The PNWSTMA board has been working on a certification program for its members and will look at the final draft at its November 5th board meeting.

We are currently seeking approval of the course work from the STMA and have designed the curriculum to fit within the STMA guidelines. The current guidelines give credit for classes taken; degrees earned and job site experience. The PNWSTMA program, as proposed, fits within those guidelines and will count as part of the requirements for STMA certification.

The courses proposed for the program will originate from Walla Walla Community College as part of their Turf Management AAAS degree option and are all transferable as part of a B.S Turf Management degree at Washington State University. WWCC is in the process of creating a Sports Turf Manager certificate option that would be awarded to anyone completing the PNWSTMA courses.

All of the classes that are required for the PNWSTMA certification program are available via distance learning from WWCC and all courses are available all quarters of the year. Included in the program is a cooperative work experience component to provide an on-the-job component to the program. Students have the option to work at whatever pace is best suited to their individual situations. Listed below are the course requirements for the program and the courses required for the proposed WWCC certificate:

AGPR 201 Basic Soil Science 5 credits
AGPR 202 Soils Fertility and Management 5 credits
TURF 215 Turf Diseases and Insects 3 credits
WMGT 110 Lawn and Turf Irrigation 3 credits
TURF 191 Cooperative Work Experience 16 credits
TURF 192 Cooperative Work Seminar 2 credits
TURF 201 Turf Physiology 6 credits
TURF 211 Turf Management 5 credits
TURF 231 Pesticide Licensing 3 credits
WMGT 225 Irrigation Design 6 credits
or
WMGT 112 Irrigation Principles 5 credits

Inquiries about the program or about specific course and fees can be directed to:

Bill Griffith
Turf Management Instructor/Advisor
Walla Walla Community College
509-527-4269
bill.griffith@wwcc.edu