Arboriculture Associate Degree
What Careers Can I Get with an Arborist Associate Degree?
An arborist specializes in the care of trees, often doing trimming and pruning work or supervising those who do. City governments may hire an arborist to develop or enhance city parks, corporations can hire one to care for either residential or commercial properties, or an arborist might help a utility company during an emergency by clearing trees away from power lines and during new construction or routine maintenance by clearing the path for new poles or distribution networks. The employment outlook should remain favorable for new arborists, with an 18% job growth expected for ground maintenance workers.
What Will I Learn When I Earn My Arboriculture Associate Degree?
An arborist must know how to diagnose and treat all tree diseases, be able to recommend preventative health measures, and know which types of trees are suitable for which locations, since putting the wrong tree in the wrong location can create problems with crowding, diseases, insects, and poor growth.
An arborist associate degree typically includes courses in:- Arboriculture
- Business (if you want to work as an independent contractor)
- Climbing techniques
- Horticulture
- Landscape design
- Proper planning and maintenance procedures
- Safety procedures
- Tree care equipment
In order to use pesticides, you need either licensure or certification in most states. This involves passing an exam on the proper use and disposal of insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides. Other voluntary certifications that some employers value include the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) certification and the Certified Tree Care Safety Professional (CTSP).
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