In addition to meeting the requirements of the university and of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, students must meet the requirements specified below.
Admission
Students must have completed a Bachelor of Science degree or its equivalent in a plant related field, a basic course in horticulture, 15 credits in plant or soil sciences including plant physiology, and one course each in trigonometry, physics, and organic chemistry. Exceptions must be approved by the departmental Graduate Affairs Committee. Applicants lacking the necessary undergraduate background will be required to complete either collateral courses in addition to the requirements for the master's degree or a second Bachelor of Science degree with a major acceptable to the department.
Requirements for the Master of Science Degree in Horticulture
The student may elect either Plan A (with thesis) or Plan B (without thesis). A total of 30 credits is required for the degree under Plan A or Plan B.
The program of study for the Master of Science degree will include courses from departments other than the Department of Horticulture, but it should include at least 3 credits in the 800 series in horticulture in addition to research. For Plan A, at least 6 but not more than 10 credits of master's thesis research (Horticulture 899) is required. For Plan B, at least 2 but not more than 5 credits of research (Horticulture 898) is required. All programs of study are subject to departmental review.
A final oral examination on courses and research pursued during the program will be scheduled at the end of the student's final semester of enrollment.