What's In a Name: The State Of Turf Science and Management Plans Of Study.

Many changes have happened in curricula at Agriculture Colleges in the last 20 years. Departmental names have changed, turfgrass has gone from a major to a minor or concentration in many colleges, credit hours required for graduation have been adjusted and the individual courses required in a specific plan of study have also changed. An electronic survey was sent to all the 4-year turfgrass management programs in the United States to determine similarities and differences among curricula. Most programs have  changed their plan of study content. Notably, most programs have experienced a decrease in the number of credits required for graduation with most plans of study now only requiring a maximum of 120 credits compared to 128 or 130 plus. Further, there are differences in the fundamental science course requirements and large variations in technical and business course requirements. This presentation will highlight some of those findings.