Advance your turf management knowledge at your pace with GreenKeeper University.
Our team of renowned turfgrass professors, researchers and practitioners have created 18 different online courses to help advance the knowledge of turfgrass managers. Students can enroll in GKU courses at any time and view hundreds of hours of lecture material on their own schedule. Our learning management software automatically tracks student progress towards either an Introductory Certificate in Turfgrass Science or GKU Diploma.
The Introductory Certificate course in GKU contains 30+ hours of video content, and covers the principles of turfgrass science with a golf-turf focus, ranging from turf selection to soil fertility and pest management. This program is recommended for those new to the industry or those with experience wanting to update their practices. Students earn a certificate immediately upon completion of the program.
The advanced courses build on the fundamentals of turf science and management. These courses are a deep dive into their topic areas, taught by experts in their respective fields. While the Introductory GKU course is not a prerequisite to enroll in the Advanced courses, past turf management experience or education is recommended to excel in the Advance courses.
Enrollment is always open. You can login with your GreenKeeper App credentials, but you don’t need a GreenKeeper App subscription to enroll in GKU courses.
Click here to view the courses and enroll today
Need more info? Here are answers to Frequently Asked Questions.
What’s the difference between the Introductory and Advanced Courses?
The Introduction to Turf Science and Management Certificate course is comprised of 22 lectures and eight short quizzes. The content covers all aspects of turfgrass science at an entry level. The lectures are created by a dozen turfgrass professors, researchers and respected turf managers from around the USA. Both warm- and cool-season grass species are covered in addition to descriptions of lawn, golf, and sports turf management industries. After the quizzes are completed, students will immediately receive an Introduction to Turf Science and Management certificate. Students will also have unlimited access to the content after completing the coursework for future reference during their careers.
There are nearly 20 different Advanced courses in GreenKeeper University. They cover specific topic areas or fields of turfgrass management, and they are taught by experts in their respective fields. These courses are one- to three-credits each where each credit represents 4 to 8 hours of coursework. After students complete 18 credits of Advanced coursework, they will receive a GreenKeeper University Diploma in Turfgrass Science. There is no time requirement to complete these courses. Take one a year or work through several at one time during the office season.
What topics are covered in the Introductory Course?
- Cool-Season Turfgrasses – Dr. Bill Kreuser
- Warm-Season Turfgrasses & Ornamentals – Dr. Aaron Patton
- Turf Establishment – Dr. Zac Reicher
- Turf Growth & PGRs – Dr. Bill Kreuser
- Abiotic Stress Management – Dr. Bill Kreuser
- Soil Properties & Problems – Dr. Doug Soldat
- Soil Nutrients & Fertility – Dr. Doug Soldat
- Irrigation & Drainage – Dr. Alec Kowalewski
- Turf Cultivation & Rolling – Dr. Thom Nikolai
- Integrated Pest Mangement & Pesticides – Drs. Paul Koch and Jim Kerns
- Cool-season Diseases – Dr. Paul Koch
- Warm-Season Diseases – Dr. Jim Kerns
- Turf Insects – Dr. Glen Obear
- Turf Weeds – Dr. Aaron Patton
- Turf Benefits & Sustainability – Dr. Frank Rossi
- Golf Course Management – Chris Tritabaugh
- Sport Turf Management – Dr. Evan Mascitti
- Lawn Care & Sod Production – Dr. Zac Reicher
- Precision Turf Management – Dr. Bill Kreuser
- Calibration, Turf Math & GreenKeeper App – Dr. Bill Kreuser
What are the Advanced Course Offerings?
Complete 18 credit hours of content to earn your GKU diploma in Turfgrass Science and Management
- Causes & Management of Turf Stress (2 cr.) – Dr. Kreuser
- Diseass of Cool-Season Turfgrasses (2cr.) – Dr. Koch
- Diseass of Warm-Season Turfgrasses (2cr.) – Dr. Kerns
- Precision Turf Management (2 cr.) – Dr. Kreuser
- Programming PGR Applications (1 cr.) – Dr. Kreuser
- Responsible Pesticide Use (2 cr.) – Dr. Koch
- Turf Soil Management (1 cr.) – Dr. Soldat
- Turf Drainage (1 cr.) – Dr. Kowaleski
- Turf Fertilization (1 cr.) – Dr. Soldat
- Turf Irrigation (1 cr.) – Dr. Soldat
- Understanding and Using Soil Testing (1 cr.) – Dr. Soldat
- Weed Indentification and Control (3 cr.) – Dr Patton
How long can I access the course content?
Students have unlimited access to the course content until the course is substaintially modified or removed by and instructor for upgrades. Students can also download the videos for future reference.
What's the Cost?
The Introductory Course is $600 for 30+ hours of content. That is less than $20 per hour for top notch instruction. The Advanced courses range from $200-$600, depending on the amount of connect. Generally, every 3-5 hours of content consistutes 1 credit hour ($200). Longer coures like Weed Identification and Control is $600 for 20+ hours of video contemt.
How do I access GKU Content?
The new GreenKeeper University learning management system is located at GKU.GreenKeeperApp.com. Students can also access GKU from within GreenKeeper App. There is an graduation cap/mortarboard icon on the main sidebar menu that will redirect to the progam. Your GreenKeeper App login credentials (email and password) are now used to log into GKU.
Don’t have a GreenKeeper App account or active App subscription? Don’t worry, you don’t need one. Just create an account and log into GKU. If you have an old or expired GreenKeeper App account, but you forgot your password, then click the password reset button to generate a new password. Check your email SPAM folder, if you don’t immediately see an email in your inbox. Please reach out to us at Help@GreenKeeperApp.com for additional assistance.
Is it hard to interact with the course content? How difficult are the quizzes?
After purchasing a course, students click the “Start Course” button to launch their course. The content is usually divided into different lessons of one or two videos. The first video is a tutorial that shows students how to interact with the learning management system. Use the controls at the bottom of each page or the left side slider to open the Table of Contents control to skip to a specific lesson. Once the lesson is completed, click ‘Mark Complete’ to move to the next video, optional content, or quiz.
The quizzes are designed to reinforce key concepts and topics within a section or course. They are multiple choice or true/false questions, and students need to achieve a 70% or higher score to pass each quiz. The quizzes offer unlimited re-takes with the highest score logged in the student’s record.
What happens when all the content and quizzes are marked as complete?
After all the coursework has been completed, students will receive an option to immediately download a PDF Certificate for the Intro program or a Proof of Completion for the Advanced courses. These certificates can also be found in the “Account” page within the learning management system. Students will receive an email from the GKU administrators congratulating them of their achieve within a week and a paper copy of their diploma will be sent out.
Can Employers Purchase GKU Courses for Staff?
Yes, we can invoice your courses and provide a custom coupon code once payment is recieve for your employee to use when enrolling in a course. Email us at Help@GreenKeeperApp.com to request an invoice.