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PLSPHD - Plant Science

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Plant Sciences, SchGraduate Degree SeekingPHD - Doctor of Philosophy

Overview

Program Requirements

Completion requirement

63

Completion requirement

The following courses are required for the Plant Science PhD (total 38 units):

  • PLS 560,  Advanced Plant Biology, 4 units, minimum grade expected B

  • PLP 550, Principles of Plant Microbiology, 4 units, minimum grade expected B

  • PLS 592, Directed Research, 2 or 3 units (1 unit each for two or three 7.5-week laboratory rotations), minimum grade expected B

  • PLS 596A, School of Plant Sciences Seminar, 5 units (1 unit each for five semesters)

  • PLS 695A, School of Plant Sciences Journal Club, 4 units (1 unit each for four semesters; domain-specific journal clubs may be substituted for two semesters)

  • PLS 920, Dissertation, 18 units.

Completion requirement

Elective credits (minimum 16 units) may be selected from the following courses. Substitutions may be considered at the discretion of the Director of Graduate Studies. The minimum expected grade is B but exceptions may be made as long as the cumulative GPA is maintained at 3.2 (see “Satisfactory Progress” in our handbook). Research units (PLS 900) do not contribute to the GPA.

  • BE 513 Applied Biostatistics (4units)

  • BE 587 Metagenomics (3 units)

  • BIOC 565 Proteins and Enzymes (3 units)

  • BIOC 585 Biological Structure I (4 units)

  • ECOL 553 Functional and Evolutionary Genomics (4 units)

  • ECOL 575 Freshwater and Marine Algae (4 units)

  • EVNS 502 Nutrient Dynamics in Soil (3 units)

  • MCB 546 Genetic and Molecular Networks (4 units)

  • MCB 573 Recombinant DNA Methods and Applications  (4 units)

  • MCB 580 Introduction to Systems Biology (3 units)

  • MCB 572A Cell Systems (4 units)

  • MCB 577 Principles of Cell Biology (3 units)

  • PLS 583 Controlled Environment Systems  (3 units)

  • PLS 572 Plant Systematics (4 units)

  • PLS 524R Plant Biotechnology (3 units)

  • PLS 529 Applied Cyberinfrastructure Concepts (3 units)

  • PLS 539 Methods in Cell Biology and Genomics (3 units)

  • PLS 540 Mechanisms in Plant Development (3 units)

  • PLS 548A Plant Biochemistry and Metabolic Engineering (3 units)

  • PLS 549A Plant Genetics and Genomics (3 units)

  • PLS 575A Physiology of Plant Production under Controlled Environment (3 units)

  • PLS 579 Applied Instrumentation for Controlled Environment Agriculture (3 units)

  • PLS 580 Medicinal Plants (3 units)

  • STAT 571B Design of Experiments (3 units)

  • PLS 900 Research (variable units)

Completion requirement

  • Exams: Written and oral comprehensive exams are required (see our Graduate Handbook for details).

  • Teaching: One semester of service as a Teaching Assistant is required.

  • Research presentations: Two oral presentations of student work are required, in addition to the public presentation associated with the dissertation defense.

  • Dissertation prospectus: In consultation with their Advisor, PhD students are required to write a prospectus in which they describe the series of projects to be included in the dissertation.

  • Dissertation: The Graduate College requires completion of a dissertation which meets required standards of scholarship and demonstrates the candidate's ability to conduct original research. The general expectation for Plant Science dissertations is that they will result in multiple first-authored scientific publications.

Completion requirement

All PhD students must select a minor and complete at least 9 minor units. Our program allows students to select PLS as the minor, or students may select a minor from another, relevant, program. Typical outside minors for our Plant Science students include Molecular and Cellular Biology, Biochemistry, and Plant Pathology. Coursework is selected in consultation with the Major Advisor and the Minor Advisor in accordance with the requirements of the minor program.

Completion requirement