California State University, Fresno

Plant Science - Degrees

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for California State University, Fresno.

Department of Plant Science

Bachelor of Science Degree Requirements
Plant Science Major

Crop Production Management Option
Recommended curriculum for students interested in a foundation of agronomic, vegetable, tree fruit/nut, or ornamental horticulture crop production combined with a foundation in agricultural business; recommended curriculum for students interested in combining foundations in agricultural equipment, crop production, and agricultural business.

Major requirements (45 units)
PLANT 99, 100; SW 2, 100, 100L

Choose one from MEAG 3 or 20
Choose two from PLTH 103, 105, 106
Choose 2 units from PLANT 180, 190, 194, 196, or VIT 196

After consultation with your adviser, choose courses below that best serve your career objectives. Courses from above cannot be double-counted below. 15 units must be from no more than two prefixes. Select 21 units (minimum 15 upper-division units) from CRSC, HORT, MEAG, OH, PLTH, SW, VIT; PLANT 107, 108, 134, 150.

Additional requirements (22-24 units)*
CHEM 3A, BIOL 11, AGBS 1 (or ECON 40), DS 71 (or MATH 75)

Select one course from CHEM 3B, CHEM 8, PHYS 2A
Select 18 units (15 upper-division) from the following:** AGBS 28, 31, 100, 110, 117, 120, 130, 150, 160, 163, 164

General Education requirements (51 units)
(Includes 12 upper-division units, to be taken no sooner than the term in which 60 units of coursework are completed.)

Note: Consult your departmental adviser for other G.E. courses that are recommended for the plant science major. No General Education Integration or Multicultural/International course offered by the Plant Science Department may be used to satisfy the G.E. requirements for majors in the department.

Electives (0-2 units)

Total units (120 units)*

__________

* This total assumes that CHEM 3A, BIOL 11, AGBS 1 (or ECON 40), and DS 71 (or MATH 75) are being used to satisfy 12 units of the G.E. requirement.

**Additional prerequisites may be required for some upper-division AGBS courses.

Plant Health Option
Recommended curriculum for students interested in obtaining a Pest Control Adviser's license, or who are interested in plant biotechnology or pursuing a post-graduate degree in plant science.

Major requirements (57-58 units)
PLANT 99, 100, 150; PLTH 102, 103, 105, 106, 108; SW 2, 100, 100L; MEAG 20

Choose one from SW 101, PLTH 104
Choose 3 additional units from PLTH courses
Select 15 units (minimum 9 upper division) from CRSC, HORT, OH, SW, VIT; PLANT 107, 108, 134
Choose 2 units from PLANT 180, 190, 194, 196, or VIT 196

Additional requirements (7 units)*
CHEM 3A, BIOL 11, CHEM 8 and 150

General Education requirements (51 units)
(Includes 12 upper-division units, to be taken no sooner than the term in which 60 units of coursework are completed.)

Electives (4-5 units)

Total units (120 units)

__________

* This total assumes that CHEM 3A and BIOL 11 are being used to satisfy 6 units of the G.E. requirement.

Advising Notes

Students will be assisted in selecting an appropriate faculty adviser and be given the curriculum checksheet(s) from which to select a catalog year.
Meet with your academic adviser prior to registration each semester.
General Education courses designated as required by the department are prerequisites to many courses in the program of study. The General Education requirement of 51 units may be exceeded depending upon your selection of courses.
CR/NC grading is not permitted for courses included in the major unless the course has been designated CR/NC grading only (PLANT 194).
Grading policy: all prerequisites for courses listed under the major and additional requirements require a grade of C or better.
Upper-division G. E. courses (i.e., 100-level courses) should not be attempted prior to the semester in which 60 lower-division units toward the degree have been completed.
The upper-division writing skills requirement can be met by passing the university Upper-Division Writing Examination (UDWE) or by passing an approved upper-division writing skills course. One unit of credit (i.e., ENGL 100W) may be earned for passing the exam; 3 units of credit is earned by obtaining a letter grade of C or higher in an approved course, i.e., PLANT 110W. In either case, the requirement will have been met.
One semester prior to graduation, con-tact your academic adviser to prepare and file any necessary course substitutions with the Evaluations Office.
Students interested in becoming Certified Professional Agronomists, Crop Scientists/Specialists or Soil Scientists/Specialists should consult with their department faculty adviser for additional requirements for certification.

Plant Science Minor

The 21 units of courses will constitute a basic background in plant science. The program is similar to the major core and provides students with an introduction to the broad spectrum of plant science. Other majors in the School of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, particularly the Agricultural Business and Education majors, require students to be knowledgeable of plant science in order to pursue their careers or teach the subjects of agricultural production. This minor would be a way in which students could acquire those courses they need and get credit for completing a program of study rather than only a series of courses.

Select from the following (3 units)
PLANT 100: Aspects of Crop Productivity* (BIOL 11)
PLANT 107: Plant Propagation
PLANT 150: Crop Improvement* (BIOL 11)

Select from the following (6 units)
PLTH 103: Economic Entomology* (BIOL 1A or 11)
PLTH 105: Weeds* (BIOL 1A or 11 and CHEM 3A)
PLTH 106: Plant Pathology* (BIOL 1A or 11)

Select from the following (3 units)
SW 2: Agricultural Water
SW 100: Soils* (CHEM 3A)

Select from one of the following three prefix groups in Plant Science in consultation with an academic adviser (9 units)
(at least 6 units must be upper division)
Group 1: CRSC, SW
Group 2: HORT, OH, VIT
Group 3: PLTH

Total (21 units)

__________

*Course requires a prerequisite.

Note: The Plant Sciences Minor also requires a 2.0 GPA and 6 upper-division units in residence.

Master of Science Degree Requirements

The Master of Science (M.S.) in Plant Science is a 30-unit program designed to provide advanced studies and in-depth knowledge in the fundamentals of plant science, as well as experimental design, technical writing, and formal presentation of research. Coursework provides a broad understanding of crop production and physiology, and thesis research allows for specialization. Areas of specialization include agronomy, pomology, horticulture, weed science, entomology, plant pathology, soils and irrigation, and mechanized agriculture. Graduate courses are offered in the late afternoon or evening permitting students to earn a degree within two or three years when working closely with an adviser.

Admission Requirements. The master's degree in Plant Science assumes preparation equivalent to a Bachelor of Science in Plant Science. Students having undergraduate majors in fields other than plant science may enter the program, but may reasonably expect additional requirements to produce equivalent preparation. The following courses or equivalents are expected to be completed prior to admission to the master's program:

3 units - Plant Physiology

3 units - Statistics

3 units - Soils

3 units - Plant Health (entomology, pathology, nematology, integrated pest management, biological control, etc.)

6 units - Life Science (chemistry, physics, etc.) of which a minimum of 3 units must be in chemistry

9 units - Natural Science (biology, ecology, genetics, agricultural sciences, etc.)

__________

Students who do not have all the prerequisite courses may be admitted to the program with conditionally classified standing and would be expected to complete the prerequisites before being granted classified standing.

To apply, students must complete the online application required for university admission at http://www.fresnostate.edu/gradstudies/admission. The following materials are required to complete the application:

one complete set of transcripts of all prior college or university work
statement of research interest (minimum of 500 words)
three letters of recommendation from individuals in a position to make an evaluation in support of graduate study
Institutional Score Report of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
Institutional Score Report of the Teaching of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam -- for applicants whose native language is not English (unless the baccalaureate degree is from an institution using English as their language of instruction)

The packet of application materials must be submitted by the following deadlines:

Spring Semester: September 30 (Aug. 30, International students)*

Fall Semester: March 1 (February 1, International students)*

*or as reported at Graduate Studies.

Admission will be based on all of the following criteria:

Official GRE scores (suggested minimum of 480 verbal, 580 quantitative and 4.0 grade point average for the last 60 units (minimum 2.75 GPA
Grade point average (GPA) for the last 60 units (minimum 2.75)
TOEFL score: for those required to take this exam, scores of 213 (computer-based), 550 (paper-based), or 80 (Internet-based)
Official college transcript verifying completion of prerequisite courses and conferral of the bachelor's degree
Three letters of reference
Statement of research interest

Classified standing may be granted to students who meet all of the admission criteria.

Conditional classified standing may be granted to applicants meeting most, but not all, of the admission requirements. In this case, students must fulfill the criteria for "classified standing" and submit the required paperwork by the semester in which a minimum of 10 units to be used toward the degree are completed. Prerequisite courses are not included in the 30-unit master's program and students must achieve a 3.0 GPA for all coursework (prerequisite and graduate)

Program Requirements

All students must complete a 15-unit common core consisting of four 3-unit courses and three 1-unit topic seminars. Students must also complete 9 additional units of elective courses. Each student is also expected to complete 6 units of thesis research (PLANT 299) in consultation with a thesis committee.

Core (15 units)
AGRI 200, 201, 220; PLANT 257, 270 (3 units required)

Electives (9 units)
Three courses from the list below. With prior approval, one course from the list of approved, non-departmental electives can substitute.
PLANT 251, 261, 252, 255, PLANT 250T (Topics in Plant Science)

Thesis Research (6 units)
PLANT 299 (3 units in each of two semesters)

Total minimum requirements (30 units) *

__________

* Under certain circumstances students may need to take additional units at the discretion of the thesis adviser.

Graduate Advising Notes

Non-departmental elective courses may have prerequisites other than those listed as admission requirements.
Upon acceptance to the M.S. program in Plant Science, students should obtain the Graduate Student Handbook from the department office (559. 278.2861). Students will be assigned an initial faculty adviser by the graduate coordinators. Soon after, students should identify a research interest and find a faculty member willing to serve as their thesis adviser, notifying the graduate coordinators once finalized.
To progress through the graduate program, the student must (a) complete all prerequisite coursework, (b) attain classified standing, (c) maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0, (d) meet the university graduate writing requirement, (e) successfully present and defend the thesis proposal, (f) file for advancement to candidacy, (g) file a thesis committee assignment form, (h) complete all program requirements, and (i) satisfactorily present and defend the thesis research results.
Advancement to candidacy requires the completion of 9 program units in residence with a 3.0 or higher GPA, meeting the university graduate writing requirement, and filing a Petition for Advancement to Candidacy a minimum of one semester prior to enrollment in thesis units (PLANT 299) and within the deadline.
To meet the university graduate writing competency requirement, students must either pass the writing component of AGRI 220, or be approved for writing competency by the graduate coordinators based on their review of the thesis proposal. See the Plant Science Department "Graduate Student Handbook" or the graduate coordinators for details.
All students must successfully present and defend their thesis research proposal. The defense must be completed by the end of their second semester in the M.S. program. Information on writing and defending the thesis can be obtained from the graduate coordinators.
See the Division of Graduate Studies section in this catalog for university requirements or visit www.fresnostate.edu/gradstudies.

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