Academic Year:
Plant and Soil Sciences
Telephone: (302) 831-8153
http://ag.udel.edu/
Faculty Listing: http://ag.udel.edu/plsc/faculty/facultyStaff.htm
Program Overview
The Department of Plant and Soil Sciences offers graduate programs that lead to degrees of Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in plant and soil sciences. The objectives of the programs are to equip the student with background and techniques necessary for degree completion, opportunities for advanced study in the plant and soil sciences, and for job placement.
In addition to modern research facilities in Worrilow Hall and at the Delaware Biotechnology Institute (DBI), special items available for student research include field, state-of-the-art greenhouse and growth chamber facilities, radioisotope room, scintillation counters, gas and liquid chromatographs, x-ray diffractometer, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, pressure-jump relaxation apparatus, atomic absorption spectrophotometers, inductively coupled plasma spectrometer, low- and high-speed centrifuges, microtomes, electrophoretic apparatus, cold rooms, atomic force and electron microscopes, carbon-nitrogen-sulfur analyzer, DNA sequencers, and a bioinformatics center.
Requirements For Admission
Students seeking admission must provide Graduate Record Examination scores, grade transcripts, evaluation by three professionals, evidence of English language proficiency for applicants whose native tongue is not English, and a completed Graduate Studies application form. A member of the department also must agree to serve as the faculty advisor or rotation coordinator for the student.
Financial Aid
Please refer to the Graduate Fellowships and Assistantships section for more information.
Requirements For The Degrees
A minimum of 30 semester hours is required for the Master of Science degree, to include 24 semester hours of approved course work and 6 hours of thesis PLSC 869. All MS students must take a minimum of 12 hours in one of two research areas (plant biology or soil science), and they must register in PLSC 802 Professional Development and PLSC 865 Seminar. In addition to the University general requirements for advanced degrees, the awarding of the Master of Science degree is contingent upon an approved research proposal, the successful oral defense of research performed, and an acceptable thesis. A non-thesis Master's degree is also offered. Students must complete 30 credits of coursework, present a seminar (PLSC 865) that is based on a required independent study project (PLSC 666), complete PLSC 802, and pass an oral examination administered by the student's graduate advisory committee at the end of the degree program. Advancement to PhD degree candidacy is contingent upon an approved research proposal and successful completion of written and oral qualifying examinations administered by the student's advisory committee. There is no minimum number of course credits required, but candidates must register for nine credits of Dissertation (PLSC 969), must register for PLSC 802 Professional Development, PLSC 865 Seminar, and must present an acceptable dissertation.
An approved program of study is required for all degrees. The program is developed with close supervision and assistance of a faculty adviser and advisory committee and arranged according to the academic and professional needs of the student. The program is usually developed by the end of the first semester of study. There is no language requirement other than English proficiency for the Master of Science or Doctor of Philosophy degree.
Although every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of the information in the Catalog,
students and others who use the Catalog should note that the policies, rules, regulations,
requirements for graduation, course offerings, and other materials reproduced in the Catalog change
from time-to-time and that these changes may alter the information contained in this Catalog.
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