Plant Biology
Master's in Plant Biology
Graduate degrees in the life sciences are primarily research degrees, enabling recipients to conduct independent scientific inquiry as self-motivated professionals. Such individuals contribute greatly to the advancement of society through a generation of new knowledge relevant to economic development and environmental protection. The M.S. program is tailored to meet your individual interests and needs, whether your career goals are teaching, research or outreach in industry, government agencies or non-governmental organizations. Areas of study include plant physiology, cell biology, molecular genetics, molecular systematics, evolutionary ecology, population ecology, physiological ecology, community ecology, evolutionary development and genomics.
Curriculum
- Thesis option: 30 credit hours, including six credit hours for thesis
- Non-thesis option (advisory committee approval required): 32 credit hours
Grads go on to careers and Ph.D. programs
Some of our recent M.S. recipients are employed in high school teaching, non-governmental organizations and government agencies.
Admissions Requirements
- Official transcripts
- Statement of purpose and goals, tailored toward specific faculty member(s) with whom you wish to work
- Resumé/CV
- Three letters of recommendation
- Financial affidavit in accordance to OSU requirements (international students only)
*Note that to ensure full consideration, you should directly correspond with one or two members of our faculty whose research most closely matches your own interests. Initial contact should be made several months prior to admission semester and before submitting application paperwork.
Test Scores:
- TOEFL required for international applicants who aren't native English speakers (iBT score of 79/PBT Score of 550)
- Minimum TOEFL speaking score of 26 for teaching assistantship eligibility
Application Deadlines:
- Jan. 15 (fall admission)
- Sept. 1 (spring semester)
*Meeting early application deadlines is strongly advised for full consideration and support.
Cost & Assistance
Graduate teaching and graduate research assistantship positions are available. Each comes with tuition waivers and monthly stipends.