AUBURN UNIVERSITY – The Alabama Commission on Higher Learning has approved an online master of turfgrass management program for Auburn University’s College of Agriculture. The program is designed for working professionals and offers 100 percent of its curriculum online.
The non-thesis graduate degree program will emphasize key areas of turfgrass management, including installation methods, breeding and 
development, insect and disease control and construction of specialty areas such as athletic fields and putting greens. The program will officially begin with the 2014 spring semester.
“Alumni of Auburn’s traditional turfgrass management program are highly successful in their field,” said Paul Patterson, associate dean for instruction in the College of Agriculture. “This online program will open the same doors of opportunity to
Dr. Elizabeth Guertal
more students.”
Auburn is only the second of two universities in the nation to offer the master’s in turfgrass management completely online. The 32 credit-hour program is offered through the Department of Crop, Soils and Environmental Sciences.
“Auburn is positioned to be a leader in this area,” said Elizabeth Guertal, lead faculty member for the online turfgrass management program. “It will be the only online program of its kind offered from an institution in this climatic zone. We feel it has great potential for enrollment of students in the United States and around the world.”
Students in the online program will be advised by turfgrass faculty with expertise in weed control, turf pathology, turf entomology, turfgrass maintenance and sports field maintenance, Guertal said.
MEDIA RELEASE/AUBURN UNIVERSITY/ by Josh Woods
