Horticultural Science and Engineering
The “Horticultural Science and Engineering” program is an interdisciplinary field combining science, technology, and art in the areas of botany, plant physiology, the development and improvement of modern methods for fruit production, vegetable growing, floriculture and ornamental plants, medicinal plants, postharvest quality improvement and loss reduction, and genetic improvement of horticultural crops through both traditional and modern methods. Horticulture is the science and art of cultivating, propagating, processing, and marketing flowers, fruits, vegetables, medicinal, aromatic, and ornamental plants. In general, horticulture is a blend of science, art, and the profession of planting, maintaining, and harvesting fruits, flowers, ornamental plants, and vegetables.
The aim of this program is to train horticultural science specialists whose work is a combination of science, technology, and art. In other words, it aims to prepare individuals to work as experts in various production fields, regional planning, as instructors at agricultural training centers, or as managers of production units, cooperatives, and private horticultural and green space companies. Students in this field, in addition to acquiring knowledge and skills related to the production of fruits, vegetables, medicinal, and aromatic plants, also receive training in landscape design and the breeding and preparation of horticultural seedlings and seeds. They become familiar with scientific and technical foundations as well as new techniques for the cultivation, maintenance, and utilization of fruit trees, vegetables, flowers, ornamental trees and shrubs, and medicinal and aromatic plants.
The duration of the bachelor’s program is four years. Graduates of this field can work in production, private, cooperative, and governmental sectors, as well as in research, education, and horticultural planning in organizations such as the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad, agricultural colleges, the Foundation for Martyrs and Veterans Affairs, municipalities, and agro-industrial companies.
The Horticultural Science and Engineering program was established at Ardakan University’s Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources in 2013 (1392), with approval from the Council for the Expansion of Higher Education, offering both bachelor’s and master’s degrees. With the approval of the Supreme Council for the Expansion of Higher Education, the master’s program currently offers three specializations: Ornamental Plants, Fruit Trees, and Medicinal Plants. The department currently has five faculty members at the associate professor level.