Dwindling enrollment has prompted Community College of Allegheny County to phase out its long-standing horticulture program, a move students like Sarah Burns fear could put a thorn in their budding career plans.

Ms. Burns, 33, just finished her first semester in the program but is worried she won't be able to complete her studies in landscape design and ornamental horticulture, a longtime goal.

"The field is expanding; everyone is headed toward going green," said Ms. Burns, of Duquesne. "So why cut one of the fields that is growing?"

The community college says that, though no new students will be admitted into the program, it will continue classes for about two years to give those who have already declared horticulture as their major a chance to complete their degrees.

Officials said limited job opportunities and declining demand for the program, which blossomed about 30 years ago, prompted their decision.

Just 35 people have earned associate degrees in horticulture from the college in the past five years, spokesman David Hoovler said.

Eighty people have declared it their major this year, though just 21 appear to be "actively pursuing the degree," he said.

Others take horticulture classes out of general interest, which the school said is not enough to sustain the program.

Horticulture also was not among the 120 programs at CCAC deemed high-priority occupational programs by the state, officials said.

"The state has indicated to us that this is not a high priority, it's not a growing field, and there's not jobs," said Brenda Trettel, interim dean of academic affairs at the college's South Campus in West Mifflin. "In the area, there's just no longer a need for an associate degree in horticulture."

Yesterday was the last day of classes for the fall 2008 term, during which the college offered classes that dealt with identifying plants, design applications and landscape graphics, among other topics. Classes were a mix of field trips, outdoor study and book work.

Another student, Ginny Whitaker, said she's been taking classes part-time at CCAC for more than six years so she could pursue a second career in landscape design. Ms. Whitaker, 63, of Castle Shannon, and Ms. Burns said they learned of the college's plans to discontinue the program from a form letter they received about two weeks ago.

They said that even if they are able to earn their degrees, ending the horticulture program would limit opportunities for future students in a field Ms. Burns said is about more than "just home gardening and flowers."

"It really is expansive," she said. "Everybody recognizes the value of the program."