Admissions and Degree Requirements |
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Undergraduate
Admission Requirements
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Undergraduate
Degree Requirements
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Graduate Admission Procedure & Requirements Admission Procedure Prior to admission to the PLSC Graduate Program, you will have to be accepted by a major advisor. For this purpose we strongly recommend that you review the Plant Science Faculty Research Interests or the list of Graduate Faculty to find a potential advisor. You should contact individual faculty to inquire more about their research projects and their ability to accommodate and support new students. General inquiries may also be directed to the chairman of the Graduate Admission Committee, Dr. George C. Elliott. ..................... Admission Requirements Admission to the Department is based on the quality and nature of the prior training of the applicant as well as letters of recommendation. Priority is given to applicants who have done undergraduate work in plant science or have strong backgrounds in the biological and agricultural sciences. All candidates must be accepted by a faculty major adviser before action on the application can be taken by the departmental graduate committee. Prospective students are highly encouraged to contact faculty members directly to learn more about the programs available and to determine the liklihood of admission and support. Requirements for admission are set by the Graduate School. In general, the minimum requirement for admission to the Graduate School is a grade point average of 3.0 (B average) or equivalent. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test is required for the Department of Plant Science. No minimum score is required for admission, but scores are considered in awarding financial aid. If the applicant's native language is not English, or if college or secondary school instruction was not in English, the Graduate School requires the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). It is recommended that applicants who take the TOEFL also take the Test of Spoken English (TSE). International students must provide proof of financial support, either from their own funds or from financial aid awarded by the department. For current requirements, see the Graduate School Catalog (LINK). Applications may be submitted at any time, but applicants are urged to contact this department by April 1 for the fall semester and by September 1 for the spring semester. International applicants should apply several months in advance of these deadlines. Financial Aid Financial aid is awarded on a competitive basis depending on the qualifications of the applicant and the needs of the department. No separate application is required. Teaching assistantships are awarded to students who are highly qualified to assist faculty in selected areas of undergraduate instruction. Research assistantships are allocated by faculty to students highly qualified to assist in specific areas of research. Assistantships generally entail 10 to 20 hours of work per week in support of teaching or research activities, in addition to classwork and research for the thesis or dissertation. Partial sssistantship funding may be supplemented by scholarships to provide financial support equivalent to a full assistantship. For current assistantship rates, see the Graduate School Catalog. The Department of Plant Science encourages applicants regardless of sex, age, race, religion, disabilities or national origin. |
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The Department of Plant Science offers Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctoral (Ph.D.) programs in agronomy, horticulture, and soil science, and an M.S. program in landscape architecture. Requirements for advanced degrees are listed in the Graduate School Catalog. The adviser and student select a committee composed of graduate faculty representing the student's major field and related disciplines. Committee members advise the student in selecting a research problem for the thesis and in determining appropriate course work. Most M.S. candidates pursue the degree under Plan A, which requires a thesis and a minimum of 15 credits of approved course work. Some M.S. candidates select Plan B, which requires a minimum of 24 credits of course work and no thesis. Applicants for the doctoral program should have adequate training or experience to enable them to perform independent research in their chosen area. There is no established sequence of required courses for the Ph.D. degree because the program of support work will depend upon the dissertation topic and the candidate's previous experience. Usually, a minimum of three years full-time study beyond the master's degree (or the equivalent) is required for the Ph.D. |
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