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The Plant Sciences Major is a hands-on biological science program tailored for students pursuing careers in agronomic and horticultural crop production, ecosystem management, plant biotechnology, and related fields. Students will gain:
practical understanding of fundamental plant biology, soil science, and pest management with focus on growth processes within agricultural and ecological systems,
scientific and technical problem-solving skills for ecological and agricultural challenges, working both independently and collaboratively,
capacity to assess ethical considerations in sustainable ecosystems, agricultural business, and plant science while evaluating diverse perspectives for decision-making, and
strong written and verbal communication skills, especially in analyzing and discussing scientific topics.
The majority of Penn State’s applications come from traditional, first-year students. The following types of students are considered first-year applicants (or freshman applicants, as some refer to them): Current high school student in his or her senior year; Student who has earned a high school diploma or a GED and has no post-secondary coursework; Student who has attempted 17 or fewer credits (semester hours) of college coursework at a regionally accredited college/university before attending Penn State; Current high school student who may have enrolled in another institution(s) before graduating from high school (dual enrollment); Student who may have attended Penn State on a nondegree basis.
English Language Proficiency
The following are ways in which you can satisfy the language proficiency requirement: TOEFL: A minimum TOEFL score of 80 on the Internet-based TOEFL or 550 on the old paper exam and a minimum of 20 in each section of the new paper exam (code #2660); IELTS: A minimum IELTS score of 6.5 on the academic test.