Horticultural Therapy Certificate Program

OVERVIEW

The NYBG Horticultural Therapy Certificate Program helps students begin or complement their careers through an in-depth exploration of skills and innovative methods using plants and the growing environment to heal and rehabilitate people. Taught by practicing horticultural therapists, this program trains students in the design, implementation, and operation of programs for individuals and groups in a wide variety of health care settings and human services programs.
 
Upon completion of the program, students will:
  • Understand the characteristics and etiologies of the various populations served by horticultural therapy.
  • Demonstrate skills in goal setting, activity planning, risk management, evaluation methods, plant selection, and accessible design.
  • Prepare proposals to deliver horticultural therapy programs in various venues including public settings, not-for-profit organizations, private companies, and independent contracting services.


REQUIRED COURSES

Certificate students must complete 189 total course hours (181 required + 8 site visit hours), plus a 100-hour internship. After completing a minimum of six Horticultural Therapy courses, students should contact the Program Coordinator to arrange their internship. For more information on internship requirements and guidelines, click here.

COURSE CODE              HOURS
Introduction to Horticultural Therapy  THR 301   15
Horticultural Therapy for Older Adults  THR 401 P 15
Horticultural Therapy for Youth with Disabilities THR 402 P 15
Horticultural Therapy for Physical Rehabilitation  THR 403 P 15
Horticultural Therapy in Behavioral Health Settings    THR 404  P 15
Horticultural Therapy Methods and Materials THR 406 P 15
Activities Analysis for Horticultural Therapy THR 407 P 15
Garden Design for Special Populations THR 408 P 15
Horticultural Therapy Program Management THR 409 P 15
Fundamentals of Gardening GAR 301
12
Introduction to Plant Science HRT 300   16
Plant Propagation I: Basic Principles HRT 411 P 18
Horticultural Therapy Site Visits (see below)     8
TOTAL REQUIRED HOURS     189

 

SITE VISITS CODE               HOURS
Kingsbridge Heights Community Center THR 567 P 4
Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center: The Garden of Hope THR 546 P 4

Please note: During the pandemic, we will offer limited trips to observe working programs at hospitals and other institutions. Site visits remain a Certificate requirement, and we plan to resume scheduling them as soon as it is safe to do so.

P = Courses with a prerequisite before you can register

For classes with no current session available, please check back when we announce the next season's catalog.

 

COLLEGE CREDIT RECOMMENDATION

Please note that Horticultural Therapy courses that begin in November 2022 or later will not be eligible for college credit through the National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS).

Horticultural Therapy (THR) courses that have been completed before November 2022 will continue to be eligible for one college credit per course, provided a passing grade of C or better was received. NYBG recommends applying for college credit for all courses completed before November 2022 as soon as possible. There are two associated fees: a $45 administrative fee to NYBG and a $52 application and transcript fee to Excelsior. For more information, call the Registration Office at 718.817.8720.

Once college credit has been obtained, any of the nine Horticultural Therapy courses successfully completed before November 2022 can be applied toward voluntary Professional Registration through the American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA).