Graduate Degrees and Certificates

Dr. Todd C. Wehner

Plant Breeding Education and Training Opportunities

• In-house Degrees
  • In-house PhD (standard graduate education)
  • In-house MS (standard graduate education)
  • In-house MHS (professional masters, no thesis)
  • In-house graduate certificate (between BS and MHS)
• Graduate certificate in Horticultural Science via Distance Ed (cert. is between BS and MHS)
  • Courses for graduate certificate program (Horticulture with plant breeding focus)
• MHS in Horticultural Science via Distance Ed (professional masters, no thesis)
  • Courses for MHS degree program (Horticulture with plant breeding focus)

Graduate Student Admission

• Those interested in graduate school in Horticultural Science at North Carolina State University should follow the procedures listed below:
• Determine whether there are graduate faculty working in your area of interest
• Check your qualifications for graduate school:
  • Background courses (calculus, organic chemistry)
  • Biology courses (botany, plant pathology, entomology, soils, genetics, plant physiology)
  • GPA of 3.0 or better
  • GRE scores of 500 or better on verbal and quantitative tests, and a 2 or better on the writing test
  • TOEFL scores of 80 or better (internet exam), or 213 or better (computer exam), or 550 or better (paper exam) for those with non-native English
  • Three letters of recommendation from instructors or supervisors
• Check Graduate School requirements and deadlines
  • Apply to the Graduate School for admission
  • Or, use the online application web page for Graduate School admission
• Contact the graduate program director for assistantships information and other questions
• Applicants interested in financial aid (the department has a number of graduate teaching and research assistantships available) should apply by January 31 for fall enrollment or September 30 for spring enrollment.
• Make use of orientation information
  • Become familiar with graduate student procedures (see Graduate Student Handbook)

Graduate Student Registration Online

• Find the courses you would like to take by distance education
• Enroll as a non-degree studies student by the semester deadline. There is a $25 application fee; it takes 3 to 5 business days for an application to process.  Once your application is completed you will receive an email with information for enrolling
• The university can bill your sponsor