Plant Science (PLSC)
Graduate Degree Program
College: Agriculture and Natural Resources
Abstract
The Plant Science (PLSC) graduate program is a diverse and dynamic program that prepares graduates for careers that address issues facing modern-day society. The program offers training in diverse concentrations that include Agronomy, Cell Biology, Functional Genomics, Molecular Physiology, Conservation Biology and Ecology, Pathology, Food Safety and Quality, and Landscape Ecosystems Management. Students are trained and mentored by graduate faculty that focus on interdisciplinary education, mastery and application to their chosen area of study. All PLSC graduate training is thesis-based, and an emphasis is placed on research, discovery learning and critical thinking, rather than coursework. Students work directly with internationally-recognized graduate faculty who are leaders in their disciplines. Students are guided in their studies by a major professor as well as a graduate advisory committee selected by the student from experts on campus, at nearby research institutions, and at other universities. The program offers Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. The goal of the Plant Science graduate program is to (1) provide students with the skills in analyzing and interpreting quantitative and qualitative information; using inductive and deductive reasoning; and communicating in both verbal and written form; (2) train the next generation of plant science researchers using cutting edge methodologies and approaches to lead public and private efforts to provide a secure, safe and nutritious food and fiber supply, maintain and restore ecosystems, combat the challenges of climate change on our food and fiber supply, and provide high quality plant science education; (3) advance knowledge in plant sciences that is critical to the improvement of the efficiency, profitability and sustainability of global and national agricultural and natural resources. The Plant Science graduate program seeks to maximize the close association of the many national laboratories (USDA, FDA, NASA, NIST, NIH, DOE, etc.) through collaborations and cooperative agreements with the department and the University of Maryland. As a result, graduates of the program are particularly well trained for employment in public and private sector research and leadership positions.
Financial Assistance
A limited number of research assistantships and teaching assistantships are available for qualified applicants. There is strong competition for these awards, and candidates are encouraged to submit their applications as early as possible in the semester preceding anticipated enrollment in the Department.
Contact
Shirley Micallef, PhD
PLSC Graduate Admission and Examination Review Committee Chair
Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture
2126 Plant Sciences Building
4291 Fieldhouse Drive
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Telephone: 301.405.4369
Fax: 301.314.9308
Email: plscgradadmissions@umd.edu
OR
Jianhua Zhu, PhD
PLSC Academic Program Director
Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture
6123 Plant Sciences Building
4291 Fieldhouse Drive
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Telephone: 301.405.0920
Fax: 301.314.9308
Email: jhzhu@umd.edu
OR
D. Diana Cortez
Academic Advisor & Lecturer
Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture
2139 Plant Sciences Building
4291 Fieldhouse Drive
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Telephone: 301.405.4359
Fax: 301.314.9308
Email: dcortez@umd.edu
Website: https://psla.umd.edu/graduate/prospective-students
Courses: PLSC
Relationships: Landscape Architecture (LARC), Extension Education (AEED)
General Requirements
- Statement of Purpose (500 words or fewer)
- Transcript(s)
- TOEFL/IELTS/PTE (international graduate students)
Program-Specific Requirements
- Letters of Recommendation (3)
- CV/Resume
- Description of Research/Work Experience
- Faculty of Interest
- Optional: Writing Samples (up to two)
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE) (optional)
- GRE Subject (optional)
- Portfolio PDF Upload (optional)
Admission to the program requires a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited College or University in the United States or the equivalent in a foreign country. Applicants are expected to have a 3.0 cumulative grade point average (4.0 scale) in all previous academic work, or equivalent. All applicants are encouraged to contact prospective advisors ahead of application
For more admissions information or to apply to the program, please visit our Graduate School website.
Application Deadlines
Type of Applicant | Fall Deadline | Spring Deadline |
---|---|---|
Domestic Applicants | ||
US Citizens and Permanent Residents | January 12, 2023 | September 29, 2022 |
International Applicants | ||
F (student) or J (exchange visitor) visas; A,E,G,H,I and L visas and immigrants | January 12, 2023 | September 29, 2022 |
Other Deadlines: Please visit the program website at https://psla.umd.edu/graduate/prospective-students
Department facilities for conducting research in plant science are located at the College Park campus in the Plant Science Building and Research Greenhouse Complex. Modern laboratories are equipped for genomic, molecular genetic, cell biological, physiological, microbiological and biochemical research in plant science. Equipment and expertise for next generation sequencing, life science imaging, bioinformatics, genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics are available either in the department or on campus. Extensive controlled-environment facilities, including growth chambers and a large and modern greenhouse complex are complemented by a large network of field research facilities located strategically across the state representing various environments with different climates and soil types. Students have access to computer labs and shared processing arrays and a comprehensive computer center located on campus. The University Libraries on campus and both the National Agriculture Library and Library of Congress located nearby make the library resources accessible to students among the best in the nation. Many of the Department’s projects are conducted in cooperation with other departments on campus and with professionals at the Food and Drug Administration facility near the campus and the headquarters of the USDA Agricultural Research Service located three miles from campus in Beltsville. Scientists at the Geologic Survey, the National Academy of Sciences, NASA, National Institutes of Health, Department of Energy, Smithsonian, and National Park Service, as well as other agencies, have cooperated with the Department’s faculty on various projects. Scientists from some of these agencies have adjunct appointments in the Department, have taught special courses at the University, and participate on graduate committees.
Last Name | First/Middle Name | Graduate Faculty Status | Academic Credentials | Positions |
---|---|---|---|---|
Carroll | Mark J. | Full Member | B.S., California Polytechnic State University, 1979; M.S., Michigan State University, 1982; Ph.D., Cornell University, 1989. | Director, Plant Science Associate Professor, Plant Science |
Chang | Caren | Full Member | B.A.,University of California-Berkeley, 1982; Ph.D.,California Institute of Technology, 1988. | Professor, Biological Sciences Affiliate Professor, Plant Science |
Cochran | Diana | Associate | B.S., Auburn University, 2005; M.S., Auburn University, 2007; Ph.D., Missippissi State University, 2012. | Director, Plant Science Assistant Clinical Professor, Plant Science Associate Clinical Professor, Extension Education |
Coleman | Gary D. | Full Member | B.S., Colorado State University, 1978; M.S., 1986; Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1989. | Associate Professor, Plant Science |
Cooke | Todd J. | Full Member | B.S.,Antioch College, 1974; Ph.D., Cornell University, 1979. | Professor, Biological Sciences Affiliate Professor, Plant Science |
Culver | James N. | Full Member | B.S.,Oklahoma State University-Stillwater, 1985; M.S., Oklahoma State University, 1987; Ph.D., University of California-Riverside, 1991. | Professor, Plant Science Affiliate Professor, Biological Sciences |
Ellis | Christopher D | Full Member | B.S., University of Massachusetts, 1988; M.L.A., Cornell University, 1993; Ph.D., University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign, 1998 | Director, Plant Science Professor, Landscape Architecture Professor, Plant Science |
Erwin | John E. | Full Member | B.S., Delaware Valley College of Science & Agriculture, 1983; M.S., Michigan State University, 1986; Ph.D., 1989. | Chair, Plant Science Professor, Plant Science |
Everts | Kathryne L. | Full Member | B.S., Colorado State University, 1981; M.S., 1984; Ph.D., Michigan State University, 1989. | Director, Plant Science Professor, Plant Science |
Farcuh | Macarena | Full Member | B.S., Universidad de Chile, 2005; M.S., 2007; Ph.D, University of California-Davis, 2017. | Assistant Professor, Plant Science |
Fiorellino | Nicole | Full Member | B.S., Rutgers University, 2008; M.S., University of MD College Park, 2010; Ph.D., 2015. | Assistant Professor, Plant Science Assistant Professor, Extension Education |
Hu | Mengjun | Full Member | B.S., China Agricultural University, 2008; Ph.D., Huazhong Agricultural University, 2013. | Assistant Professor, Plant Science Assistant Professor, Extension Education |
Kweon | Byoung-Suk | Full Member | B.S., University of Seoul, Korea, 1985; B.L.A., The City University of New York, 1989; M.L.A., Cornell University, 1992; Ph.D., University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign, 1999 | Associate Professor, Landscape Architecture Associate Professor, Plant Science |
Lea-Cox | John D. | Full Member | B.S., University of Natal-Pietermaritzburg South Africa 1983; M.S., 1989; Ph.D., University of Florida, 1993. | Professor, Plant Science |
Liu | Zhongchi | Full Member | B.S.,Wuhan University, 1982; M.A., Harvard University, 1985; Ph.D., 1990. | Associate Professor, Biological Sciences Affiliate Professor, Plant Science |
Micallef | Shirley | Full Member | B.S., University of Malta, 1991; M.S., University of Malta, 1996; Ph.D., University of Massachusetts Boston, 2008 | Associate Professor, Plant Science Affiliate Associate Professor, Plant Science Affiliate Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences |
Murphy | Angus S. | Full Member | B.A., University of California, Santa Cruz, 1993; Ph.D., 1996. | Professor, Plant Science Affiliate Professor, Biological Sciences |
Myers | David | Full Member | B.S., Clemson University, 1978; M.L.A., University of Georgia, 1984; Ph.D., 1994. | Director, Plant Science Associate Professor, Plant Science |
Neel | Maile | Full Member | B.A., Humboldt State University, 1985; M.S., University of California, Santa Barbara, 1994; Ph.D. University of California, Riverside, 2000 | Professor, Entomology Professor, Plant Science Associate Professor, Biological Sciences |
Peer | Wendy A. | Full Member | B.S., California State University, Bakersfield, 1989; Ph.D. University of California, Santa Cruz, 1996. | Associate Professor, Environmental Science and Technology Affiliate Associate Professor, Plant Science |
Phillips | William Henry | Associate | B.S., University of Maryland, 1992; M.S., University of Maryland, 1996; Ph.D., University of Maryland, 2005 | Assistant Clinical Professor, Plant Science Assistant Clinical Professor, Extension Education |
Qi | Yiping | Full Member | B.S., Nankai University-Tienstsin, 2000; M.S., Shanghai Jiaotong University, 2003; Ph.D., University of Minnesota 2009. | Associate Professor, Plant Science |
Rane | Karen | Associate | B.S., Delaware Valley College of Science & Agriculture, 1978; M.S., Cornell University, 1983; Ph.D., University of Massachusetts-Amherst, 1985. | Director, Plant Science |
Rawat | Nidhi | Full Member | B.S., Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University 2002; M.S., 2004; Ph.D., Indian Institute of Technology, 2009. | Associate Professor, Plant Science |
Ristvey | Andrew | Full Member | Ph.D. University of Maryland, 2004 | Agent, Plant Science |
Ruggeri | Deni | Full Member | M.L.A., Cornell University, 2001; Ph.D., University of California-Berkeley, 2009 | Associate Professor, Plant Science Assistant Professor, Landscape Architecture |
Sachs | Naomi | Full Member | B.A. Women Studies, Brown University, 1992; M.L.A., University of California, Berkeley, 1999; Ph.D., Texas A&M University, 2017 | Assistant Professor, Landscape Architecture Assistant Professor, Plant Science |
Shahoveisi | Fereshteh | Full Member | Assistant Professor, Plant Science | |
Sullivan | Joseph H. | Full Member | B.A., Erskine College, 1978; M.S., Western Carolina University, 1980; Ph.D., Clemson University, 1985. | Associate Dean, Plant Science Professor, Plant Science |
Sze | Heven | Full Member | B.S.,National Taiwan University, 1968; M.S., University of California-Davis, 1970;Ph.D., Purdue University, 1975. | Professor Emerita, Biological Sciences Affiliate Professor, Plant Science |
Tiwari | Vijay | Full Member | B.S., Purvanchal University, 1998; M.S., 2003; Ph.D., Indian Institute of Technology, 2009. | Assistant Professor, Plant Science |
Tully | Katherine | Full Member | B.A. Kenyon College, 2004; M.S. Ecology, University of Virginia, 2007; Ph.D. Ecology, University of Virginia, 2001 | Associate Professor, Plant Science |
Walsh | Christopher S. | Full Member | B.A., Middlebury College, 1969; M.S., Cornell University, 1977; Ph.D., 1980. | Professor Emeritus, Plant Science |
Welsh | Melissa | Full Member | B.S., Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 1999; M.Ed., Pennsylvania State University, 2009; Ph.D., Purdue University-West Lafeyette, 2014. | Director, Plant Science Director, Extension Education Assistant Clinical Professor, Plant Science Assistant Clinical Professor, Extension Education |
Xiao | Shunyuan | Full Member | B.Sc., Huazhong Agricultural University, China, 1984; M.Sc., 1987; Ph.D., 1992. | Professor, Plant Science Affiliate Professor, Biological Sciences |
Zhu | Jianhua | Full Member | B.S., Anhui Institute of Education, China, 1998; Ph.D., Purdue Univeristy, 2004. | Associate Professor, Plant Science |