Program Outcomes

Students who have successfully completed all three courses through the Horticultural Therapy Certificate Program will earn 12 college accredited hours in Horticultural Therapy and a certificate of completion from the Chicago Botanic Garden and Oakton Community College.

Upon completing the program, students will be able to do the following:

  • Explain the evidence basis and unique benefits of horticultural therapy and the development of the horticultural therapy profession
  • Integrate therapeutic horticulture into your current or future practice
  • Analyze the critical issues that horticulture therapists consider when planning programs, activities, and site design
  • Design and facilitate horticultural therapy activities for individuals and groups
  • Plan programs (activities, curriculum, materials, and timelines) to meet goals and match each participant's abilities and interests
  • Select plants that will support the goals and activities of the program and its spaces
  • Design (or advise how to design) therapeutic indoor and outdoor spaces that address universal design, safety and maintenance, support programming, and meet the facility's needs
  • Develop and refine methods to evaluate the effectiveness of horticultural therapy activities, programs, and spaces
  • Understand funding mechanisms and how to secure financial resources for programs in both profit and non-profit settings
  • Understand basic business practices for independent contractors and start-ups

Official student transcripts can be obtained from Oakton Community College www.oakton.edu/studentservices/records. The Regenstein School will mail certificates after final grade submissions in December. This certificate is accredited by the American Horticultural Therapy Association as meeting the horticultural therapy coursework requirements for registration with their organization. For all other questions concerning becoming a registered horticultural therapist (HTR), please visit www.ahta.org.