Bachelor of Natural Resources (UAS), Horticulturist

What competencies does the graduate have?During the studies, students will gather a wide knowledge about horticulture both from technical and biological point of view. Studies include also subjects from business, such as cost calculations, entrepreneurial working, marketing, and developing businesses and commerce in the field. Students will also learn how to innovate new products and services.From the biological perspective, different cultivars will become familiar to the student as well as different cultivation systems suitable for a specific purpose. Students will study how to time the crop, direct its quality and quantity and how to handle the crop correctly. They will learn different actions to store the crop and how this might affect the end result.Responsibility is one of the main elements of Finnish production, and it is, together with sustainable development, underlined in this degree programme as well.What kind of learning methods are used in the programme?The studies are often based on real situations and problems that are provided by businesses and organizations in the horticultural branch. This gives the student a hands-on approach on the studies. A key learning method is teamwork in different projects, and students get to develop their competence in different teams.Different learning environments are also a key method in horticultural studies. These can include for example greenhouses that produce variety of different plants, berries or fruits, or gardens and fields that support the studies in open field cultivation.What kind of career opportunities does the graduate have?After graduation student can find employment as an expert in commerce, counselling, education and administration. Typical employers are companies, cities and associations. The branch is very international which offers great opportunities for career development both in Finland and abroad.