Campuses:
Twin Cities campus
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Twin Cities Campus
Applied Plant Sciences M.S.Agronomy & Plant Genetics
Horticultural Science
College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
Link to a list of faculty for this program.
Contact Information
Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, Department of Horticultural Science, 411 Borlaug Hall, 1991 Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, MN 55108-6026 (612-625-4742; fax: 612-625-1268)
Email:
apsc@umn.edu
Along with the program-specific requirements listed below, please read the
General Information section of
this
website for requirements that apply to all major fields.
Applied plant sciences is an interdisciplinary program for educating students to become professional scientists well grounded in the applied disciplines of agronomy/agroecology, horticulture, and plant breeding/molecular genetics. Graduates of the program are able to provide innovative leadership and contribute to problem solving within their disciplines in the public or private sector and within society at large. The program develops the quantitative and qualitative research skills necessary to conduct high quality research and scholarship. Students gain broad familiarity with all of the disciplines within the program and gain in-depth knowledge within their area of expertise. The program's graduate faculty is drawn primarily from the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics and the Department of Horticultural Science; but also from the Departments of Plant Biology; Plant Pathology; Soil, Water, and Climate; Landscape Architecture; and related departments. Students choose from among four specialization tracks: agronomy/agroecology, applied plant sciences, horticulture, or plant breeding/plant molecular genetics.
Program Delivery
Prerequisites for Admission
Other requirements to be completed before admission:
Students entering the program should have a foundation in the physical and biological sciences, preferably with some emphasis in plant science. A minimum of 10 credits of math and physics, 12 credits of chemistry and biochemistry, and 15 credits of biological and/or agricultural sciences are recommended for admission. In addition, students should have completed a B.S. or B.A. degree in agriculture, biology, or other related life science. Students with a B.S. or B.A. degree outside these areas may be admitted with the requirement that they take the prerequisite courses noted above at the undergraduate level in addition to their graduate coursework.
Special Application Requirements:
Applicants must submit scores from the General (Aptitude) Test of the GRE; three letters of recommendation from persons familiar with their scholarship and research potential; a complete set of official transcripts; and a clearly written personal statement of career interests, goals, and objectives as part of the online application. Students should apply by December 1 for admission into fall semester of the following year. Students should apply by October 1 for admission into spring semester of the following year.
International applicants must submit score(s) from one of the following tests:
Key to test
abbreviations
(TOEFL, IELTS, MELAB).
For an online application or for more information about graduate education admissions, see the
General Information section of this
website.
Program Requirements
Plan A: Plan A requires
14
major credits,
6
credits outside the major,
and
10
thesis credits.
The final exam is oral.
Plan B: Plan B requires
24
major credits and
6
credits outside the major.
The final exam is written and oral.
A capstone project is required.
Capstone Project: Determined in consultation with advisor.
This program may be completed with a minor.
Use of 4xxx courses toward program requirements is permitted under certain conditions with adviser approval.
A minimum GPA of 3.00
is required for students to remain in good standing.
At least 1 semesters must be completed
before filing a Degree Program Form.
The M.S. is offered under Plan A (with thesis) and Plan B (with project). Plan A requires a minimum of 20 course credits and 10 thesis credits; Plan B requires a minimum of 30 course credits. Students are required to complete the courses in the common curriculum and the requirements for their specialization, and to present one graduate seminar. Additional course requirements are flexible and are determined in consultation with the student's adviser(s) and advisory committee.
Required core courses counted toward the required 14 major credits:
STAT 5021 - Statistical Analysis (or equivalent) (4 cr)
or AGRO 5121 - Applied Experimental Design (4 cr)
or STAT 5303 - Experimental Design (4 cr)
AGRO 5311 - Research Methods in Crop Improvement and Production (1 cr)
AGRO/HORT 8270 - Seminar (1 cr)
APSC 8123 - Ethics (0.5 cr)
Program Sub-plans
A sub-plan is not required for this program.
Students may not complete the program with more than one sub-plan.
Agronomy and Agroecology
Students conduct research to increase their knowledge of cropping systems and weed science, including alternative approaches and management strategies. Emphasis is on improving production efficiency and profitability in an environmentally sound approach that benefits society. Mechanisms of crop physiology and ecology underlying plant responses to the environment are a particular emphasis of this track.
M.S. Plan A degree: 14 credits in the major that should include the core courses listed below; 6 credits in related fields or a minor; 10 thesis credits are required.
Two agroecology/agronomy courses:
AGRO 4005 - Applied Crop Physiology and Development (4 cr)
AGRO 4505 - Integrated Weed Management (3 cr)
AGRO 4401 - Plant Genetics and Breeding (4 cr)
SAGR 8010 - Sustainable Agriculture Colloquium (2 cr)
AGRO 5321 - Ecology of Agricultural Systems (3 cr)
AGRO 5999 - Special Topics: Agro-ecosystems Analysis Summer Field Course (3 cr)
A course in plant biology such as:
PBIO 5516 - Plant Cell Biology (3 cr)
PBIO 5412 - Plant Physiology (3 cr)
Ecology courses can be counted for the 6 credits in related fields or a minor:
BIOL 5407 - Ecology (3 cr)
EEB 4068 - Plant Physiological Ecology (3 cr)
EEB 4609 - Ecosystem Ecology (3 cr)
EEB 5053 - Ecology: Theory and Concepts (4 cr)
HORT 5071 - Restoration and Reclamation Ecology (3 cr)
ESPM 5108 - Ecology of Managed Systems (4 cr)
ESPM 5345 - Sustainable Land Use Planning and Policy (3 cr)
Courses listed within the agroecology/agronomy, plant biology, and ecology groups are provided as a guide for students and faculty. Other courses can be substituted with agreement of the adviser, advisory committee, and DGS.
Horticulture
Students conduct research related to fruits, vegetables, potatoes, flowers, ornamental trees and shrubs, or turf; on the physiology, production, environmental impact of cropping systems; and use of horticultural crops. Research areas include the effect of horticultural commodities on human health, hormonal, and stress physiology; flower development and flowering physiology; integrated pest management; post harvest physiology; and cropping system strategies. Students get a broad range of experiences in the field, greenhouse, and/or laboratory using genetic, molecular, biochemical, and ecological tools to answer research questions.
Specialization courses:
Area 1 - Cross Commodity Horticulture
HORT 4071W - Applications of Biotechnology to Plant Improvement (4 cr)
AGRO 4505 - Integrated Weed Management (4 cr)
HORT 4461 - Horticultural Marketing
HORT 5007 - Advanced Plant Propagation (3 cr) (Sp even yrs)
HORT 5023 - Public Garden Management (2 cr)
HORT 5131 - Student Organic Farm Planning, Growing, and Marketing (3 cr)
STAT 5302 - Applied Regression Analysis (4 cr)
AGRO 5321 - Ecology of Agricultural Systems (3 cr)
MKTG 6051 - Marketing Research (4 cr)
MKTG 6055 - Buyer Behavior (4 cr)
MBA 6210 - Marketing Management (3 cr)
SAGR 8010 - Colloquium in Sustainable Agriculture (2 cr)
HORT 8044 - Manipulation of Plant Growth and Reproduction (2 cr), Spring (even yrs)
Area 2 - Commodity-based Horticulture
HORT 4061 - Turfgrass Management (4 cr)
HORT 4062 - Turfgrass Weed and Disease Science (3 cr), Fall (odd yrs)
HORT 4063 - Turfgrass Science (3 cr)
HORT 4141W - Plant Production I (4 cr)
HORT 5031 - Organic Viticulture and Fruit Production (3 cr), Fall (odd yrs)
HORT 5032 - Organic Vegetable Production (3 cr), Spring (odd yrs)
HORT 5051 - Plant Production II (4 cr)
HORT 5052 - Specialty Greenhouse Crop Production (3 cr), Fall (even yrs)
HORT 5071 - Restoration and Reclamation Ecology (3 cr)
Plant Breeding and Plant Molecular Genetics
This track allows students to select from genetic research projects ranging from applied plant breeding projects emphasizing breeding procedures and methodologies to molecular genetic projects doing biotechnology, genetic engineering, and genomic research in agronomic and horticultural crops. These research projects give students the opportunity to integrate the latest developments in the laboratory with applied applications in the field to reach the overarching goal of developing new germplasm that will improve the sustainability of our food/feed/fiber/fuel systems.
APSC 8123 - Ethics (0.5 cr)
AGRO 5311 - Orientation to MN Crop Production & Res. Methods (1 cr)
AGRO/HORT 8270 - Seminar in Applied Plant Sciences (1 cr)
STAT 5021 - Statistical Analysis (4 cr)
HORT/PlPA 8005 - Supervised Teaching (2 cr)
or GRAD 8101 - Teaching in Higher Education (3 cr)
AGRO/HORT 8280 - Current Topics in Applied Plant Sciences (1 cr)
or AGRO 8010 - Colloquium in Sustainable Agriculture (2 cr)
Molecular Genetics Area (3 cr)
Genetics Area (3 cr)
Plant Breeding Area (3 cr)
Additional courses in Genetics, Molecular Genetics, Plant Breeding, and Statistics areas (9 cr)
Additional courses in supporting program or minor field (excludes courses in Genetics, Molecular Genetics, Plant Breeding areas) (12 cr)
Thesis credits after written and oral preliminary exams have been passed: APSC 8888 (24 cr)
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