College, Longwood Gardens Collaborate on Degree Offering

Participants in Longwood Gardens' Professional Gardener Training Program can receive up to 36 credits toward an associate's degree at Pennsylvania College of Technology as part of an agreement between the College and the world-renowned horticultural display garden.

The arrangement will allow students in Longwood Gardens' rigorous training program to transfer 30 credits, with the possibility of receiving six more credits by examination.

As a result, the Longwood trainees will be able to earn an associate's degree in Penn College's Landscape/Nursery Technology program in just two additional semesters.

Although Longwood Gardens does not award academic credits for its Professional Gardener Training Program, the academic rigor and on-the-job-training component within the two-year, residential program provide students with an extensive background in greenhouse crop production, botany, pest management, landscape design and plant materials, and turf management.

"Penn College has long recognized the quality students Longwood Gardens produces in its training programs," said Dr. Mary A. Sullivan, assistant dean of the School of Natural Resources Management at the College. "This articulation agreement allows us to recognize that quality by offering students an opportunity to earn a degree in a minimal amount of time. We're pleased that this collaboration can produce a win-win situation for everyone."

Bill Simeral, student programs coordinator for Longwood Gardens, said: "The staff of Longwood Gardens is pleased to be able to continue to enhance their long-standing relationship with Pennsylvania College of Technology. For years, Longwood has benefited from Penn College students who have come to work with Longwood as interns. This articulation agreement clears the way for Longwood students to benefit from the excellent educational opportunities that exist at Penn College."

Longwood Gardens, which was created by industrialist Pierre S. du Pont, attracts more than 900,000 visitors annually, offering more than 1,000 acres of outdoor and indoor gardens, woodlands and meadows featuring 11,000 types of plants. It also offers extensive educational programs and hundreds of horticultural and performing-arts events each year.

For more information about Longwood Gardens, visit on the Web.

For more information about the Landscape/Nursery Technology majors at Penn College, visit online or call toll-free, 1-800-367-9222.