Our fully on-line plant breeding graduate degree programs offer students the flexibility to pursue a higher degree while maintaining employment, personal, and other commitments. This program is designed for busy working professionals and offers a quality alternative to traditional on-campus plant breeding programs.
Available Online Degrees
- Master of Science in Plant Breeding (Non-Thesis Option)
- Master of Science in Plant Breeding (Thesis Option)
- Ph.D. in Plant Breeding
Course Delivery
Each course has been uniquely designed by the instructor to provide course content in an accessible, understandable format. All courses will be delivered on-line, completely at a distance. Students will be able to view instructional materials, interact with other students and faculty, and complete assignments and examinations. The web based nature of course delivery allows students to access and complete course material at a time convenient to them.
Much of our content is delivered through streamed video. To fully participate in class, distance students must have:
- High speed internet connection and updated browser
- Common plug-ins (e.g. Adobe Reader, Flash Player, Virus Protection, etc.)
- Speakers
- Webcam and Microphone or Headset (for communicating via Skype)
For thesis option MS and Ph.D. students, graduate advisory committee meetings, examinations, and research defense will be handled through electronic communication, including video and teleconferencing. No campus visit will be required.
Distance Co-Chair
Students enrolled in the thesis option MS and Ph.D. programs will be required to have a research committee co-chair at their location to oversee their thesis or dissertation research. This co-chair must be a Ph.D. scientist.
Costs
Tuition and fees are set by the university and will vary based on tuition rates, residency, course load and applicable fees. An estimate of current tuition and fees for a 3 hour course are:
Texas Resident Tuition and Fees: $1,500 – $1,700 per 3 hour course.
Non-resident Tuition and Fees: $3,000 – $3,400 per 3 hour course
Scholarships and financial aid are available through the Office of Financial Aid. In addition, some employers provide financial assistance for their employee’s educational expenses.
Courses
Our online courses are the same courses, taught by the same instructors, with the same content as the courses taken by our on-campus degree students. We offer a variety of rigorous plant breeding courses as well as courses in entomology, plant pathology, plant physiology, statistics, agriculture economics, human resource development, and others.