Applied Plant Sciences

Kevin Smith looking at barley growing in a field
A student potting plants in a horticultural sciences greenhouse.
A student driving a red tractor in a university test field while a man in a gray shirt and hat walks beside the tractor

The Applied Plant Sciences (APS) graduate program is primarily housed between the Department of Horticultural Science and the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics. A few faculty members from the Department of Soil, Water, and Climate and the Department of Plant Pathology also participate in the program. M.S. and Ph.D. students obtain degrees with specialization in agronomy, agroecology, horticulture, plant breeding, and molecular genetics. The APS program allows graduate students to create an integrated, individualized program that combines a breadth of courses from several disciplines, to help them perform research that addresses current agricultural concerns.