Our department offers the following minors:
See the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources Majors and Minors for requirements, procedures, and minor plans of study.
Ornamental Horticulture
The minor in Ornamental Horticulture provides an introduction to the production, maintenance, and use of plants to enhance human environments. Not open to students declaring the Environmental Horticulture concentration in the Sustainable Plant and Soil Systems major.
All students are required to complete a minimum of 15 credits.
- SPSS 3640 Plant Propagation (3 credits) (required)
- Six credits of the following courses:
- SPSS 2430 Herbaceous Ornamental Plants (3 credits)
- SPSS 3410 Woody Plants: Common Trees, Shrubs & Vines (3 credits)
- SPSS 3560 Indoor Plants and Interiorscaping (3 credits)
- Three credits of the following courses:
- SPSS 2520 Floral Art (2 credits)
- SPSS 3530 Advanced Floral Design (2 credits)
- SPSS 3550 Urban Plant Systems Construction & Maintenance (3 credits)
- SPSS 3660 Nursery Production (3 credits)
- SPSS 3670 Greenhouse Technology and Operations (3 credits)
- Three credits of the following courses:
- SPSS 3810 Fundamentals of Plant Pathology (3 credits)
- SPSS 3820 Ecology and Control of Weeds (3 credits)
- SPSS 3830 Horticultural Entomology (3 credits)
- SPSS 3840 Integrated Pest Management (3 credits)
At least 12 credits must not duplicate courses used to satisfy the 36-credit requirement for the student’s major, or in other minors in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources. Students must earn a grade of “C” (2.0) or higher in each individual course listed above. Students must earn a combined grade point average of 2.5 or higher for all courses listed above. Students must complete all requirements for a baccalaureate degree. Once the minor has been declared, it will appear on the student’s transcript.
Minor Advisor:
Jessica Lubell-Brand
Integrated Pest Management
The minor provides an introduction to the fundamentals of plant health and integrated pest management in agronomy, horticulture, and turfgrass systems. Not open to students in the Sustainable Plant and Soil Systems major.
Students must complete the following courses:
- SPSS 3840 Integrated Pest Management (3 credits) (required)
- Three of the following courses:
- SPSS 3810 Fundamentals of Plant Pathology (3 credits)
- SPSS 3820 Ecology and Control of Weeds (3 credits)
- SPSS 3830 Horticultural Entomology (3 credits)
- SPSS 3800 Turf Pests and Control (3 credits)
Students must earn a grade of “C” (2.0) or higher in each individual course listed above. Students must earn a combined grade point average of 2.5 or higher for all courses listed above. Students must complete all requirements for a baccalaureate degree. Once the minor has been declared, it will appear on the student’s transcript.
Minor Advisor:
Ana Legrand
Turfgrass Management
The minor in Turfgrass Management provides an introduction to the management and maintenance of turfgrasses used for aesthetics (residential and commercial lawns, parks, institutional grounds), recreation (golf courses, athletic and sports fields), and functional purposes (sod farms, highway medians, inland, and coastal erosion control sites, conservation). This minor will also assist those interested in sales, marketing, or any other business aspects of industries associated with turfgrass and ornamental horticulture. Not open to students declaring the Turfgrass Science concentration in the Sustainable Plant and Soil Systems major.
All students are required to complete a minimum of 15 credits as outlined below.
Students must complete all the following courses:
- SPSS 1060 The Great American Lawn: History, Culture & Sustainability (3 credits)
- SPSS 1100 Turfgrass Management (3 credits)
- SPSS 2120 Environmental Soil Science (3 credits)
- SPSS 3150 Advanced Turfgrass Management (3 credits)
Students must complete one of the following courses:
- SPSS 2210 Golf Course Management (3 credits)
- SPSS 3300 Principles of Turfgrass Irrigation Systems (3 credits)
- SPSS 3620 Soil Fertility (3 credits)
- SPSS 3810 Fundamentals of Plant Pathology (3 credits)
- SPSS 3820 Ecology and Control of Weeds (3 credits)
At least 12 credits must not duplicate courses used to satisfy the 36-credit requirement for the student’s major, or in other minors in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources. Students must earn a grade of “C” (2.0) or higher in each individual course listed above. Students must earn a combined grade point average of 2.5 or higher for all courses listed above. Students must complete all requirements for a baccalaureate degree. Once the minor has been declared, it will appear on the student’s transcript.
Minor Advisor:
Jason Henderson
Cannabis Cultivation
The minor in Cannabis Cultivation provides training pertaining to the propagation, cultivation, commercial production, maintenance, processing, and potential markets for and uses of Cannabis sativa.
All students are required to complete a minimum of 15 credits as outlined below.
Students must complete the following Core Courses:
- SPSS 2130 Introduction to the Horticulture of Cannabis (3 credits)
- SPSS 3680 Advanced Cannabis Horticulture: Cannabis Production (3 credits)
- SPSS 3990 or SPSS 3999 Field Study Internship* or Independent Study** (3 credits)
*The field study internship topic and company/grower with whom the student will intern needs to be approved by an advisor for this minor. This course is intended to provide students with experiential learning opportunities and exposure to jobs in the cannabis industry. An advisor for the minor can assist students with setting up the internship.
**Independent Study with an available faculty member conducting cannabis research.
Students must complete six credits of the following courses: 3 credits from Plant/Soil Cultivation Group and 3 credits from Pest Management Group.
- Plant/Soil Cultivation (select one)
- SPSS 2120 Environmental Soil Science (3 credits)
- SPSS 3640 Plant Propagation (3 credits)
- SPSS 3670 Greenhouse Technology and Operations (3 credits)
- Pest Management (select one)
- SPSS 3810 Fundamentals of Plant Pathology (3 credits)
- SPSS 3830 Horticultural Entomology (3 credits)
- SPSS 3840 Integrated Pest Management (3 credits)
At least 12 credits taken for this minor must not duplicate courses used to satisfy the 36-credit requirement for the student’s major, or for another minor in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources. Students must earn a combined grade point average of 2.5 or higher for all courses listed above.
Minor Advisor:
Gerald Berkowitz
Agricultural Biotechnology
This interdepartmental minor provides students with an in-depth, multidisciplinary education in the field of biotechnology. The minor will prepare students for careers and advanced studies in agricultural biotechnology and applied molecular biology.
Students must complete a minimum of 14 credits of the courses listed below. This includes two core courses (Group A), a minimum of 3 laboratory credits (Group B), and 6 credits of discipline-based courses from outside of the major department (Group C).
Group A – Core Courses, two courses from:
- SPSS 3230 Biotechnology – Science, Application, Impact, Perception (3 credits)
- SPSS 3210 Molecular Laboratory Technology (3 credits)
Group B – Laboratory Modules, at least 3 credits from:
- SPSS 3250 Plant Gene Transfer Techniques (3 credits)
- ANSC 3621 Animal Biotechnology Laboratory (2 credits)
- PATH 3501 Diagnostic Techniques for the Biomedical Sciences (2 credits)
Group C – 6 credits from:
- ANSC 3121, 3122, 3323, 5623
- DGS 3226, 4234, 4235, 4246
- NUSC 4236, 6313
- SPSS 3240, 3990, 4210, 4650, 5298
- PATH 3100, 5502, 5503
Students must earn a grade of C” (2.0) or higher in each individual course listed above. Students must earn a combined grade point average of 2.5 or higher for all courses listed above. Students must complete all requirements for a baccalaureate degree. Once the minor has been declared, it will appear on the student’s transcript.
Minor Advisors:
Allied Health Sciences: Denise Anamani denise.anamani@uconn.edu, Rosanne Lipcius rosanne.lipcius@uconn.edu
Animal Science: X. Cindy Tian xiuchun.tian@uconn.edu
Nutritional Sciences: Yangchoa Luo yangchao.luo@uconn.edu
Plant Science and Landscape Architecture: Gerald Berkowitz gerald.berkowitz@uconn.edu, Yi Li yi.li@uconn.edu
Pathobiology and Veterinary Science: Guillermo Risatti guillermo.risatti@uconn.edu
Sustainable Food Crop Production
This minor provides an overview of issues related to sustainable food crop production within the context of environmental stewardship. Not open to students declaring the Sustainable Agriculture concentration in the Sustainable Plant and Soil Systems major.
Students must complete a minimum of 15 credits including:
- SPSS 2100E Environmental Sustainability of Food Production in Developed Countries (3 credits)
- SPSS 2500E Principles and Concepts of Agroecology (3 credits)
- SPSS 3610 Organic and Sustainable Vegetable Production (4 credits)
Two courses from:
- SPSS 1150 Agricultural Technology and Society (3 credits)
- SPSS 3550 Urban Plant Systems Construction and Maintenance (3 credits)
- SPSS 3620 Soil Fertility (3 credits)
- SPSS 3810 Fundamentals of Plant Pathology (3 credits)
- SPSS 3820 Ecology and Control of Weeds (3 credits)
- SPSS 3830 Horticultural Entomology (3 credits)
- SPSS 3840 Integrated Pest Management (3 credits)
- SPSS 3990 Field Study Internship (1-6 credits)
To include SPSS 3990, the learning contract and plan of work must be approved by the Minor Advisor.
Students must earn a combined grade point average of 2.5 or higher for all courses listed above.
Minor Advisor:
Gerald Berkowitz
Sustainable Community Food Systems
The Sustainable Community Food Systems (SCFS) minor provides an in-depth exploration of food systems through performing an intensive summer work experience and fall internship (six credits) and reflecting on the practice of working in a sustainable community food system. Farm experience through working at the Spring Valley Student Farm (or another approved farm or community garden) is required and residence at the farm for at least a summer is encouraged. This minor is offered jointly by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources.
All students are required to complete a minimum of 18 credits as outlined below.
Students must complete all the following courses:
- GEOG 4000W Capstone Seminar in Geography (3 credits) OR EVST 4000W Environmental Studies Capstone Research Project (3 credits)
- An internship class in an appropriate department for the SCFS minor (6 credits)
Core Courses: 6 credits, all minors must take one course from each core area.
Social Dimensions Core
- ARE 2260 Food Policy
- ARE 4438E Valuing the Environment
- EVST 3200 Sustainable Community Food Systems Seminar
- HDFS 3425 Food and the American Family
- NRE 3265 Sustainable Urban Ecosystems
- NUSC 3230 Community Nutrition
- SOCI 2705 Sociology of Food
Sustainable Food Production Core
- SPSS 2100E Environmental Sustainability of Food Production in Developing Countries
- SPSS 2500E Principles & Concepts of Agroecology
- SPSS 3610 Organic and Sustainable Vegetable Production
Students must earn a combined grade point average of 2.5 or higher for all courses listed above. Students must complete all requirements for a baccalaureate degree. Once the minor has been declared, it will appear on the student’s transcript.
Minor Advisor:
Phoebe Godfrey