Program of Study

M.S. Degree
The student shall submit to the Graduate Coordinator through his/her major professor a program of study (list of proposed courses) by the end of the first semester of residence. The program of study must then be submitted to the Graduate School . A thesis proposal approved by the Advisory Committee must be submitted to the Graduate Coordinator by the end of the second semester. These items become a permanent part of the student's departmental file and record. The thesis proposal is to ensure that a student starts early on a research project suitable for a thesis.

The program of study and thesis proposal must be approved by the Advisory Committee. The program of study will include at least 30 hours of courses at the graduate level, including 3 hours of CRSS 7300 (Master's Thesis) and a maximum of 6 hours of CRSS 7000 (Master's Research). At least 12 of the remaining 21 hours (or more) of course work will be made up of courses open only to graduate students (6000-no undergraduates, or 8000 level). The minimum residence requirement is two semesters which do not have to be consecutive. For seminar requirements see Section VII.

Ph.D. Degree
The student shall submit to the Graduate Coordinator through his/her major professor a preliminary program of study by the end of the second semester of residence. This program of study must be approved by the Graduate Coordinator. A dissertation proposal must be presented by the end of the second semester. The program of study and dissertation proposal will be approved by the Advisory Committee. The final plan of study must be approved by the Graduate Coordinator and Graduate Dean, with any changes in courses or committee make-up, prior to admission to candidacy.

The program of study must carry a minimum of 30 hours of course work, including 3 hours of CRSS 9300 (Doctoral Dissertation) and 16 or more hours of 8000- and 9000-level courses. Semester hours of CRSS 9000 (Doctoral Research), CRSS 9300 (Doctoral Dissertation), and independent study courses may not be counted in these 16 hours. The program of study for a student who bypasses the Master's degree must contain 4 hours of University of Georgia courses open only to graduate students in addition to 16 semester hours of 8000 and 9000-level courses. The residence requirement is two consecutive semesters of full-time work (i.e., enrollment for a minimum of 30 hours of consecutive course work included on the program of study) For seminar requirements see Section VII.

M.C.S.S. Degree
The program of study will consist of a minimum of 33 semester hours of course work, including 3 hours of internship or special problem. Students must choose between two areas of concentration: Crop Science or Soil Science (MCSS Program of Study) . All of the courses will be at the 6000 or higher level, and at least two of these courses (exclusive of the special problems, internship, and seminar courses) will be for graduate students only.

In addition to the internship or special problems course, students will be required to take one graduate course in technology, one graduate course in statistics, and a total of three graduate courses from two or more core-knowledge areas in soil or crop sciences. Students will also be required to complete a graduate seminar course for developing communications skills . If a student has completed any of the courses listed (in an undergraduate or graduate program), these can count to satisfy that requirement but the student must take the internship or special problems course and complete a total of 33 hours of graduate course work.