Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences [Plant Biology Graduate Program]

Prospective Student's Guide

Admissions to the Plant Biology Graduate Program will be based on the requirements listed below. The Office of Graduate Admissions handles all admission and application procedures for students applying for Graduate Study at Rutgers-New Brunswick.

  1. Degrees Offered
    1. Master's Degrees
      1. Master of Science (M.S.)
        1. M.S. with thesis.
        2. M.S. without thesis (usually terminal in this program)
      2. Master of Philosophy (M. Phil.)
    2. Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

  2. Admission Requirements
    1. Master's Degree
      1. Courses
        1. General Biology with laboratory (2 terms required)
        2. Two plant science courses (e.g. plant physiology, genetics, plant pathology, ecology or taxonomy)
        3. General Chemistry with laboratory (2 terms required)
        4. Organic Chemistry (1 term required, 2 recommended)
        5. One course in Calculus or Statistics
        6. One course in Physics, Geology or Soils
      2. Lack of an admission requirement may be made up without credit early in a graduate student's curriculum. In certain cases, course requirements can be modified or waived. The Graduate Record Examination (Verbal, Quantitative and Analytical/Writing Assessment) is required for admission. A Graduate Record Examination Advanced Test in an appropriate subject such as Biology, Biochemistry or Cell & Molecular Biology is strongly recommended.
      3. GPA of at least 3.0 and a preferred minimum GRE score of 500 Verbal and 600 Quantitative. Please note that the entire application is considered as a whole and a deficiency in a component does not mean an automatic rejection. Decisions are based upon the overall quality and merit of the entire application.
    2. Ph.D. Degree
      1. Courses
        1. General Biology with laboratory (1 term required, 2 recommended)
        2. Genetics
        3. A course in Plant Biology (e.g. Botany, Physiology, or Ecology)
        4. General Chemistry with laboratory (2 terms required)
        5. Organic Chemistry (1 term required, 2 recommended)
        6. Calculus (1 term required, 2 recommended)
        7. Physics (1 term required, 2 recommended)
      2. Lack of an admission requirement may be made up without credit early in a graduate student's curriculum. In certain cases, course requirements can be modified or waived. The Graduate Record Examination (Verbal, Quantitative and Analytical/Writing Assessment) is required for admission. A Graduate Record Examination Advanced Test in an appropriate subject such as Biology, Biochemistry or Cell & Molecular Biology is strongly recommended.

  3. Master's Degree Requirements
    1. Minimum Number of Credits
      1. Courses (400 level or higher)
        1. M.S. with thesis - 26 (including up to 3 credits of lab rotation)
        2. M.S. without thesis - 31
      2. Research
        1. M.S. with thesis - 6
        2. M.S. without thesis - topic research and presentation of one paper -1
      3. The minimum cumulative average for graduation is 3.0 (B) for all courses taken at Rutgers University after admission into the Plant Biology program as a matriculated student. A student may elect to include grades in 400 and 500 level courses taken at Rutgers while a non-matriculated student in his/her official cumulative average.
      4. A student who receives a term average below 3.0 or whose cumulative average falls below 3.0 will be placed on academic probation for the next term. A student who is on academic probation for two consecutive semesters can be expelled from the Plant Biology Graduate Program.
    2. Undergraduate Courses - Only 12 credits maximum of 400 level courses are allowed.
    3. Transfer Credits
      1. 8 course credits maximum for M.S. (Maximum 8 non-matriculated)
      2. Courses taken in fulfillment of undergraduate requirements may not be transferred.
    4. Subject Matter
      1. Required Courses
        1. Introduction to Plant Biology (16:765:501), 3 cr.
        2. Seminar in Plant Biology (16:765:609), 1 cr.
        3. Two required courses from the following list (6 or 7 cr.):
          1. Advanced Plant Physiology (16:765:502)
          2. Advanced Plant Systematics (16:215:507)
          3. Plant Molecular Biology (16:765:513
          4. Principles of Plant Pathology (16:765:531)
        4. One of the Core Seminars in Plant Biology (to coincide with the student’s selected track (16:765:621 or 622) 2 cr.
      2. 13 to 14 additional course credits from the following suggested list:
        1. 11:126:406 Plant Gene Transfer
        2. 11:375:407 Environmental Toxicology*
        3. 11:375:453 Soil Ecology*
        4. 11:375:454 Soil Biological Processes*
        5. 11:704:411 Taxonomy of Vascular Plants*
        6. 11:704:488 Restoration Ecology*
        7. 11:770:402 Mycology: Fungi in the Environment*
        8. 11:776:402 Principles of Weed Science*
        9. 11:776:404 Soil Management for Sports and Landscape Applications*
        10. 11:776:405 Soil Fertility*
        11. 11:776:406 Plant Breeding*
        12. 11:776:408 Turfgrass Pest Science*
        13. 11:776:439 Nursery Crop Production*
        14. 11:776:451 Fine and Sports Turf*
        15. 11:015:492 Tropical Agriculture*
        16. 11:015:494 Tropical Agriculture and Natural Resources Field Study*
        17. 16:215:590 Population Ecology
        18. 16:370:507 Biological control of Insect Pests
        19. 16:370:524 Insect Taxonomy
        20. 16:370:522 Toxicology of Pesticides
        21. 16:765:502 Advanced Plant Physiology
        22. 16:765:503 Methods in Plant Systematics
        23. 16:765:510 Advanced Plant Genetics
        24. 16:765:513 Plant Molecular Biology
        25. 16:765:520 Plant Biochemistry and Metabolism
        26. 16:765:522 Applied Plant Science Statistics
        27. 16:765:528 Advanced Plant Breeding
        28. 16:765:531 Principles of Plant Pathology
        29. 16:765:533 Advanced Mycology
        30. 16:765:535 Plant Virology
        31. 16:765:536 Plant Disease Clinic
        32. 16:765:537 Plant Pathogenic Bacteria
        33. 16:765:538 Plant Pathogenesis
        34. 16:215:507 Advanced Plant Systematics
        35. 16:215:510 Conservation Ecology
        36. 16:215:520 Landscape Ecology
        37. 16:370:506 Integrated Pest Management
        38. 16:375:519 Wetland Ecology
        39. 16:375:523 Environmental Fate and Transport
        40. 16:375:554 Soil and Plant Relationships
        41. 16:375:555 Soil Physics
        42. 16:375:559 Soil Management and Crop Production
        43. 16:375:573 Ecosystem Processes in Soils
        44. 16:395:510 Agribusiness Marketing Research

          45. **No more than 12 credits of 400 level courses

      3. Transfer Credits
        1. 8 course credits maximum for M.S. (Maximum 8 non-matriculated)
        2. Courses taken in fulfillment of undergraduate requirements may not be transferred.
      4. Additional graduate and undergraduate courses are currently under consideration (e.g., Statistical Applications for Plant Science, Pasture Management, etc) either as day or night offerings.
      5. If a student enrolled in the M.S. degree program wished to transfer to the Ph.D. degree program within the Graduate Program in Plant Biology, then he/she would have to reapply and, if accepted into the Ph.D. program, would need to satisfy ALL of the requirements for the Ph.D. track.
    5. Other Requirements
      1. Residence: M.S., none.
      2. Language: None required, at least one recommended.
      3. Other: Graduate committees may add requirements as appropriate.
    6. M.S. and Ph.D.
      1. Continuation to the Ph.D. following completion of the M.S. is not automatic. Admission to the Ph.D. program must be approved by the Admissions Committee of the Plant Biology Program.

  4. Ph.D. Degree Requirements
    1. Minimum Number of Credits
      1. Courses (400 level or higher) - 32 (including up to 6 credits of lab rotation)
      2. Research - 34
      3. The total minimum number of credits for Ph.D. must be 72. The maximum number of credits of C or C + is 6. The rest of the credits must be B or better.
      4. The minimum cumulative average for graduation is 3.0 (B) for all courses taken at Rutgers University after admission into the Plant Biology program as a matriculated student. A student may elect to include grades in 400 and 500 level courses taken at Rutgers while a non-matriculated student in his/her official cumulative average.
      5. A student who receives a term average below 3.0 or whose cumulative average falls below 3.0 will be placed on academic probation for the next term. A student who is on academic probation for two consecutive semesters can be expelled from the Plant Biology Graduate Program.
    2. Undergraduate Courses
      1. Only 400 level courses are allowed.
      2. 12 credits maximum for either M.S. or Ph.D.
    3. Transfer Credits
      1. 21 course credits maximum for Ph.D. (Maximum 12 non-matriculated)
      2. Courses taken in fulfillment of undergraduate requirements may not be transferred.
    4. Subject Matter
      1. Four curriculum tracks are offered:
        1. Molecular and Cellular Biology
        2. Organismic and Population Biology
        3. Horticulture and Plant Technology
        4. Plant Pathology
      2. Core curriculum for all students in the program includes a course from each of the four tracks. Currently, required courses are: Introduction to Plant Biology (16:765:501); Plant Physiology (16:765:502); Plant Molecular Biology (16:765:513); Advanced Plant Systematics (16:215:507); Advanced Plant Systematics (16:215:507); and Principles of Plant Pathology (16:765:531).
      3. An additional core course is required for each track.
        1. Horticulture and Plant Technology - Applied Plant Science Statistics (16:765:522)
        2. Molecular and Cellular Biology - Advanced Plant Genetics (16:765:510)
        3. Organismic and Population Biology - Methods in Plant Systematics (16:765:503)
        4. Plant Pathology - Plant Pathogenesis (16:765:538)
      4. Other course requirements
        1. "Seminar in Plant Biology" is required of all students
        2. Core Seminars in Plant Biology I & II are required of all students
      5. Program faculty affiliated with each track will develop an appropriate track curriculum. Other course requirements for a given student will be determined by the student's advisor and advisory committee, in consultation with the coordinator of the student's chosen curricular track.
      6. The track coordinator should serve as a resource for helping students and committees select proper courses. As such, the track coordinator should be aware of courses scheduled to be taught through this program and through related programs.
    5. Other Requirements
      1. Residence: Ph.D., one year minimum.
      2. Teaching: At least one term recommended for the Ph.D.
      3. Language: None required, at least one recommended.
      4. Other: Graduate committees may add requirements as appropriate.
    6. Qualifying Examination
      1. The written qualifying examination is comprehensive and focuses on the basics of Plant Biology with emphasis on the core courses described in section III D2. It will be administered by the Qualifying Exam Committee at the end of the second year of a student’s entry into the Ph.D. program. Students enrolling in the program during a given Fall semester will take the written qualifying exam as a group.
      2. The oral qualifying examination must be taken after the written qualifying examination has been passed in its entirety. The oral exam is comprehensive and focuses on the academic track area and all courses to be transferred for credit towards the course requirement. The oral qualifying exam will include a description of the student’s proposed dissertation research, which normally constitutes the first part of the exam meeting, and critical examination and discussion of the research proposal.
    7. M.S. and Ph.D.
      1. Continuation to the Ph.D. following completion of the M.S. is not automatic. Admission to the Ph.D. program must be approved by the Admissions Committee of the Plant Biology Program.

  5. Seminars
    1. There will be two weekly seminar series at times determined at the start of each semester. One series will be primarily for presentations by invited speakers and faculty, the other will be primarily for student presentations.
    2. At least one credit of "Seminar in Plant Biology" is required for all students. All full-time students and those part-time students who attend are expected to do so regularly for each semester of matriculation. Credit in the seminar course requires presentation of a seminar and of a poster to the program. Thesis or dissertation defense seminars do not constitute seminars for course credit.

  6. Forms and Fees
    1. Tuition and fees are the student's responsibility entirely! Fees include college fees (student health services, recreation fees, etc.), computer fees, and others. Please view the current tuition and fees for more information. In addition, international students will incur additional fees including a SEVIS fee. Please contact the Center for International Faculty and Student Services for more information.
    2. The regulations of the Graduate School must be followed, and in case of question, take precedence over Graduate Program requirements. Since the Graduate School regulations change from time to time, it is important that the student keep informed and up-to-date by consulting the graduate catalogue and the Graduate School Office. All forms referred to are obtained from the graduate program office.  One copy is returned to the graduate program office.  The original is taken to the Graduate School Office, 25 Bishop Place, College Avenue Campus. 

  7. Time Requirements
    1. Normal time to completion of degrees
      1. M.S. - 2 1/2 - 3 years full-time or 5 years part-time
      2. Ph.D. - 5- 6 years
    2. A student requesting an extension of time must petition the Executive Council of the Graduate School on a form available from the Graduate School Office.

  8. Assistantships and Fellowships
      When possible, a combination of fellowship, research assistantship, and teaching assistantship funding should be sought to support a student through graduate school. Ideally, every Ph.D. student will serve for at least one year as a teaching assistant.
    1. Teaching and Graduate assistantship appointments are for one year only (normally the academic or calendar year; rarely one semester).
    2. Renewal of an appointment is possible but not automatic; new applications must be submitted each year. Renewal depends upon:
      1. Availability of assistantship positions.
      2. Satisfactory performance academically.
      3. Satisfactory performance as an assistant.
      4. Number of previous assistantship appointments held; the maximum number of years for which a student will normally be supported is the following:
        1. Entering with B.S.: to M.S. - 3 years
        2. Entering with M.S.: to Ph.D. - 4 years
        3. Entering with B.S.: to Ph.D. - 6 years
    3. Teaching Assistantships serve to train students in this important component of their future professions and to fulfill the needs of the University. They are not intended to serve as the sole source of funding for a student through the Ph.D. Except in unusual circumstances, a student will be limited to two years of funding through teaching assistantships. Applications for new or renewed teaching assistantships should be acquired through the program office.
    4. The time limits are to ensure regular and reasonable turnover in the graduate student body. There is no guarantee that a student will be supported until a degree has been completed.
    5. A small number of fellowships are available and may be awarded to the most outstanding students and applicants.
-----