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Academics & Training / Programs & Degrees / Fields of Interest / Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources / Vineyard Management (Viticulture)

Vineyard Management (Viticulture) Associate Degree

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Program Code: 103201

Midwesterners who dream of a career in wine country don't need to migrate to California. As Wisconsin's grape growing industry expands, business owners are looking for employees and suppliers right here. As a graduate of the Vineyard Management associate degree program, you have the skills necessary to own and operate or be employed at a vineyard as a vineyard manager or vineyard worker. You are skilled in planting, pruning, training, harvesting, gathering, sustainability, integrated pest management, and storing grapes and other fruits.

Follow Your Path

All credits from the following certificate(s) apply toward this associate degree:
• Vineyard Management, 903201

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Program Costs & Financial Aid

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Employment Potential

A graduate of this program will have the basic skills necessary to own and operate or be employed at a vineyard as a:

• Vineyard Manager

• Vineyard Worker

With additional education and/or work experience, graduates may find other opportunities for employment.

• Pest Management Industry – Crop Scout
• Green Industry – Greenhouse, Propagation
• Chemical/Pesticide Industry

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Requirements for Program Entry

• Completed application.
• High school transcript or equivalent. (For a list of equivalents, go to www.nwtc.edu/gettingstarted.)
• Students should have mastered basic math skills (whole numbers, fractions, decimals, percents and measurements).
• To be admitted to this program, learners must achieve a prior cumulative high school or college grade point average of 2.6 or higher OR a satisfactory academic skills assessment score. College grade point average must be based on 15 credits or more. To learn more about starting this program, please contact an academic advisor at (920) 498-5444 or (888) 385-6982.

Program Availability

FULL TIME Fall 2019 Spring 2020 Summer 2020
Green Bay
Accepting
Accepting
Accepting
Marinette
Unavailable
Unavailable
Unavailable
Sturgeon Bay
Unavailable
Unavailable
Unavailable

Application Checklist

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Curriculum
Students following the study plan below will complete the Vineyard Management (Viticulture) associate degree in the number of semesters shown.
FIRST SEMESTER
10-090-111 SUSTAINABLE AG: ISSUES & PRACTICES ...use critical thinking skills to compare organic and sustainable agricultural practices with industrial agriculture. Explore food production issues including antibiotics, herbicides, hormones, GMOs, animal welfare, crop yields, nutrients, and pollution.
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VIN 111 INTRO TO VITICULTURE AND VINEYARD ESTABLISHMENT ...learn about viticulture and vineyard establishment. Topics include: cultivar selection, site preparation, equipment, site selection, first season establishment, vine development and training, trellis systems, weed control, vine disease control, and pruning. Students partner with approved vineyards for field experience.
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VIN 112 BOTANICAL VITICULTURE ...This course is a survey of the plant kingdom, including plant cells and tissues, the ecology, morphology, physiology and life cycles of representative plants of each division. It will also focus communication on grapevine biology, vine structures and their functions.
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Credit for Prior LearningCredit for Prior Learning Available »
10-801-136 ENGLISH COMPOSITION 1 ...learners develop knowledge/skills in planning, organizing, writing, editing. Students will also analyze audience/purpose, use elements of research, format documents using standard guidelines, and develop critical reading skills. (Prerequisite: Placement value of 1500; OR Accuplacer Rdg score greater/equal to 55 AND Sentence Skills greater/equal to 75; OR ACT Rdg score greater/equal to 16 AND Eng greater/equal to 18; OR preparatory courses-contact academic advisor at 920-498-5444)
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10-145-185 ORGANIZING YOUR SMALL BUSINESS ...the components of small business ownership; examining a variety of small business startup and operation scenarios. Assesses your own readiness to begin the entrepreneurial adventure.
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SEMESTER TOTAL
15
SECOND SEMESTER
VIN 293 SOILS FOR VITICULTURE ...explore soil properties and behavior, and their influence on wines. This course focuses not only on growth and production, but on the long-term effect of viticulture on soil quality and the wider environment.
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VIN212 WINTER VITICULTURE TECHNOLOGY ...practical experience in winter vineyard operations. Students partner with approved vineyards for required field experience which will serve as work experience for those seeking employment in commercial viticulture. (Prerequisite: VIN 111, Introduction to Viticulture and Vineyard Establishment or permission)
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VIN 214 SPRING VITICULTURE TECHNOLOGY ...practical experience in spring vineyard operations. Students are required to partner with approved vineyards for field experience which will serve as work experience for those seeking employment in commercial viticulture. (Prerequisite: VIN 111, Introduction to Viticulture and Vineyard Establishment or permission.)
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Credit for Prior LearningCredit for Prior Learning Available »
10-804-113 COLLEGE TECHNICAL MATH 1A ...topics include solving linear equations; graphing; percent; proportions; measurement systems; computational geometry; and right triangle trigonometry. Emphasis will be on the application of skills to technical problems. (Prerequisite: A placement value of 2400; OR Accuplacer Arithmetic score greater/equal to 65 AND Reading score greater/equal to 55; OR ACT Math score greater/equal to 15 AND ACT Reading score greater/equal to 16; OR preparatory courses-contact an academic advisor 920-498-5444)
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10-145-170 BUSINESS FEASIBILITY ...focusses on the business concept and marketing. Develop skills in marketing, communications, branding, sales and service, networking, business idea, product portfolio, revenue model, market position, and customer portfolio.
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10-320-118 VIN290-VINEYARD AND WINERY SAFETY ...an introduction to safety and procedures specific to enology including general history of food and beverage safety and health issues, ergonomics, OSHA safety rules and safety issues and concerns specific to the winery.
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VIN117-COLD CLIMATE VITICULTURE & ENOLOGY ...this course offers a practical understanding of the obstacles and promise of growing grapes and making wine in cold climates. Topics relating to cold climate production include history, physical limits of grapes, successful varieties, viticulture and enology methods for producing quality cold climate wine, the state of cold climate research, a review of resources, and marketing strategies in cold climate regions. (Prerequisite: VIN111 or VIN146)
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SEMESTER TOTAL
17
THIRD SEMESTER
VIN 215 SUMMER/FALL VITICULTURE TECHNOLOGY ...practical experience in summer/fall vineyard operations. Students are required to partner with approved vineyards for field experience which will serve as work experience for those seeking employment in commercial viticulture. (Recommendation: VIN 111, Introduction to Viticulture and Vineyard Establishment or consent of the instructor or VIN 212, Winter/Spring Viticulture Technology)
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VIN 213 REGIONAL VINEYARD MANAGEMENT ...study commercial grape growing throughout the United States. Learn about viticultural methods practiced, challenges faced, and how those challenges are addressed in different grape growing regions throughout the continental United States. (Prerequisites: VIN 111, Vineyard Establishment and Maintenance; VIN 113, Winter/Spring Viticulture Technology, or permission)
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VIN 105 MOLECULAR PRINCIPLES IN GRAPE & WINE ...emphasis on chemical fundamentals of winemaking. This course includes organic, biochemistry, and applications with a focus on the grape and wine industry.
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Credit for Prior LearningCredit for Prior Learning Available »
10-809-172 INTRO TO DIVERSITY STUDIES...basic American values of justice and equality by teaching vocabulary, history of immigration/conquest, transcultural communication, legal liability, multicultural majority/minority relations, ageism, sexism, gender, sexual orientation, the disabled/ADA. (Prerequisite: A placement value of 6200; OR Accuplacer Rdg score greater/equal to 55 AND Sentence Skills greater/equal to 60; OR ACT Rdg score greater/equal to 16 AND English greater/equal to 15; OR 10-831-107, College Reading and Writing with a B or better)
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Credit for Prior LearningCredit for Prior Learning Available »
10-801-196 ORAL/INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION ...the communication process, perception and self-concept, language, listening, nonverbal communication, interpersonal relationships, communication in groups and public communication; prepare and deliver an oral presentation. (Prerequisite: A placement value of 1400; OR Accuplacer Rdg score greater/equal to 55 AND Sentence Skills score greater/equal to 60; OR ACT Rdg score greater/equal to 16 AND English score greater/equal to 16; OR preparatory course-contact an academic advisor at 920-498-5444)
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VIN 211 INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT ...learn how to manage normal cultural practices such as planting, fertility, harvesting, and pruning as well as managing the insect, disease, and weed programs that occur either regularly or sporadically.
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SEMESTER TOTAL
16
FOURTH SEMESTER
10-090-131 ORGANIC GARDENING ...whether gardening on a small scale or using commercial greenhouses and fields, plan seedings, control pests, diseases, and weeds, all using best organic practices. Review rules and organic certification standards. Includes hands-on instruction in the Bounty Garden.
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Credit for Prior LearningCredit for Prior Learning Available »
10-809-198 INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY ...survey of theoretical foundations of human behavior such as sensation and perception, motivation, emotions, learning, personality, psychological disorders, therapy, stress, and human diversity in personal, social and vocational settings. (Prerequisite: Cumulative GPA of 2.6 or greater OR satisfactory reading and writing assessment scores OR 10-831-107, College Reading and Writing 1 with "B" or better OR Corequisite: 10-831-102, English Comp Prep)
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Elective 2
10-145-189 WRITING A BUSINESS PLAN-SMALL BUSINESS ...as a necessary component to beginning a small business, from addressing facets of the business plan, observing various types of plans, to realizing readiness to begin. Plan preparation/presentation are required.
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VIN 146 INTRODUCTION TO ENOLOGY ...learn the basic science and technology of winemaking. Make wine from a kit, track fermentation, make various chemical measurements and provide one bottle of finished wine for evaluation. (Students must be 21 years of age to enroll in this course.)
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Credit for Prior LearningCredit for Prior Learning Available »
10-809-195 ECONOMICS ...scarcity, resources, alternative economic systems, growth, supply and demand, monetary and fiscal policy, inflation, unemployment, and global economic issues. (Prerequisite: A placement value of 6200; OR Accuplacer Rdg score greater/equal to 55 AND Sentence Skills greater/equal to 60; OR ACT Rdg score greater/equal to 16 AND English greater/equal to 15; OR 10-831-107, College Reading and Writing with a B or better)
View Course Outcomes
SEMESTER TOTAL
17
TOTAL CREDITS
65
Curriculum Note
. These courses must be taken at NWTC to receive an Associate Degree.
Suggested Electives
. Spanish for the Wine Industry, VIN108
. Legal Aspects of Vineyard & Winery Operation, VIN202

Program Outcomes

• Manage all part-time and seasonal vineyard workers.
• Maintain records of all vineyard operation activities.
• Assist wine maker in crop load management, harvest coordination and execution.
• Monitor the vineyard regarding nutrient status, grape diseases, insect, fungus, weeds, and other pests.
• Maintain records of all viticultural monitoring activities.
• Practice IPM (Integrated Pest Management).
• Recommend and plan any large scale changes in vineyard plantings, specifically cultivars and selection of the site.
• Plan and assist in irrigation scheduling and operation.
• Plan and assist in general property maintenance.
• Operate vineyard machinery safely.

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Start here. Finish at a four-year.

NWTC transfer programs are offered through collaborative agreements with our four-year college and university partners. See where your associate degree credits will transfer >> EXCLUDEEND

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Note

• NWTC is a member of VESTA, a partnership of colleges nationwide that together deliver online Enology (winemaking) and Viticulture (grape growing) education. VESTA is formally referred to as the Viticulture and Enology Science and Technology Alliance. More information is on the VESTA website www.vesta-usa.org.
• Students desiring to earn an Associate Degree in Vineyard Management (Viticulture) must apply for admission to NWTC and must take a minimum of 25% of technical core courses at NWTC.
• The VESTA online courses, identifiable by “VIN” in front of the course code have a separate admission and registration process.
• Practicum sites throughout the state are listed on the VESTA website. New ones can be added if the student finds a willing and eligible vineyard.
• Some courses have a minimum age requirement.
• Further information on VESTA can be found on the website www.vesta-usa.org.

Study Abroad Opportunities

• The International Programs staff continually seeks opportunities for students to travel abroad for educational experiences that may be offered in association with program courses. To find out more about which of your program courses may offer an opportunity during this academic year, contact your academic advisor or visit NWTC.edu/studyabroad.

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Viticulture and Enology Science and Technology Alliance (VESTA)

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