Program Overview

Master of Science in Plant, Soil, and Agricultural Systems

The Master of Science in Plant, Soil, and Agricultural Systems is a graduate program that offers a variety of options for students interested in pursuing a career in agriculture. The program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the principles and practices of plant, soil, and agricultural systems, as well as the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in a variety of careers.

Program Description

The program offers three concentrations: Crop Science, Soil Science, and Horticultural Science. Each concentration is designed to provide students with a focused area of study, as well as the flexibility to pursue a variety of career paths.

• Crop Science: This area of study is ideal for students interested in researching crop production, management, and precision farming, weeds and pest control, or plant breeding, genetics and biotechnology.
• Soil Science: In the soil science concentration, research areas include soil fertility, soil physics, soil microbiology, soil chemistry, or soil and water conservation.
• Horticultural Science: Landscape design, vegetables, tree fruits, small fruits, floricultural and ornamental plant production, plant tissue culture, viticulture and turf management are all areas of research offered to students in the horticultural concentration.

Degree Requirements

The program can be pursued as a 30-credit hour program with a thesis option or as a 40-credit hour program with a research paper (non-thesis) option.

Thesis Option

For the thesis option, students will need a minimum of 30 hours of coursework, 20 of which must be from structured courses. Thesis option students must take at least half of their course credit hours at the 500 level and no more than 10 credit hours may be from unstructured courses. A graduate seminar is required.

Research Paper (Non-Thesis) Option

If students choose to pursue the non-thesis option and submit a research paper, a minimum of 40 hours of coursework is required. 30 hours of that coursework must be from structured courses. Students will be required to take 18 hours of courses at the 500 level and no more than 10 credit hours may be from unstructured courses. A graduate seminar is also required in the research paper (non-thesis) option.

Student Organizations

The School of Agriculture hosts over 30 Registered Student Organizations (RSOs)including general interest clubs, local Greek chapters, honor societies, and competitive teams. Outside of agricultural topics, the University sponsors 400+ active RSOs.

Career Opportunities

The research-driven master's degree launches exciting careers in academic, private, and governmental sectors. Graduates are qualified for teaching, research, and extension jobsforging new trails at competitive starting salaries. Careers common to the degree concentrations include:

• University professor
• Agricultural scientist
• Agronomist
• Plant and crop physiologist
• Crop scientist
• Entomologist
• Soil scientist
• Soil conservationist
• Horticulturist
• Landscaper
• Plant geneticist
• Plant breeder
• Plant pathologist
• Environmental quality consultant
• Conservation scientist
• Crop production specialist
• Land use specialist
• Weed management specialist
• Herbicide specialist
• Manager of a commercial breeding program
• Plant biotechnologist
• Plant biotechnology lab technician
• Biological engineer
• Vegetable breeder
• Researcher
• Farm owner/manager

Financial Aid

Students of the School of Agricultural Sciences are eligible for a variety of scholarships and award opportunities available through the University and College of Agricultural, Life and Physical Sciences. Additional funding sources specific to graduate students, such as fellowships and assistantships, are also made possible by the SIU Graduate School.