Program Overview

Program Overview

The University of NebraskaLincoln offers a Master of Science degree in Plant Pathology. This program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of plant pathology, including the principles of plant disease management, epidemiology, and research methods.

Program Options

The Master of Science degree in Plant Pathology is offered under two options:

• Option A: This option requires a thesis and is most suitable for students who are preparing for careers in research and scholarly work or additional academic pursuits beyond the master's degree.
• Option B: This option does not require a thesis and is most suitable for students pursuing practice-based or professional careers in which the master's degree provides suitable training.

Program Requirements

Option A

• A minimum of 30 credit hours is required, consisting of 20 to 24 credit hours of regular coursework and a thesis equivalent to 6 to 10 credit hours.
• At least one-half of the credit hours required for the degree, including the thesis, must be in the major.
• The remaining work may be in supporting courses and may comprise a minor consisting of at least 9 credit hours selected from and approved by the minor department.
• At least 8 credit hours, excluding the thesis, must be earned in courses open exclusively to graduate students.

Option B

• A minimum of 30 credit hours is required.
• At least one-half of the credit hours required for the degree must be in the major.
• The remaining work may be in supporting courses and may comprise a minor consisting of at least 9 credit hours selected from and approved by the minor department.
• At least 15 credit hours must be earned in courses open exclusively to graduate students.

Admission Requirements

• Application for Admission with a $50 non-refundable application fee.
• Transcripts (unofficial): Uploaded as part of the application form.
• If the applicant's native language is not English, verification of English proficiency is required.
• If the applicant is not a US citizen and expects an F or J visa, financial information is required.
• Applicants must also fulfill any additional requirements specified by the department at the time of application.

Additional Requirements for Plant Pathology

• Resume/CV
• Personal Statement: A letter of intent that describes professional goals and reasons for applying to Plant Pathology, including a description of research interests and/or areas of focus.
• Three letters of recommendation
• Faculty (optional): If interested in research, indicate up to three faculty members with whom you would be interested in working.

Admission Deadlines

• April 15 for Fall admission. For financial consideration, apply for Fall by December 15; applications submitted after that date may be considered if funding and space are available.
• Applications for Spring admission are considered only at the request of a faculty member on behalf of an applicant.

Program Faculty

The program faculty includes:

• Sydney Everhart
• Deanna Funnell-Harris
• Hernan Garcia-Ruiz
• Loren Giesler
• Steven Harris
• Robert Harveson
• Saet-Byul Kim
• Dylan Mangel
• Amit Mitra
• Brandi Sigmon
• Satyanarayana Tatineni
• Stephen Wegulo

Research Areas

The program covers various research areas, including:

• Cultivar Resistance
• Epidemiology
• Integrated Management of Plant Diseases
• Plant Disease Management
• Soilborne Root Diseases of Sugar Beets
• Bacterial Diseases of Dry Beans
• Diseases of Sunflowers

Accelerated Master's Programs

The University of NebraskaLincoln offers Accelerated Master's Programs, which allow undergraduate students to pursue this degree in an abbreviated timeline.

Dual Degree Programs

The university also offers Dual Degree programs, which allow students to be admitted to two degree programs simultaneously with the approval of each Graduate Program Committee and the Dean(s) for Graduate Studies.