The professional experience of women Landscape Contracting graduates from The Pennsylvania State University

An undergraduate major in Landscape Contracting was established at The Pennsylvania State University in 1989. Since its inception, women have been consistently underrepresented (13%). From department records and a survey instrument, we examined the academic performance, postgraduate job perceptions, and gender related issues of 319 male and female graduates. Our results showed that women students academically outperformed their male peers in courses specific to the Landscape Contracting curriculum. Survey results indicated that female graduates were represented in all job categories and performed similar types of work as their male peers. In addition, women did not differ significantly from their male peers in regard to job performance and satisfaction levels.