A survey of the structure and contents of introductory horticulture and/or plant science classes was developed to understand common content, laboratories, and resources used across the U.S. The survey was distributed by email to 267 universities and colleges comprised of 1864 and 1890 Land Grant institutions, public state universities, colleges, technical schools, tribal colleges, and private institutions. Responses were received from 104 institutions, a 39% response rate of which 30 responses did not complete sufficient information to be included. The majority of responses came from Carnegie R-1 or R-2 institutions (51%) which had research programs along with undergraduate programs. Of the respondents, 42% were from designated horticulture departments or units, 26% from combined plant science units, 17% agriculture departments, and 14% responded “other.” Of the respondents, 47% offered degrees in horticulture, 21% a degree in plant sciences, 11% a degree in agriculture, and 21% “other.” Faculty instructing an introductory horticulture or plant science course were most commonly tenure track (64%) or nontenure track (35%) instructors. Full professors were the most common faculty instructors (45%), followed by assistant professors (20%). For 87% of the respondents, the course served as a degree requirement, was required for upper-level courses within the program (78%) and was commonly a university general education accepted course (59%). Two thirds of the courses had a required textbook while the remaining course had an optional textbook or had no textbook. The mode of learning was face-to-face (53%) or hybrid and asynchronous on-line (14%). The majority of courses (68%) were lecture-based delivery. The approach to the course was science based (55%) or a balance of science and practical technology (45%). The ranked topics covered in the course (from most frequent to least frequent) were plant growth and development, environmental effects, plant anatomy, plant nutrition and fertility, plant physiology, plant classification and nomenclature, plant chemistry, plant genetics and breeding, and history of horticulture. The rank of disciplines taught or emphasized in the courses were greenhouse operations and management, ornamental and nursery production and operation, landscape management, vegetable production and management, fruit production and management, arboriculture, and turf production and management. These results, and others presented, will help instructors in introductory horticulture and plant science courses develop course content that is commonly used across the U.S. and could be used to establish standards for learning outcomes.
