1. Graduate Advisory Committee. Each admitted student will initially be advised by the graduate coordinator of the Plant Science program. The student, in conjunction with the graduate coordinator, will select a graduate faculty member from one of the four participating departments to chair a graduate advisory committee. Together with the student, the chairperson of the graduate advisory committee will select a minimum of two additional faculty, having graduate faculty status, from one or more of the participating departments. This committee will supervise the remainder of the candidate's program.

2. Program of Study. If not a part of the student's previous academic experience, courses in plant physiology (BIO 544) and biometry (BIO 550) or applied statistics (MTH 545) must be completed within the first year of the program. The remainder of the candidate's program will be structured by the advisory committee in consultation with the student. Academic background, professional experience, and career objectives will be considered in establishing the individual's program.

3. Course Requirements. The student is required to successfully complete a minimum of 32 semester hours of courses for the Master of Science in Plant Science. Coursework taken from the Departments of Agriculture, Biology, Chemistry, or Fruit Science must total at least 23 hours with a minimum of 16 hours from courses numbered 600 through 699 inclusive.

4. Colloquium. Two hours of credit must be earned in FRS 600, Plant Science Colloquium.

5. Electives. Upon approval of the advisory committee, graduate courses from related fields may be selected to a maximum of 9 hours within the 32-hour degree requirement.

Research Requirement. Maximum credit toward the 32-hour degree requirement is 6 hours of research and 6 hours of thesis. Research and/or Thesis credit may be elected from the Departments of Agriculture, Biology, Chemistry, and/or Fruit Science with the approval of the graduate coordinator as recommended by the graduate advisory committee. Submission of a thesis is a specific requirement for the degree. The purpose of the thesis is to demonstrate competence in scientific research and the ability to: choose a research topic of scientific importance, conduct a comprehensive literature search of the problem, design and implement a plan of research, collect and interpret scientific data, and communicate results and findings to peers. An oral defense of the thesis is required.

Qualifying Examination. A written qualifying examination will be administered after most of the course work has been completed. This examination must be passed by the candidate before a degree will be given.

Retention Requirement. To remain in the program, a student must maintain a grade point average of 3.00 and make satisfactory progress on the thesis research.

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