Wheat field trials
The Department of Crop and Soil Science offers 2 Crop Science graduate degrees with 3 areas of specialization, each with multiple disciplines and commodities.

Degrees Offered

Master of Science in Crop Science
Doctor of Philosophy in Crop Science

M.S. Degree Requirements

  • Forty-five credits of graduate courses, including up to 12 credits for the M.S. thesis, or 6 credits for a project for the non-thesis M.S. degree.
  • Completion of an original research project and presentation of a thesis; or for the non-thesis option, completion of a problem-solving project.
  • For the M.S. degree with thesis, participation in teaching is required. Students with no previous teaching experience are required to participate in teaching for a minimum of one term. This requirement may be fulfilled as a course (CROP 509) taken for credit.

Ph.D. Degree Requirements

  • Completion of a graduate course program determined by the candidate's graduate committee and the Ph.D. thesis. Typically this requires about four years of full-time graduate study.
  • Completion of an original research project and thesis presentation.
  • Participation in teaching. Students with no previous teaching experience are required to participate in teaching in the crop science program for a minimum of one term. This requirement may be fulfilled as a course (CROP 509) taken for credit.
Options: 

Areas of Specialization

M.S. and Ph.D. programs are organized around 3 main areas of specialization:  Agronomy, Plant Breeding and Genetics, and Entomology. 

Within each specialization many academic disciplines are represented, including crop breeding and genetics, crop physiology and metabolism, crop production and management, agroecology & sustainability, ecophysiology, plant breeding and genetics, food systems, small farms, weed science, seed science & technology, pedology, water science, restoration ecology, entomology, pest management, biological control, plant nutrition, organic agriculture, and waste management.

Additionally, regionally important commodities include: seed crops (grass, legume and native plants), cereals (wheat and barley), forages, hops, potatoes, onions, sugar beets, corn, beans, and alternative crops (oil seeds, fiber and medicinal crops).

Learn more: 

For more information or to apply, review our instructions on How to Apply or contact Rhonda Thomson

Degree: 
Crop Science
Level: 
Master of Science (M.S.)
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Department: 
Department of Crop and Soil Science
Class Location: 
Corvallis Campus
Contact Us: 

Rhonda Thomson
Oregon State University
107 Crop Science Building
Corvallis, OR 97331-3002
Phone: 541-737-1286
Fax: 541-737-1589