Specialty Crop

The UW Department of Plant Sciences offers a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Plant Production and Protection. The program includes four optional concentrations: agronomy, horticulture, integrated pest management, and agroecology & evolution. The degree prepares students for careers in agriculture, natural resources, and environmental and life sciences, and advanced graduate studies in plant sciences.

Courses cover a wide array of plant-related topics, including agronomy, crops (fruits, grains, vegetables), plant diseases, food production, forages, greenhouse environments, ornamental horticulture, invasive species, organic production, plant physiology, and weeds. The Plant Production and Protection Program, which started in 2022, focuses on how these topics are all interrelated.

Students work with their advisors to select courses that match their career interests. It is an interdisciplinary and highly practical degree program designed to prepare students for ‘real world’ situations. Students in the program also have the opportunity to raise vegetables, fruit, and herbs at the ACRES Student Farm (see Albany County section for details, and then sell those products at the Downtown Laramie Farmers Market (see Albany County section)