Master of Science in Plant, Soil and Environmental Sciences

The MS degree in Plant, Soil, and Environmental Science may be earned for a program of study comprising at least 30 hours of work including credit for graduate thesis work, which constitutes a major portion of the degree program. Areas of emphasis for graduate work include nutrient dynamics in agricultural and forest ecosystems, soil chemistry and plant nutrition, crop physiology and management, diversified cropping systems, weed ecology and management, and plant pathology. Graduate training programs emphasize agricultural sustainability and are built from foundations in soil science, agronomy, plant physiology, ecology, microbiology, plant pathology, and statistics. Prospective graduate students should have completed coursework in chemistry, mathematics, and biology, and in subject matter areas closely related to the interests of the student and her/his advisor.

A bachelor's degree is required for ALL master's, C.A.S., Ed.S., and doctoral programs.
Official transcript of all previous college or university work
Students who have, or shall soon earn, a bachelor's degree are eligible to apply for admission to the M.S. graduate programs in Plant, Soil, and Environmental Sciences and Horticulture. Students who are admitted under Conditional or Provisional status (see section lll B for definitions) must fulfill certain requirements before obtaining Regular admission status. Students under Provisional status must make up course work deficiencies (specific courses required to be determined by their graduate committee members) with a grade of B or better. Graduate credit is only granted for courses at the 400 level or above that have been approved by the Graduate Advisory Committee.
M.S. degrees are offered in Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Horticulture, Plant, Soil and Environmental Sciences, and Resource Utilization. Some faculty also hold cooperating appointments in other programs and departments, and their advisees may be admitted to other programs, such as Forestry or Microbiology. Such students are still considered graduate students in the School of Food and Agriculture in Plant, Soil and Environmental Sciences.
Admission status of students initiating graduate study will fall into the following categories:
1. Regular: Those with at least a 2.75 overall quality point average (on the 4 point system) in undergraduate courses and 3.00 in major field. Foreign students for whom English is a second language should achieve a TOEFL score of 550 or above (or an equivalent score on computer- or internet-based versions of the TOEFL). This is required for all admission categories.
2. Provisional: Those with above the minimum quality point average, but with specific deficiencies or the lack of certain prerequisites for graduate study. Deficiencies must be completed with a grade of B or better in each course.
3. Conditional: Those with at least a 2.50 overall average in undergraduate courses and 2.75 quality point average in major field. Conditional students must complete 12 credit hours with a grade of not less than B in each course during their first semester. For this purpose, grades in courses used to satisfy the conditional admission requirement may not be improved by repeating the course. Students admitted under Conditional status are not eligible to hold a School of Food and Agriculture assistantship until they have obtained Regular status.
IELTS - 6.5
TOEFL IBT - 80
Duolingo English Test - 105