College doesn’t always have to mean four years in the classroom. With an associate degree in plant science and technology, you could get to work right away, nurturing crops, managing greenhouses, and helping farmers keep their plants healthy. This degree prepares you for practical, hands-on work in the agricultural sector, but you still have career options.
Check out this article to see what an associate degree in plant science and technology can offer you for your career.
Work in the Agriculture Sector
When you graduate with an Associate of Applied Science, you’ll be prepared for entry-level work in a variety of plant-focused industries. These positions can be hard but rewarding work. If you enjoy working with plants and people, you can find positions like:
- Crop, Nursery, & Greenhouse Worker: Plant, cultivate, and harvest vegetables, fruits, nuts, horticultural specialties, and field crops.
- Agricultural Technician: Work with scientists researching plants, fibers, and animals. You could assist with animal breeding and nutrition, collect samples, prepare tests, and run experiments.
- Agricultural Equipment Operators: Operate farming equipment to support agriculture by planting, cultivating, and harvesting crops; feeding and herding livestock; or removing animal waste.
Work in the Public Sector
You can also find opportunities outside of private agriculture. With growing interest in sustainability and protecting the environment, these kinds of positions are growing:
- Landscaping & Groundskeeping Workers: Maintain the landscape and grounds in public and private spaces.
- Forest & Conservation Technicians: Collect data and help conserve soil, water, forests, and other related natural resources.
- Foresters: Help manage public and private forested lands for a variety of purposes, like development, recreation, and conservation.
Earn Your Bachelor’s Degree
Your associate's degree makes it easy to transfer into a new program or school. If you do decide a bachelor’s is right for you, you don’t have to stick to plant science and technology. You can choose something as far out as business or art, but if you still like plants and agriculture, you might try majoring in:
- Horticulture: Learn how to care, grow, and design landscapes, gardens, floral arrangements, and more.
- Animal Science: Study how animals live, grow, and contribute to society, including the livestock that sustain our food systems.
- Range Management: Work outdoors, collecting environmental data to protect land and livestock health.
Where Will You Go?
An associate degree in plant science and technology can lead to a range of rewarding opportunities, from greenhouse management to environmental conservation. Many graduates start meaningful careers right after college, and others use their degree as a stepping stone to continue their education at a four-year school. Whatever you decide, a plant science and technology associate degree can lead you to a path you love.
Citations
My Next Move — Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse
My Next Move — Agricultural Technicians
My Next Move — Agricultural Equipment Operators
My Next Move — Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers
My Next Move — Forest and Conservation Technicians
My Next Move — Foresters