2024-25 Academic Catalog

Plant and Soil Sciences

Department Head: Dr. Darrin Dodds
Graduate Coordinator: Dr. Michael Cox
117 Dorman Hall
Box 9555
Mississippi State, MS 39762
Telephone: 662-325-2311
E-mail: mcox@pss.msstate.edu

Graduate study offered in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences leads to the Master of Science in Plant and Soil Sciences degree with concentrations in Agronomy, Horticulture, or Weed Science and also to the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Plant and Soil Sciences with a concentration in Agronomy, Horticulture, or Weed Science. The Horticulture concentration within the Plant and Soil Sciences degrees also offers a minor in Floral Management. The department has an extensive research program which provides a diversity of problems for thesis and dissertation research under the supervision of experienced and highly trained scientists. The Department of Plant and Soil Sciences offers graduate programs in Plant Breeding and Genetics, Molecular Biology, Crop Modeling, Agronomy, Soil Science, Crop Physiology, Weed Science, Turfgrass Science, Remote Sensing, and Horticulture. A Precision Agriculture Certificate is also offered.

Graduate programs are designed to develop skills in research techniques in reference to the individual needs of each student. This program is developed and administered by a departmental committee within the student’s area of specialization and may include courses in mathematics and statistics, biology, chemistry, biochemistry, remote sensing, etc., as well as agronomic, horticultural, and weed science courses. Graduate assistantships are provided, subject to availability of funds. An undergraduate grade average of B or better is required to be eligible for an assistantship. Requests for additional information should be addressed to:

Department Head
Plant and Soil Sciences
Box 9555
Mississippi State, MS 39762

Accelerated Program

Highly qualified undergraduates are encouraged to apply to an Accelerated Program which permits enrollment in graduate courses in Agronomy, Horticulture, or Weed Science during the student's final year of undergraduate studies. For complete information, see Accelerated Programs. This option is only available for students who plan to pursue a thesis-based Master of Science degree in Plant and Soil Sciences with a concentration in Agronomy, Horticulture, or Weed Science.

In addition to the University requirements, the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences also requires the following information from applicants:

  1. Submission of a standard application for graduate studies in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences
  2. Three letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with the applicant’s academic performance
  3. Submission of scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test prior to enrolling in graduate courses
  4. A statement of professional interests and goals from the applicant, including specification of one or more potential major professors

Precision Agriculture Certificate

There is a need to train students in the broad array of precision agriculture technologies. This certificate program complements majors taught across College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) departments. This certificate features emerging technologies in decision-based agricultural planning and implementation. The certificate requires a minimum of 16 hours with at least 10 credit hours specific to Precision Agriculture coursework and 6 additional hours of electives or optional courses. Graduate requirements: PSS/ABE 2543 may be required as a leveling course and graduates may need a combination of Option 1 and Option 3 (below) to meet graduate credit requirements.

To obtain a Precision Agriculture Certificate, students are required to complete the following 16 hours:
PSS 2543Precision Agriculture I3
or ABE 2543 Precision Agriculture I
PSS 4543Precision Agriculture II (or PSS 6543 or ABE 4543/6543)3
ECE 4411Remote Sensing Seminar (or ECE 6411 or FO 4411/6411 or GR 4411/6411 or PSS 4411/6411)1
ABE 4000Directed Individual Study in Agricultural and Biological Engineering (or ABE 7000 or PSS 4000/7000)3
Option 1: Choose from the following.6-8
Introduction to Remote Sensing Technologies (or ABE 6483 or ECE 4483/6483 or PSS 4483/6483)
The Global Positional System and Geographic Information Systems in Agriculture and Engineering
FO 4471/6471
 (and GIS for Natural Resource Management)
FO 4472/6472
Geospatial Agronomic Management
Principles of GIS
Survey of Geospatial Technologies
Option 2 (Community/Junior College AGT courses) : Any TWO transfer courses from the following in a Precision Agriculture Technology Concentration with the Postsecondary Agriculture Business and Management Technology program6-8
AGT 1163 Introduction to Spatial Information Systems
AGT 2154 Geographic Information Systems I
AGT 1254 GPS Data Collection
AGT 2164 Variable Rate Technology
AGT 1354 Remote Sensing
AGT 2474 Site Specific Pest Management
OR Completion of the UAV Training Program courseork at Hinds Community College
Option 3: Discipline Specific Electives6-8
Bioinstrumentation I
Agricultural and Off-Road Machinery Management
Machinery Management for Agro-Ecosystems
Soil and Water Management
ABE 4844/6844
Measurement and Control in Biological Systems
Introduction to Food Marketing
Economics of Food and Fiber Production
Agribusiness Firm Management
Analysis of Food Markets and Prices
Advanced Farm Management
General Plant Physiology
Forest Pest Management
Plant Disease Management
Diseases of Crops
Field Crop Insects
Principles of Insect Pest Management
Financial Management
Soils Laboratory
Soils
Introduction to Weed Science
Agricultural Crop Physiology
Soil Fertility and Fertilizers
Soil Conservation and Land Use
Controlled Environment Agriculture
Herbicide Technology
Turfgrass Weed Management

Departmental Admission Criteria

M.S. and Ph.D. in Plant and Soil Sciences with concentrations in Agronomy, Horticulture, or Weed Science:

  • GPA—
    For Master of Science: 2.75
    For Doctor of Philosophy: 3.00 on graduate work
  • TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing Systems) score—
    Agronomy:  TOEFL score of 500 PBT (61 iBT) or IELTS score of 5.5
    Horticulture:  TOEFL score of 500 PBT (61 iBT) or IELTS score of 5.5
    Weed Science: TOEFL score of 550 PBT (79 iBT) or IELTS score of 6.5

 

Provisional Admission

An applicant who has not fully met the GPA requirement stipulated by the University may be admitted on a provisional basis. The provisionally-admitted student is eligible for a change to regular status after receiving a 3.00 GPA on the first 9 hours of graduate courses at Mississippi State University (with no grade lower than a C). The first 9 hours of graduate courses must be within the student's program of study. Courses with an S grade, transfer credits, or credits earned while in Unclassified status cannot be used to satisfy this requirement. If a 3.00 is not attained, the provisional student shall be dismissed from the graduate program.  Academic departments may set higher standards for students to fulfill provisional requirements; a student admitted with provisional status should contact the graduate coordinator for the program’s specific requirements. While in the provisional status, a student is not eligible to hold a graduate assistantship.

Leveling Courses

The Department of Plant and Soil sciences recognizes that many students who hold bachelor degrees from other educational areas may wish to study toward an advanced degree within the department. These students may come from areas with different requirements than those normally associated with Agronomy, Horticulture, or Weed Science. To increase the possibility of success in attaining the advanced degree, the department requires all graduate students to have a fundamental understanding of soil and plant science. To this end, all graduate students must have had at least one course in soil science equivalent to Soils (PSS 3303), a plant science course covering basic plant physiology, college mathematics, college chemistry, and college-level biology. Graduate students who do not possess these courses upon acceptance will be required to complete these courses during the first or second semester of their attendance at Mississippi State University.

General Department Completion Requirements

M.S.-- A thesis and an oral thesis defense are required.  The graduate committee must approved the thesis topic, research proposal, program of study, and final thesis.  A thesis defense is required.

M.S. Non-Thesis -- A research paper approved by the student's graduate committee and an oral comprehensive exam are required.

Ph.D. -- The dissertation is required of all candidates for the doctorate degree. Original research, a written examination, an oral preliminary examination, and an oral dissertation defense and examination are required. At least one semester of teaching experience is strongly encouraged.  The graduate committee must approved the dissertation topic, research proposal, program of study, and final dissertation.

Academic Performance

Students in the M.S. and Ph.D. degree programs must maintain a 3.00 GPA after admission to the program. No grade below C will be accepted for graduate credit. More than two grades of C or below not exceeding 8 credit hours constitute grounds for dismissal. Note: A C grade for a course that is retaken and in which the student earns a grade of B or higher will not be included in the 8 total hours. However, the original grade is included as part of the calculation of the GPA. At any time, the student will lose any departmental assistantship should his/her cumulative drop below a 3.00. Students with alternative sources of funding (scholarships, fellowships, etc.) must follow the rules and regulations of the funding source.