Agriculture – Horticulture – Irrigation Certificate

Certificate | SC Program: CL.3426

The Irrigation Certificate Program provides students with the skills, knowledge and hands-on experience necessary to meet the Irrigation Association standards to apply for the Auditor, Contractor or Designer Exams. Students will develop the basic skills and knowledge about irrigation principles and practices. They will explore and become familiar with the current practices in agriculture, landscape, turf management and residential industries. Students will have access to practical applications and computer training on these topics as well as worksite learning opportunities. Basic soil and plant science, electrical principles and pumping technologies will be covered.

This is a locally approved certificate. Upon satisfactory completion of the listed requirements and application for completion of the certificate to Admissions and Records, the student will receive a certificate of completion. This certificate program is not approved through the California Community College Chancellor’s Office; therefore, completion of the certificate will not be listed on the student’s transcript.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this certificate, the student should be able to:

• Demonstrate the ability to communicate with clients, measure and analyze a property, draft a landscape and a residential irrigation design, develop water management schedules, and implement practices based on client needs.
• Demonstrate safe and efficient use of landscape tools, equipment and supplies.
• Safely conduct landscape construction activities in the correct construction sequence for installation of: a landscape sprinkler system and a low-volume (drip) irrigation system.
• Explain and apply the concepts of job estimating and laws as they pertain to landscape construction and maintenance and utilize this information to calculate job costs.
• Demonstrate a strong work and personal ethic.

Certificate Requirements

Core Courses:

• AGEH 31 Landscape Irrigation 3
• AGEH 33 Environmental Horticulture 3
• AGEH 38 Landscape and Turf Management 3
• AGPS 24 Soils 3
• AGPS 25 California Water 3
• AGEH 94 Horticulture Worksite Learning 1-2

Total Units for Certificate: 16 – 17

In addition to the core courses, students will need to complete additional hours of work experience in order to take the Contractor or Designers Certification Exam with the Irrigation Association. Shasta College plans on making these opportunities available through Horticulture Worksite Learning (AGEH 94). Those students taking the Certified Irrigation Contractors exam would also need skills in layout, staking, business, management, and codes.

For reference only as of 2019/2020