ve never even been in an orchard? I want the Hort Center to be the place where students can come and experience being outside working.” Pehrson says they might find they like working in agriculture better than “sitting in a cubicle typing on their computer. I had one gal come to us this fall who was working for a well-known big box store. She said, ‘I’m just so tired of fluorescent lights.’ If people get out here and do stuff they might say, ‘You know, I heard agriculture’s hard work and it is, but this is fun!’ Then we might get more people coming into agriculture.”

With an aging workforce, getting young people interested in working in agriculture is a critical need. Read more >>