Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo Horticulture and Crop Science Department

As young people interested in the wide-open world of horticulture, there are two paths we can choose: Leader. Or Follower.

While the industry needs both to succeed, the Horticulture and Crop Science Department at Cal Poly prepares us to be industry leaders.

In the HCS Department, we don’t just sit in a classroom. We’re out in the fields, groves, greenhouses, nurseries, and arboretum. We get our hands dirty. We soak up the life-giving California sunshine. And we sweat. It’s all designed to give us the knowledge, skills, and experience it takes to make a real difference in the world.

While doing this, we learn the science behind the practice. We discover real-world solutions. We collaborate with leading edge industry professionals. And -- of course -- we have fun and make life-long friends.

Through it all, we unlock a broader spectrum of possibilities than we ever thought possible.

All this occurs in an environment where we sit down and discuss our interests, our challenges, and our dreams with an extraordinary professor who cares about our success. A person who’s not just our professor, but our advisor and mentor.

“We are ready to be leaders, and HCS helps us to make it happen.”

Cal Poly Horticulture and Crop Science. Learn. Do. Lead.