Agronomy Graduate Studies

Agronomy graduate student in the field

Graduate study offered in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences leads to the Master of Science or the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Plant and Soil Sciences with a concentration in Agronomy. The Agronomy graduate program emphasizes research to increase the production efficiency of agronomic crops and improve the quality of food, feed, and fiber.


Master of Science - Thesis Option

The Master's of Science degree in Plant and Soil Sciences with an agronomy concentration is a research degree program. The 30-hour curriculum includes an exit seminar to describe the thesis research, a graduate-level statistics course, a minimum of 12 hours of 8000-level course credits, and a thesis defense.


Master of Science - Non-Thesis Option

The Master's of Science degree in Plant and Soil Sciences with an agronomy concentration is a research degree program. The 30-hour curriculum includes an exit seminar to describe the thesis research, a graduate-level statistics course, a minimum of 15 hours of 8000-level course credits, and a research paper and comprehensive examination.


Doctor of Philosophy

The Doctor of Philosophy is a 40 hour program that includes original research and a dissertation. Students participate in two seminars: the first seminar includes the research proposal and review of literature, the second seminar is an exit seminar to describe the results of the dissertation research.


Research

Scientists in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences conduct numerous research projects to improve production of food and fiber crops while decreasing inputs and environmental impacts. Graduate research assistantships may be available, dependent on funding. Contact one of our scientists to determine if assistantships are available.