PhD in Crop and Soil Sciences - Air Quality, Water Quality, and Buffers in Raleigh United States | North Carolina State University

Over the past 30 years, there has been an increasing understanding of the off-site impacts of agricultural activities on water and air quality. During this time, multiple research and extension programs related to agriculture, water and air quality, and riparian buffers have become an increasingly important component of the core mission of the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences.

Students can study toward M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in the fields of plant breeding and genetics, plant physiology, sustainable agriculture, crop and forage management, crop chemistry and quality, and weed science. Students seeking more general training may enroll in the non-thesis Master of Crop Science degree program. The latter is particularly suitable for working professionals. Strong cooperation with other departments greatly enhances these programs. Most students eligible for graduate work usually receive financial assistance in the form of stipends, assistantships, or fellowships. Student support is competitive with peer institutions across the country. Tuition and health insurance are included in financial assistance packages. The degree symbolizes the ability to undertake original research with minimal supervision and produce a dissertation from which there will be an eventual publication in a scholarly, refereed journal. Students can transfer up to 18 credits of courses in a prior Master of Science program into a Ph.D. program. The preliminary written and oral exams must be completed within six calendar years.