Graduate students in Horticulture and Crop Science have access to some of the highest quality faculty and research experiences in the world. The Graduate program provides training and leadership opportunities for the next generation of scientists who will address critical issues related to the production of food, feed, fuel, fiber, and pharmaceutical crops in ways that are economically viable, socially acceptable, and environmentally responsible.
Graduate students and faculty in the Department of Horticulture & Crop Science study fundamental and applied aspects of the biology, production, and environmental impact of a wide range of crop and ornamental plants grown in Ohio and around the world. Students have the opportunity to work with major grain crops, such as corn, wheat, forages, and soybean, as well as vegetable crops, fruits, berries, turfgrass, flowers, trees, and ornamental landscape plants. Our graduate students and faculty have access to state-of-the-art resources for laboratory and field experimentation in genetics, breeding, horticulture, seed biology, agronomy, viticulture, weed ecology, and turfgrass science.
The Department of Horticulture and Crop Science offers 2 Graduate Degree Programs:
Master of Science in Agriculture
The HCS Master’s degree program gives students the opportunity to gain additional knowledge and necessary skills in a field in order to engage in research and other scholarly activities, to teach, and to become practitioners. The master’s degree program consists of a coherent pattern of courses and other educational experiences, a master’s examination, and a thesis (Thesis, Plan A) or report (Non-Thesis, Plan B). The non-thesis MS degree is permitted only by petition to the Graduate Studies Committee. The student is responsible for knowing all the graduation requirements of both the Graduate School and the Department. All graduate students in HCS are required to complete a curriculum of four courses that encompass crop physiology, ecology, plant breeding and biotechnology, and experimental design.
Thesis vs Non-thesis options
The student must submit a complete, typed, thesis draft to the SAC for approval prior to the Master's exam. Format is important; students must follow the Graduate School Guidelines for Preparing and Submitting Theses. If the thesis is acceptable and the student performs satisfactorily on the Master's exam, the SAC will indicate approval by signing a Thesis Approval form. The approval form and the final thesis must be submitted to the Graduate school no later than one week before commencement. A bound copy of the thesis must be submitted to the Horticulture and Crop Science main office in Columbus.
Students who wish to enroll in a non-thesis MS degree program (Plan B) are required to declare in writing to the GSC with copy to the advisor their intention not later than the first semester of enrollment. Departmental support for assistantships will not be provided for students choosing the non-thesis option. Requests to change to the Plan B option after the first semester must be made by the advisor not later than the semester prior to the intended semester of graduation. The request should be forwarded only after a meeting of the SAC has taken place and it should describe in full the rationale for the request. The request must be signed by all members of the SAC. The request will be reviewed by the GSC and permission of the GSC will be required. The Plan B option is considered to be a terminal degree.
GET A MORE IN-DEPTH LOOK AT OUR Masters PROGRAM
We are one Department located on two campuses: Ohio State's Columbus campus and Ohio State’s Wooster campus. The campuses are separated by about 90 miles (145 km), but are linked with modern video-link classrooms and through many personal and interdisciplinary connections. Excellent field and laboratory facilities are available at both locations.
The HCS Graduate Student Association (HCS GSA) is an organization for graduate students, led by graduate students. The purpose of the HCS GSA is to provide opportunities for interaction of current and incoming graduate students, improve student’s professional development skills through networking and professional events, provide a forum to plan academic and social events within HCS, and to serve as a liaison between graduate students and the departmental administration. All graduate students in HCS are automatically members of the GSA.
The HCS GSA is also responsible for organizing the annual Graduate Research Symposium, where HCS students and faculty from both campuses come together to share their research. The Symposium gives students a chance to highlight their research achievements, and to demonstrate the diversity, depth, and breadth of the science conducted by HCS graduate students. The two-day event is a great opportunity for students to interact with faculty and peers, to be rewarded for research excellence, and to highlight research activities and opportuntities to current and prospective students, faculty, and administrators.
Autumn (AU) & Spring (SP) - Maximum 18 credits
Summer (SU) - Minumum of 4 for Graduate Research Assistants, 6 for Fellows
PhD in Agriculture
All PhD students in HCS complete a curriculum of courses that encompass crop physiology, ecology, plant breeding and biotechnology, and experimental design. The candidacy examination is a single examination consisting of two portions, written and oral, administered under the auspices of the Graduate Studies Committee in conjunction with the student’s SAC and the Graduate School. The candidacy examination is a test of the student’s comprehension of the field, allied areas of study, their capacity to undertake independent research, and their ability to think and express ideas clearly.
- Satisfactory completion of the candidacy examination and submission of the Candidacy Examination Report form to the Graduate School
- Registration for at least three graduate credit hours during the semester or summer session when the candidacy and final oral examinations are taken and during the semester or summer session in which graduation is expected
- Submission of the Application to Graduate form to the Graduate School no later than the third Friday of the semester (or third Friday of May session for summer session commencement) in which graduation is expected
- Completion of a minimum of 80 graduate credit hours, at least 50 of which must be completed beyond the master’s degree
- Completion of the following residency requirements after the master’s degree has been earned or after the first 30 hours of graduate credit have been completed:
- A minimum of 24 graduate credit hours must be completed at this university
- A minimum of two consecutive pre-candidacy semesters or one semester and a summer session with full time enrollment
- A minimum of six graduate credit hours over a period of at least two semesters or on semester and a summer session after admission to candidacy
- Graduate cumulative point-hour ratio of at least 3.0
- Approval of dissertation draft by the dissertation committee members and submission of the Draft Approval form and the dissertation draft to the Graduate School at least two weeks before the date of the final oral examination
- Satisfactory completion of the final oral examination and submission of the Final Oral Examination Report form to the Graduate School by the published deadline for the semester or summer session of graduation
- Electronic submission of the approved dissertation and a separate 500-word or less abstract by the published deadline for the semester or summer session of graduation
- Submission of Final Approval form and Survey of Earned Doctorates after electronic submission and acceptance of dissertation by the published deadline for the semester or summer session of graduation
- Completion of PhD degree requirements within five years after being admitted to candidacy
Get a more in-depth look at our PhD program
We are one Department located on two campuses: Ohio State's Columbus campus and Ohio State’s Wooster campus. The campuses are separated by about 90 miles (145 km), but are linked with modern video-link classrooms and through many personal and interdisciplinary connections. Excellent field and laboratory facilities are available at both locations.
The HCS Graduate Student Association (HCS GSA) is an organization for graduate students, led by graduate students. The purpose of the HCS GSA is to provide opportunities for interaction of current and incoming graduate students, improve student’s professional development skills through networking and professional events, provide a forum to plan academic and social events within HCS, and to serve as a liaison between graduate students and the departmental administration. All graduate students in HCS are automatically members of the GSA.
The HCS GSA is also responsible for organizing the annual Graduate Research Symposium, where HCS students and faculty from both campuses come together to share their research. The Symposium gives students a chance to highlight their research achievements, and to demonstrate the diversity, depth, and breadth of the science conducted by HCS graduate students. The two-day event is a great opportunity for students to interact with faculty and peers, to be rewarded for research excellence, and to highlight research activities and opportuntities to current and prospective students, faculty, and administrators.
Pre-candidacy:
Autumn (AU) & Spring (SP) - Maximum 18 credits
Summer (SU) - Minumum of 4 for Graduate Research Assistants, 6 for Fellows
Post-candidacy:
Autumn (AU), Spring (SP), Summer (SU) - Register for 3 credits