Admission to Program
Prospective students must meet the general requirements for admission to the Graduate College as set forth in the Graduate Catalog.  The departmental Graduate Coordinator and faculty in an applicant's area of interest will review applications and make recommendations to the Department Head relative to the qualifications of individual applicants.  Qualified applicants must be accepted by a departmental advisor prior to official admission.  The Departmental Head recommends acceptance or rejection of individual applicants to the Dean of the Graduate College.

Degree Requirements
The Master of Science degree in Plant and Soil Sciences must be earned by utilizing the thesis option.

The requirements for the degree are a minimum of 30 credit hours of course work, including six (6) credit hours of PLNT, SOIL, or RLEM 5000, Master's Thesis.

Note: Although the Graduate College has three (3) plans for the M.S. degree, the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences utilizes only one plan.  The Graduate College states, "The major department, with the approval of the Dean of the Graduate College, decides which alternatives are open to the candidates."  The minimum requirements which must be met before the granting of the Master of Science degree are set by the Graduate College and are listed in the Graduate Catalog.  Since this degree program accommodates a wide range of interests, the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences has established some additional requirements to ensure that students have well-balanced, high-quality programs.  These departmental requirements are not subject to modification by the student's advisory committee without approval of the Department Head or his/her representative

First, each student will have an advisory committee consisting of at least three (3) members.  The committee must be established in the first semester of the student's program, and all members will have the opportunity to advise and assist in the development of the plan of study and the thesis research.  Prospective members of the advisory committee are selected by the student in consultation with the major advisor.  The student ascertains the willingness of the prospective members to serve on the committee and its formal establishment is effected by a memorandum from the major advisor to the Department Head requesting the action and recommending the names of those to serve.

Second, a plan of study for each student must be approved by the student's advisory committee and Department Head, and filed with the Graduate College prior to enrollment in the 17th credit hour of course work.  The plan must be submitted in duplicate to the Department Head.  Plans of study must contain:
 - a minimum of twenty-one (21) credit hours of course work at the 5000 level or above, including six (6) credit hours of Master's Thesis.
 - a maximum of nine (9) credit hours of 3000 or 4000 level courses approved for graduate credit.
 - in all cases, the student's graduate advisor or committee may recognize specific undergraduate deficiencies and require measures such as additional course work to attain proficiency.  This course work may not count toward the credits required to obtain the degree.
 - a minimum of nine (9) semester credit hours of mathematics including statistics, on the combined Bachelor's and Master's degree programs.
 - one (1) credit hour of graduate seminar, PLNT, SOIL, or RLEM 5020.
 - Six (6) credit hours of either PLNT, SOIL, or RLEM, Master's Thesis, for all degree candidates.
A maximum of nine (9) semester credit hours earned at another institution, or on another M.S. program at OSU, may be counted toward the M.S. degree at OSU with approval of the advisory committee.

Third, M.S. degree candidates must complete at least twenty-one (21) credit hours of course work in residence.  The minimum twenty-one (21) credit hours of 5000 and 6000 level courses must be taken through Oklahoma State University.

Fourth, a thesis research proposal must be developed by each student, approved by his/her committee, and submitted to the Department Head prior to completing the 17th credit hour of course work.  The proposal is to be submitted on forms obtained from the Department Head's office.  Also, each student will be required to present a thesis prepared in accordance with provisions established  by the Graduate College and the Plant and Soil Sciences Department.  Generally, the thesis will be expected to conform to the specifications listed in the "Thesis Writing Manual".  Exceptions may be granted by the Graduate College to use a "journal format" for the thesis publication providing prior approval is obtained by the major advisor.

Final Examination/Thesis Defense
A comprehensive final examination will be administered to each Master's degree candidate.  The examination may be written, oral, or both.

Interested in more information?  Fill our this email info form, and we'll get in touch with you as soon as possible.  Or, read the Plant and Soil Science Graduate Student Handbook.