What can I do with a degree in turf management?

Although there are many students who are willing to join an engineering college or a medical college, there is an increasing number of students who are acknowledging careers in turf management and are enrolling in Turf Grass Science programs. 

If you are one of them, we are sure you would be having a slight confusion about what you could do with this degree. 

Thus, to clear your dilemma over this question, here is an article that gives you an idea of what all you can do with this degree. 

An Overview of Turf Management

• It involves the expert maintenance of landscapes by using the knowledge of grass, irrigation, pesticides, and growing conditions to keep fields and lawns healthy and green.

• Through degree programs, students gain extensive knowledge of plants, grasses, weeds, and artificial turf.

• The demand for turf science graduates who are trained in soil science, pest control, irrigation, weed control, and sports field design is steady. 

• Because of the career-oriented character, many degree programs include internships at sporting fields, country club styled golf courses, and parks.

• They might conduct studies in designing landscapes, managing a green, handling turf, and minding for the putting green. 

• The managers or supervisors who look after this management is known to Turf Managers and they are solely responsible for maintaining the serene beauty of lawns and recreational ground shelters. 

• Education for turf management occupations ranges from technical certificates to bachelor's degree programs in turf management, horticulture, and landscape management. 

• There are several colleges and industrial organizations that offer training in pesticides, irrigation, and other key factors of turf management as individual courses and sometimes as part of a degree program or course. 

• Professional organizations, such as the Professional Grounds Management Society, have certification programs for turf managers who meet the specified criteria.

Courses involved in Turf Grass Management

Students who choose to major in Turf Grass Science will have a variety of options to choose from that is related to:

• Plant Biology

• Chemistry

• Business Management

• Communication

These courses will also include topics regarding diseases, weeds, and insects that harm the grass. It also includes various techniques and approaches for preparing turf for sports, levels for developing a landscape, such as adding plants, aesthetic purposes, and environmental objectives. 

Some programs include topics related to turfgrass varieties and breeds, plant nutrition, and soil fertility. Sessions that feature the development of high-grade written and linguistic communication skills will benefit prospective turf managers to communicate the scientific and practical theories of turf management.

What can I do with a degree in Turf Management?

Career opportunities for a degree holder in turf management may be found in athletic disciplines, public parks, golf courses for universities, expert sports teams, and private societies. 

They will also be given an opportunity to work as consultants or sales representatives. The reasons that people choose this career option may vary based on various factors. Turf managers are the people that are accountable for ground maintenance for areas like golf courses.

There are a few important job titles that include landscape operations manager, landscaping crew supervisor, assistant golf course superintendent, pesticide technician, tree trimmers, lawn care specialist, turf scout, and sports field manager, and many more. 

Here are a few job titles and their responsibilities and duties which are very familiar and there are wide openings. 

Grounds Maintenance Workers

• A high school diploma and on-the-job training or a certificate or degree program in turfgrass management are required to qualify for this job.

• The job role is to care for the outdoor properties of homes, businesses, and public parks along with working or designing on how to make it more beautiful to look. 

• Along with the gathering of leaves and maintaining ground’s keeping stuff, they plant flowers and water lawns. 

• According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), they are expected to see a 6% increase in job opportunities from 2018-2028. 

• It is also reported that this group earned average annual earnings of $30,420.

Pesticide Technicians

• A high school diploma, on-the-job training, and licensing OR a certificate or degree program in turfgrass management and licensing is required to qualify for this job.

• The job role is to control the impact of weeds and insects on plants by using herbicides. 

• They also use soil fertilizers to promote plant growth. 

• The BLS projected that jobs for pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators would increase by 7% during 2018-2028. 

• It is reported that the annual average income for these workers is $35,320.

Tree Trimmers and Pruners

• A high school diploma and on-the-job training OR a certificate or degree program in turfgrass management is required to qualify for this job.

• Their job role is to make sure the health of trees is good by removing their excess and dead branches. 

• They also make sure that trees don't block wires or overlap sidewalks and roadways. 

• An employment projected growth rate of 10% was predicted for the 2018-2028 decade. 

• It is reported that the average annual income for these workers is $38,190.

Colleges that are offering a degree in Turf Management

• Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Tifton, GA

• Florida Southern College, Lakeland, FL

• New Mexico State University-Main Campus, Las Cruces, NM

• North Carolina State University at Raleigh, NC

• North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND

• Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus, University Park, PA

• Purdue University-Main Campus, West Lafayette, IN

• SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill, NY

• Texas A & M University, College Station, TX

• The University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, MA

• The University of Nebraska-Lincoln, NE

• Washington State University, Pullman, WA