Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics & Genomics:

Academic Programs

Masters of Science (MS) Degree

M.S. students must have 30 credit hours to graduate, which must include 21 hours of course work and 12 hours of course work from graduate level courses only (not from split undergraduate/graduate courses, e.g., 4100/6100). The following courses are required for graduation: one course of Research Seminar (CRSS/HORT 8861), one course of Plant Breeding (CRSS/HORT 6140), one course of Plant Breeding Practicum (CRSS/HORT 6000), 3 hours of Thesis Writing (CRSS 7300) and no more than 6 hours of Research (CRSS 7000) will be counted as hours on your program of study. M.S. students can only transfer 6 graduate course credits from another institution. A list of our core courses and typical electives our students take are below. Students will work with their major professor and advisory committee to determine the best program of study.

Plant Breeding Courses:

CRSS/HORT 6140 Plant Breeding
CRSS 6000. Plant Breeding Practicum
HORT 8102. Breeding Ornamental Plants

Genetics and Cytogenetics Courses:

CRSS 8890. Plant Cytogenetics: Behavior and Evolution of the Plant Genome
GENE 4200/6200. Advanced Genetics
PBIO 6720-6720L. Plant Variation and Evolution

Plants and Their Environment Courses:

(CRSS)ENTO(PATH) 6250-6250L. Pesticides and Transgenic Crops
PATH 6280-6280L. Diagnosis and Management of Plant Diseases
ENTO (CRSS)(PATH) 6740-6740L. Integrated Pest Management

Biometry and Bioinformatics Courses:

STAT 6210 Statistical Methods I
STAT 6220 Statistical Methods II
STAT 6230 Applied Regression Analysis
PBIO(BIOL) 6550. Bioinformatics Applications
STAT 6630. Statistical Methods in Bioinformatics. I
STAT 6640. Statistical Methods in Bioinformatics. II

Biochemical and Molecular Genetics Courses:

(CRSS)(BIOL)PBIO 6500. Introduction to Gene Technology
(BTEC)BCMB(ENTO) 4200/6200. Biotechnology
BCMB 6000. General Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
BCMB 6010 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I
BCMB 6020 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II

Electives for professional development:

ALDR 7200 Foundations of Agricultural Leadership
ALDR 7350 Group, Team, and Organizational Development in Agricultural Organizations
PBIO 8930. Science Writing for General Audiences
PBIO 8820. Plant Genetics and Molecular Biology Seminar. (critical analysis of literature)
CRSS (HORT) 8860. PBGG Communication Seminar
GENE 8650 Responsible Science
EDHI 9010. Academic Programs in Higher Education
CRSS 7990. Supervised Teaching Practicum in Crop and Soil Sciences

Course Descriptions

Course Schedule Through Fall 2013

Checklist for New Students

Graduate students in the Institute are encouraged to follow these guidelines to ensure timely progress towards their graduate degree.

When first arriving, please contact the Degree Program Assistant (Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, Room 139) to inform the Institute of your arrival.
Work with Degree Program Assistant to complete forms for your assistantship, and to be assigned an office and a mailbox and obtain keys to building, offices, and laboratories.
Make an appointment with your Major Professor to be advised on courses to take during your first semester.
After being advised, contact Degree Program Assistant (Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, Room 139) to be cleared for registration.
During the first semester, work with your Major Professor to prepare a draft of your Program of Study and to identify committee members for your Advisory Committee. Before the end of the first semester, hold a meeting of your Advisory Committee in which your Final Program of Study is approved.
During the first and second semesters, work with your Major Professor and Advisory Committee to prepare a research proposal, which should be approved by the Advisory Committee and submitted to the Degree Program Assistant by the end of the second semester.
Make sure that an annual Graduate Student Evaluation Form is completed by your supervisor and Graduate Committee by May 30 of each year.
The Program of Study form and the Advisory Committee form must be completed the semester before your graduation and submitted to the program degree assistant.
When all requirements for your degree have been met, contact your Advisory Committee to hold a final defense. Notify the Graduate Coordinator or Degree Program Specialist of the date, time and place of the examination so that the Graduate School can be notified.
The Graduate School does not need to be notified of the defense date for master’s students. They will need to receive the forms and final thesis by the deadline on their web site.

Assignment of Major Professor

Graduate students who have not made a commitment as to their major professor will be assigned one before they are accepted by the Institute. These will be tentative assignments subject to change by consent of the major professor, student, and Institute Director. Many assistantships, scholarships, etc. are assigned to research program leaders and may not be transferable to another major professor.

Advisory Committee

An Advisory Committee of three or more faculty members will be appointed by end of the first semester of residence. This committee shall consist of the major professor, who must have Graduate Faculty Status, and two other faculty members, at least one of whom must have Graduate Faculty status. This committee will approve the student's program of study and thesis plan and administer the final oral examination. The major professor and/or student will keep the Advisory Committee informed of progress being made. Forms for appointment are available from the Graduate School and must be submitted to the degree program assistant by the end of the first year.

Program of Study

All Graduate School requirements for a master’s degree must fall within a six-year time limit beginning with the first registration for graduate courses listed on the program of study and ending with the final semester of the sixth year. The student shall submit to the Degree Program Assistant through his/her major professor a Program of Study (list of proposed courses) the semester before graduation. The student will work with their major professor and advisory committee on the initial program of study the first semester. The final program of study form is not due until the end of the first year.

Masters Thesis

A thesis proposal approved by the Advisory Committee must be submitted to the Degree Program Assistant by the end of the second semester. These items become a permanent part of the student's Institute file and record. The thesis proposal is to ensure that a student starts early on a research project suitable for a thesis. The master’s thesis will be formed together with your major professor by the end of your first semester. Your Advisory Committee must approve your research proposal. After passing the final exam you must electronically submit your final thesis to the graduate school along with the Electronic Thesis and Dissertation form. Please ensure that the complete formatted thesis to the Graduate School is submitted by the deadline of your graduation semester. Also, please submit your final thesis to the degree program assistant.

PBGG Exit Seminar

An oral defense of your thesis with your major professor and advisory committee must take place by the graduate school deadline. Please submit an electronic copy of your thesis to your advisory committee three weeks prior to your oral defense. The graduate school’s Approval Form for Master’s Thesis must be completed at the defense and submitted to the degree program assistant.

**The Graduate School deadline can be found on their web site. Look under Current Students, Academics, Important Deadlines and Dates.