Program Description

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 the background and techniques necessary for degree completion, opportunities for advanced study in the plant and soil sciences, and job placement.

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.

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

Soil Science involves course work and thesis research in soil chemistry, soil fertility and management, soil physics, soil microbiology and biochemistry, environmental microbiology, soil and water quality and soil formation and biogeochemistry.

Admission Requirements

• Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate studies (minimum 2.5/4.0cumulative and 3.0/4.0 within major; recommended minimum 3.0/4.0 cumulative and3.5/4.0 within major)
• Results of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) taken within the previous five years
  • pre-August 1, 2011 GRE: minimum of 1050 combined verbal and quantitative; recommended minimum combined score of 1150
  • post-August 1, 2011 GRE: minimum 300 combined verbal and quantitative; recommended combined score of 305

IELTS Requirements

Listening	Reading	Writing	Speaking	Overall
6	6	6	6	6.5

Remarks:

• Total 30 Credits program per credit $979.
• Yearly tuition fee is given
• I20(Visa Letter) can be obtained only after submitting a bank statement with a balance of USD $28919.