Department of Plant and Soil Sciences

Plant and Soil Sciences (MS, PhD)

Telephone: (302) 831-8153
https://www.udel.edu/academics/colleges/canr/departments/plant-and-soil-sciences/graduate-programs/
Faculty Listing: http://canr.udel.edu/our-faculty/plsc-faculty/

Program Overview

The Department of Plant and Soil Sciences offers three degree options:

Ph.D. dissertation degree
M.S. thesis degree
M.S. non-thesis degree (full- or part-time)

Students choose between a concentration in Plant Science or Soil Science.

The Plant Science concentration involves coursework in plant molecular biology, plant breeding, plant pathology, plant tissue culture, horticulture, crop science, plant ecology, plant anatomy, and/or plant physiology with thesis research in one of those areas.

The Soil Science concentration involves coursework and thesis research in soil chemistry, biogeochemistry, soil fertility and management, soil physics, soil microbiology and biochemistry, environmental microbiology, soil ecology, soil and water quality, and soil formation.

The objectives of the PLSC graduate programs are to: 1) equip students with the theoretical background and analytical techniques necessary for degree completion, 2) provide students with opportunities for advanced study in plant and soil sciences, and 3) prepare students to tackle contemporary and emerging issues.

Research Facilities

The department maintains modern research facilities in Worrilow Hall, the Ammon Pinizzotto Biopharmaceutical Innovation Center, Delaware Biotechnology Institute, and the Harker Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Laboratory. Students have access to a variety of specialized equipment within individual faculty laboratories and university-wide shared core facilities, such as the Advanced Materials Characterization Laboratory, the Delaware Biotechnology Institute’s Bio-imaging Center, Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Sequencing and Genotyping Center, Mass Spectrometry Facility, and the Soil Testing Program. Students also have access to state-of-the-art greenhouse, growth chamber, and controlled environment facilities and the Delaware Agricultural Experiment Station Farm in Newark and Georgetown for research and training.

Requirements For Admission

Students seeking admission must complete the Graduate Admissions Application form and provide a statement of research interests, a resume, transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended, three letters of recommendation, and evidence of English language proficiency (for non-native English speakers only). Requirement for Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is optional. A member of the department also must agree to serve as the faculty advisor or rotation coordinator for the student prior to acceptance.

Financial Aid

Students seeking thesis/dissertation degree are eligible for graduate research and/or teaching assistantships, as well as tuition waivers. Departmental financial support is limited. For non-thesis M.S. degree-seeking students, the programs are tuition based and no financial aid is provided. Additional details are included in the Graduate Fellowships and Assistantships section.

Programs

Master’s

Plant and Soil Sciences (MS)

Doctorate

Plant and Soil Sciences (PhD)