Penn State to launch first-ever online degree program in turfgrass management

Penn State to launch first-ever online degree program in turfgrass management

Penn State University has announced it will begin offering an online masters program in turfgrass management, making it the first school to offer a web-based, graduate-level degree in this field.

School officials say that the program was added to its turfgrass management offerings - which already include associates and bachelors degrees - to help professionals in the industry keep up with scientific and technological advances in the surfaces that are used at facilities such as golf courses and sports complexes.

Individuals who choose to enroll in the program will be required to complete a 30-credit curriculum, through which they will learn how to strengthen their management skills and solidify their knowledge of the turfgrass industry.

A.J. Turgeon, director of the school's online turfgrass management department, said that the masters program targets " the person who wants to rise to the top of the profession," as today's industry requires "a new breed of turfgrass manager…who is more astute about the advancing technologies."

Individuals who wish to enroll in this program should hold a bachelors degree from an accredited campus-based or online school, according to the university's website.

By Stefanie Hughes