Campuses:
Twin Cities campus
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Twin Cities Campus
Plant Pathology M.S.Plant Pathology
College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
Link to a list of faculty for this program.
Contact Information
Department of Plant Pathology, 495 Borlaug Hall, 1991 Buford Circle, Saint Paul, MN 55108 (612-625-8200)
Email:
plpath@umn.edu
Website: http://plpa.cfans.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.
Plant pathology focuses on the biology of plant-microbe interactions, and incorporates research involving biochemical, molecular, genetic, physiological, whole organism, population, and community levels of biological organization. Plant pathology interfaces with all plant science disciplines, and with many other fields including food sciences, veterinary medicine, biobased products, and ecology. Areas of concentration include molecular plant pathology (offered as a special emphasis), plant disease management, biological control of plant disease, forest pathology and microbial degradation of wood, microbial ecology, population biology, plant-microbe interactions, disease resistance, host-parasite coevolution, plant microbe mutualisms, and virology. Students have opportunities for laboratory and field research locally, as well as nationally and internationally. The course of study varies with the requirements for the area of concentration and interests of the student. Students who choose the emphasis in molecular plant pathology enhance their ability to design and use molecular approaches to investigate plant disease, increase basic knowledge, and develop new strategies for disease control.
Program Delivery
Prerequisites for Admission
The preferred undergraduate GPA for admittance to the program
is 3.50.
Master's degree applicants must have a sound college background in the basic biological and physical sciences and mathematics.
Other requirements to be completed before admission:
Applicants must have completed 35 semester credits in biology with at least one course in each of the following areas: botany, zoology, genetics, plant physiology, and microbiology. Applicants must also have completed at least one course each in inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, and physics. If deficiencies exist in the prerequisites, students must correct them during the first year of the graduate program. These courses cannot be counted as part of the degree program. All students accepted into the department with a BS degree are admitted into the MS program. After a minimum of two semesters, students who qualify may elect to change their degree status to the PhD program. Criteria for the change include scholastic standing, potential for success in completing a PhD, and writing competency.
Special Application Requirements:
GRE scores are required for all students and TOEFL or IELTS scores are required for international students. A clearly written statement of career interests as well as three letters of recommendation are required of all students. Students may apply at any time; however, submission of all application materials by December 10 will ensure priority consideration for fellowships and research assistantships for the next academic year. Students can be admitted any semester.
Applicants must submit their test score(s) from the following:
International applicants must submit score(s) from one of the following tests:
The preferred English language test is Test of English as Foreign Language.
Key to test
abbreviations
(GRE, TOEFL, IELTS).
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 oral.
A capstone project is required.
Capstone Project:The Plan B option requires one to three projects, determined and approved by the advisor and director of graduate studies, totaling approximately 120 hours of work.
This program may be completed with a minor.
Use of 4xxx courses towards program requirements is not permitted.
A minimum GPA of 2.80
is required for students to remain in good standing.
At least 2 semesters must be completed
before filing a Degree Program Form.
All students:
• Students must enroll in a credit or non-credit teaching methods seminar or workshop, chosen in consultation with the advisor and director of graduate studies.
• Regular attendance at weekly plant pathology seminars is expected.
• Internships are encouraged as part of of the graduate experience. Financial support for international or domestic internships is available on a competitive basis.
• Take PLPA 5480 (3 credits), if an introductory plant pathology course has not previously been taken.
Required Coursework
Take all of the following courses. Take PLPA 8005 (S-N grade basis) for 2 credits for completing a one-semester teaching experience. Consult with the advisor and director of graduate studies regarding the additional teaching methods seminar/workshop requirement. These credits count toward the major credit requirement.
PLPA 5480 - Principles of Plant Pathology
(3.0 cr)
PLPA 8123 - Research Ethics in Plant and Environmental Sciences
(0.5 cr)
PLPA 8200 - Plant Pathology Seminar
(1.0 cr)
PLPA 8005 - Supervised Classroom or Extension Teaching Experience
(1.0-2.0 cr)
PLPA 8104 - Plant Virology
(2.0 cr)
PLPA 8105 - Plant Bacteriology
(3.0 cr)
Plant Pathology Electives
Select at least 5 credits from the following course list in consultation with the director of graduate studies, advisor, and graduate advisory committee.
Take 5 or more credit(s) from the following:
·
PLPA 5003 - Diseases of Forest and Shade Trees
(3.0 cr)
·
PLPA 5202 - Field Plant Pathology
(2.0 cr)
·
PLPA 5203 - Introduction to Fungal Biology
(3.0 cr)
·
PLPA 5300 - Current Topics in Molecular Plant Pathology
(1.0 cr)
·
PLPA 5301 - Large Scale Omic Data in Plant Biology
(3.0 cr)
·
PLPA 5444 - Ecology, Epidemiology, and Evolutionary Biology of Plant-Microbe Interactions
(3.0 cr)
·
PLPA 5660 - Plant Disease Resistance and Applications
(3.0 cr)
·
PLPA 8103 - Plant-Microbe Interactions
(3.0 cr)
Outside Coursework
Take at least 6 credits outside the major. Select courses in consultation with the advisor, director of graduate studies, and advisory committee. Suggested courses include the following:
AGRO 8241 - Chromosomal and Molecular Genetics of Plant Improvement
(3.0 cr)
EEB 5221 {Inactive}
(3.0 cr)
GCD 5036 - Molecular Cell Biology
(3.0 cr)
BIOC 5361 - Microbial Genomics and Bioinformatics
(3.0 cr)
Thesis Credits or Capstone Project Credits
Plan A students must take 10 credits of PLPA 8777. Plan B students must take 10 credits of PLPA 8300.
Thesis Credits
Plan A students take 10 credits of PLPA 8777.
Take 10 or more credit(s) from the following:
·
PLPA 8777 - Thesis Credits: Master's
(1.0-18.0 cr)
or
Plan B students take 10 credits of PLPA 8300.
Take 10 or more credit(s) from the following:
·
PLPA 8300 - Plant Pathology Project
(1.0-6.0 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.
Molecular Plant Pathology
This sub-plan is limited to students completing the program under Plan A.
Students in the molecular plant pathology track complete specialized coursework that emphasizes molecular approaches to investigating plant diseases, increase their knowledge of basic science, and explore emerging strategies for disease control. Students in the molecular plant pathology track will learn about topics such as pathogen effectomics, plant phenomics, molecular plant/microbe interactions, and an ever-evolving array of molecular research techniques, strategies, and analytical approaches. At the same time, students will garner a comprehensive understanding of plant interactions with pathogenic and non-pathogenic microbes from a systems level, building a firm knowledge base of classical and contemporary plant pathology concepts. Students completing the molecular plant pathology track will be well positioned for research careers in molecular plant pathology in academia, industry, and government.
Take all of the following courses. Take PLPA 8005 (S-N grade basis) for 2 credits for completing a one-semester teaching experience. Consult with the advisor and director of graduate studies regarding the additional teaching methods seminar/workshop requirement. These credits count toward the major credit requirement.
Molecular Plant Pathology
Take 14 - 20 credit(s) from the following:
Required Coursework
Minimum of 14 credits in plant pathology required.
·
PLPA 5480 - Principles of Plant Pathology
(3.0 cr)
PLPA 5300 - Current Topics in Molecular Plant Pathology
(1.0 cr)
PLPA 8103 - Plant-Microbe Interactions
(3.0 cr)
PLPA 8200 - Plant Pathology Seminar
(1.0 cr)
PLPA 8123 - Research Ethics in Plant and Environmental Sciences
(0.5 cr)
PLPA 8005 - Supervised Classroom or Extension Teaching Experience
(1.0-2.0 cr)
·
Outside Courswork
Take at least 6 course credits outside the major. Select courses in consultation with advisor, director of graduate studies, and advisory committee. Suggested courses include the following:
·
AGRO 8241 - Chromosomal and Molecular Genetics of Plant Improvement
(3.0 cr)
BIOC 5361 - Microbial Genomics and Bioinformatics
(3.0 cr)
EEB 5221 {Inactive}
(3.0 cr)
GCD 5036 - Molecular Cell Biology
(3.0 cr)
Plant Pathology Electives
Take elective credits from the following list, chosen in consultation with your advisor, director of graduate studies, and advisory committee to meet the 14-credit (Plan A) minimum major requirement.
Take at most 8 credit(s) from the following:
·
PLPA 5003 - Diseases of Forest and Shade Trees
(3.0 cr)
·
PLPA 5444 - Ecology, Epidemiology, and Evolutionary Biology of Plant-Microbe Interactions
(3.0 cr)
·
PLPA 5660 - Plant Disease Resistance and Applications
(3.0 cr)
·
PLPA 5202 - Field Plant Pathology
(2.0 cr)
·
PLPA 5203 - Introduction to Fungal Biology
(3.0 cr)
·
PLPA 5301 - Large Scale Omic Data in Plant Biology
(3.0 cr)
·
PLPA 8104 - Plant Virology
(2.0 cr)
·
PLPA 8105 - Plant Bacteriology
(3.0 cr)
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