Applicants seeking admission to the M.S. program in the Department of Plant Pathology as regular students must have an awarded baccalaureate degree. Each M.S. student’s program is guided by a Major Professor (Dissertation Director) and an Advisory Committee throughout the student’s graduate career. The purpose of the Advisory Committee is to give the student continuity of direction and counsel and provide intellectual stimulation throughout residency to completion of the degree. The DGS, or a designee (usually the Major Professor), serves as advisor to beginning graduate students until the Advisory Committee is appointed. Most students enter the program having already committed to a Major Professor; however, there is an option for an incoming student who is supported on departmental assistantship or fellowship money to do two or three short lab rotations before choosing a Major Professor. This option is not available to students who are supported on individual grant funds. The Advisory Committee should be appointed before the end of the student’s second semester. The Major Professor and Advisory Committee must be recommended to the Graduate School by the DGS. The DGS will approve the committee only if it meets all Graduate School requirements (below), provides a reasonable breadth and balance of expertise in the major and related disciplines, and presents no obvious conflicts of interest. Once the DGS has approved and recommended the committee, it will be officially appointed by the Graduate Dean. The Thesis Director and the Advisory Committee specifically set requirements (within the rules and regulations of the Plant Pathology program, Graduate School, and University), which the student must meet in pursuit of the degree.
The Department of Plant Pathology offers a primarily coursework non-thesis Master of Science degree, also called a “Plan B” Master’s, designed for students seeking additional exposure and training in sub-disciplines within plant pathology without the emphasis placed on original research by the current thesis M.S. degree.
The PPA non-thesis master’s degree option primarily involves academic course work followed by a written examination during the final semester of enrollment. The structured research component of the M.S. degree with thesis is not present in the non-thesis Plan B option. Since this option does not involve laboratory research, this degree track is suitable for working students. Students entering the Plan B Master’s program will develop a curriculum based on their own interests, advice from a faculty advisor, the list of available classes, and the Graduate School guidelines for a non-thesis M.S. degree. Through this degree program, students can develop additional technical skills, expand their understanding in any of the major areas of plant pathology, and prepare themselves for additional educational opportunities or an upgrade in their employment position.
The typical length of time for completion of an M.S. non-thesis degree while enrolled as a part-time student is anticipated to be approximately six to eight semesters. The student will take a four-hour written exam after completing 30 graded graduate credits.
Admission Requirements
The Graduate School’s requirements for admission are likewise the minimum requirements for acceptance into the M.S. program of the Department of Plant Pathology. However, additional materials are required for application to the Plant Pathology M.S. program. Each applicant must arrange for three letters of recommendation to be sent and must also provide a curriculum vitae and a written statement identifying the applicant’s reasons for desiring to undertake studies in this department, to the Plant Pathology DGS. These materials, and those submitted to the Graduate School, are considered on a case-by-case basis by the department’s Academic Program Committee, which then makes a recommendation on admission. Admission to a graduate program in Plant Pathology does not guarantee financial assistance to the student. Applicants who are admitted will also be informed of any financial offer in a contract that they must sign in order to be admitted to the Graduate School.
Degree Requirements
All graduate students pursuing a M.S. degree in the Plant Pathology program ideally should have, or should obtain, a background in the following areas: mathematics through differential and integral calculus; physics; chemistry, including analytical, organic, and biochemistry; and the equivalent of introductory courses in botany, plant physiology, genetics, molecular biology, statistics and microbiology. The Academic Program Committee will inform the Major Professor and the student, in writing, of any relevant course deficiencies at the time of admission to the program. Deficiencies should be corrected early in the graduate program either by formal coursework or, with the approval of the Advisory Committee, by independent study. In some cases, the Advisory Committee may decide to waive certain of these requirements, depending on the student’s background, goals, and interests. Agreements regarding remedial coursework, independent study, or waivers should be recorded in the notes of the meeting in which they were discussed and included in the student’s file.
For enrolled students the limit is 6 years to complete all requirements, with the possibility of extensions approved by the Graduate School for an additional 4 years.
Coursework
For a M.S. degree, the Graduate School has the following minimum course requirements:
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30 total semester hours of graduate course work, with a GPA of at least 3.0. Courses that count toward fulfillment of this requirement are those with numbers from 500 to 799, and all 400-level courses with a G suffix that are outside the student’s major (thus PPA 400G does not count for this requirement).
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16 hours of graduate course work in regular courses. PPA 768 , PPA 784 and PPA 794 do not count for fulfillment of this requirement
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12 hours of graduate course work in the student’s major area (PPA).
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12 hours in 600 or 700 level courses.
Thesis
A Master’s thesis must represent an original scholarly contribution by the student. This should not discourage collaboration by students in larger, multi-authored projects, but collaborative research must be undertaken very carefully to ensure that the student’s contribution represents a complete, self-contained piece of work that can easily be considered an independent accomplishment. It is the responsibility of the student, the Major Professor, and the Advisory Committee to ensure that this is the case. Basic Course Requirements: All students are strongly encouraged to take PPA 400G (Principles of Plant Pathology), even if they have had a similar course previously. This course provides a common basis for subsequent required courses in the department and will allow international students to become conversant with domestic terminology and perspective in the discipline. Required courses for both the M.S. and Ph.D. are PPA 500 PHYSIOLOGY OF PLANT HEALTH AND DISEASE , PPA 600 CRITICAL METHODS IN PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS , PPA 640 IDENTIFICATION OF PLANT DISEASES , PPA 641 PLANT DISEASE, POPULATION BIOLOGY, AND BIOTECHNOLOGY , and PPA 770 PLANT PATHOLOGY SEMINAR . Individual Course Requirements: Elective courses will be determined by the student together with the Major Professor and Advisory Committee, taking into account the student’s background, research topic, and area of specialization.
Plan B
During the first semester, the student will be assigned an advisor selected from the faculty in PPA with interests consistent with those of the student. Working with the faculty advisor, the student will complete a Program of Study having the depth and breadth to satisfy the requirements of the degree: The Program of Study should have, (1) an emphasis in a major area of plant pathology, and (2) a breadth of study in other areas of plant pathology such as biotechnology, molecular and cytological studies. During the student’s first term of enrollment, the Program of Study must be submitted to the major professor for approval. By the beginning of his or her last semester, the student working with the faculty advisor, should submit faculty names to the DGS for final approval to form an advisory committee who will administer the exit exam. The DGS must approval all advisory committee members. This three-person committee is chosen from members of the graduate faculty in PPA who have agreed to serve. This committee will continue to advise the student and will administer the exit exam before the degree is awarded. Non-thesis (Plan B) Master’s students in PPA must fulfill the general requirements as outlined by the Graduate School. Thirty (30) credit hours are required for the degree and students must pass a written exit exam in the last semester. The coursework requirements follow those set out by the Graduate School.
At least 20 credit hours must be graded graduate level courses (courses other than research or residency courses and that have a set meeting time), and at least 15 hours must be at the 600-700 level. Students may take courses numbered as 4xxG and 5xx in other departments with approval of the DGS. For the in-depth requirement of the degree, students are required to take a minimum of 20 credits in 500 or above level courses in PPA or other related programs such as IPSS, ENTO, etc. Of these, one credit hour must be taken as graduate seminar in PPA 770 or a relevant offering in another department with approval of the DGS. The exit exam will be at the end of the coursework, administered by the three-person committee to ensure the student is sufficiently familiar with scholarship in her/his chosen area of specialty,
Typically, the Department of Plant Pathology will not offer non-thesis M.S. students an assistantship. Students are expected to pay their tuition through other means. There are opportunities on a term by term basis for Plan B students to assist teaching PPA lab courses. Other sources of financial aid within UK or externally are also possible and the DGS will help to identify opportunities.
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