Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Pathology, Physiology, and Weed Science

We are an interdisciplinary program with broad expertise in plant pathology (the study of diseases, plant pathogens, and their management), physiology (the study of plant function, growth, and response to environmental stresses), and weed science (the study of weed biology, ecology, and management). We are committed to optimizing plant productivity and quality by limiting the impact of biotic and abiotic stresses on the profitability of crops. Specific areas of faculty and student research include biotic and abiotic stresses in natural and agricultural ecosystems, genomics of plant domestication, genomics of plant pathogens, molecular biology of plant-pathogen interaction, drones as tools to study airborne microorganisms, the molecular biology of communication between parasitic plants and their hosts, weed management, herbicide evaluation, ecology of invasive species in natural and manage ecosystems.
As a graduate program within the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences (SPES), the core mission of the Plant Pathology, Physiology and Weed Science (PPWS) program is to optimize plant productivity and quality by limiting the impact of biotic and abiotic stresses on the profitability of crops and other plant enterprises, as well as the impact of these stresses on natural and agricultural ecosystems. The program offers a PhD degree in several areas of concentration within SPES: plant pathology, the study of diseases, plant pathogens and their management, plant physiology, the study of plant function, growth and development and response to environmental stresses, weed science, the study of weed biology, ecology and management, and molecular plant sciences, basic biology, biochemistry and genetics of plant and plant pathogen systems. At the master's level, PPWS students participate in the MS program in Life Sciences (MSLFS), which also allows flexibility among the different options. For the MS, students apply to the MSLFS degree type and select PPWS as the program.

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The Graduate School does not require entrance tests, but check to see whether your department requires you to submit GRE, GMAT, or subject test scores with your application.
Minimum GPA: 3.0
Testing Requirements: TOEFL Computer 213.0
iBT 90.0
GRE General Verbal : 150.0 Quantitative : 150.0 Analytical : 4.0
IELTS (TOEFL alternative) Minimum overall score 6.5