You are in the official 1998-99 General Catalog
for California State University, Fresno.
Department of Plant Science
Bachelor of Science Degree Requirements
Plant Science Major
Production Management Emphasis
Options: Agronomy, Horticulture, Plant Health
Recommended curriculum for students interested in agronomy (crop science
and soil and water courses), horticulture (ornamental horticulture, viticulture/tree
fruit and some crop science courses), and plant health.
General Education (51 units)
(including 9 upper-division units, to be taken no sooner than the term in
which 60 units of coursework are completed)
CORE
Category 3: Plant 99 (recommended)
BREADTH
Division 1: Chem 3A (required)
Division 2: Bot 10 (required)
Division 3: Plant 105 (recommended)
Division 4: CFS 38 or Nutr 53 (recommended)
Division 8: Ag Ec 1 (recommended)
CAPSTONE
Either cluster recommended:
Agriculture and Government Policy: Ag Ec 150 and Pl Si 150 or Phil 125
Energy and Society: I T 106 and P Sci 168 or Geog 134 or Econ 117
Major (45 units)
(including 20 upper-division units)
Plant Science Core (22 units)
PLT H 103, 105, 106; Plant 107, 150; SW 2, 100, 100L
Option (23 units)
Minimum of 15 units, including 12 upper-division units, from one of the
following option categories (15 units)
Agronomy
all from Cr Sc and/or SW courses
Horticulture
all from OH, VTF and/or Cr Sc 111, 112 courses
Plant Health
9 units from PLT H courses and 6 units from a production area (Cr Sc, OH,
VTF, not to include VTF 110)
Complement the option by choosing one course from two of the following three
sets. No double counting of courses is permitted within the major (6 units)
Set A: SW 101, 104, 111
Set B: PLT H 107, 108, 109
Set C: Cr Sc 104, Plant 102, VTF 114
Select 2 units of research or crop project courses from Plant 180, 190,
or 196 (2 units)
Additional requirements (16-19 units)
Upper-division writing skills requirement by examination or Plant 110W,
Chem 3B, Bot 130
Management courses
Ag Ec 31; select two from: Ag Ec 110N, 117, 120, 130, 160, 164
Electives (13-16 units)
Courses supplementary to the major, selected in consultation with your department
faculty adviser, are strongly recommended.
Total requirements (128 units)
(including 40 upper-division units)
Advising Notes
- During the Add/Drop period of their first semester, students are required to attend a department undergraduate orientation session. Alternatively, they are required to meet with the department chair. In either case, they will be assisted in selecting an appropriate faculty adviser and be given the curriculum checksheet(s) from which to select a catalog year.
- Meet with your academic adviser prior to registration each semester.
- General Education courses designated as required by the department are prerequisites to many courses in the program of study. The General Education requirement of 51 units may be exceeded depending upon your selection of courses.
- CR/NC grading is not permitted for courses included in the major.
- Upper-division G. E. courses (i.e., 100-level courses) should not be attempted prior to the semester in which 60 lower-division units toward the degree have been completed.
- The upper-division writing skills requirement can be met by passing the university Upper-Division Writing Examination (UDWE) or by taking an approved upper-division writing skills course. One unit of credit (i.e., English 100W) may be earned for passing the exam; 3 units of credit is earned by obtaining a letter grade of C or higher in an approved course, i.e., Plant 110W. In either case, the requirement will have been met.
- One semester prior to graduation, contact your academic adviser to prepare and file an official Certification of Major Requirements form. Your Application for Graduation cannot be processed by the Evaluations Office until this form has been submitted.
- Students interested in becoming Certified Professional Agronomists, Crop Scientists/Specialists or Soil Scientists/Specialists should consult with their department faculty adviser for additional requirements for certification.
Plant Science Major
Science and Technology Emphasis
Options: Agronomy, Horticulture, Plant Health
Recommended curriculum for students interested in agronomy (crop science
and soil and water courses), horticulture (ornamental horticulture, viticulture/tree
fruit and some crop science courses), and plant health. Also recommended
for students planning to pursue graduate study in plant science and for
those who wish to become certified professional agronomists, crop scientists/specialists,
horticulturists, or soil scientists/specialists.
General Education (51 units)
(including 9 upper-division units, to be taken no sooner than the term
in which 60 units of coursework are completed)
CORE
Category 3: Plant 99 (required)
BREADTH
Division 1: Chem 3A (required)
Division 2: Bot 10 (required)
Division 3: Plant 105 (recommended)
Division 4: CFS 38 or Nutr 53 (recommended)
Division 8: Ag Ec 1 (recommended)
CAPSTONE
Either cluster recommended:
Agriculture and Government Policy: Ag Ec 150 and Pl Si 150 or Phil 125
Energy and Society: I T 106 and P Sci 168 or Geog 134 or Econ 117
Major (45 units)
(including 20 upper-division units)
Plant Science Core (19 units)
PLT H 103, 105, 106; SW 2, 100, 100L
Select one: Plant 102 or 107
Option (26 units)
Minimum of 15 units, including 12 upper-division units, from one of the
following option
categories (15 units)
Agronomy
all from Cr Sc and/or SW courses
Horticulture
all from OH, VTF and/or Cr Sc 111, 112 courses
Plant Health
9 units from PLT H courses and 6 units from a production area (Cr Sc, OH,
VTF, not to include VTF 110)
Complement the option by choosing one course from each of the following
sets.
No double counting of courses is permitted within the major (9 units)
Set A: SW 101, 104, 111
Set B: PLT H 107, 108, 109
Set C: Cr Sc 104, Plant 102, VTF 114
Select 2 units of research or crop project courses from Plant 180, 190,
or 196 (2 units)
Additional requirements (16-23 units)
Upper-division writing skills requirement by UDWE or Plant 110W
Science courses
Bot 130; Chem 8; and either Chem 150 or both Chem 4 and 105; Genet 120;
Micro 20 or equivalent
Electives (9-16 units)
Courses supplementary to the major, selected in consultation with department
faculty adviser, are strongly recommended. Zool 10 recommended for Plant
Health Option.
Total requirements (128 units)
(including 40 upper-division units)
Advising Notes
See Advising Notes, Plant Science Major,
Production Management Emphasis.
Plant Science Minor
Options: Agronomy, Horticulture, Plant Health
The 21 units of courses will constitute a basic background in plant science.
The program is similar to the major core and provides students with an introduction
to the broad spectrum of plant science. Other majors in the School of Agricultural
Sciences and Technology, particularly the Agricultural Business and Education
majors, require students to be knowledgeable of plant science in order to
pursue their careers or teach the subjects of agricultural production. This
minor would be a way in which students could acquire those courses they
need and get credit for completing a program of study rather than only a
series of courses.
Select from the following (3 units)
Plant 107: Plant Propagation
Plant 196: Crop Project* (Me Ag 3 and permission of instructor and appropriate
production course)
Plant 150: Crop Improvement* (Bot 10 or Biol 10)
Select from the following (6 units)
PLT H 103: Economic Entomology* (Bot 10 or Biol 10 or Zool 10)
PLT H 105: Weeds* (Bot 10 or Biol 10 and Chem 3A)
PLT H 106: Plant Pathology* (Bot 10 or Biol 10)
Select from the following (3 units)
SW 2: Agricultural Water
SW 100: Soils* (Chem 3A)
Select from one of the option areas in Plant Science (9 units)
(at least 6 units must be upper division)
Total (21 units)
*Course requires a prerequisite.
Master of Science Degree Requirements
The Master of Science degree in Plant Science is a 30-unit program designed
to provide advanced studies and in -depth knowledge in the fundamentals
of plant physiology and experimental design, as well as technical writing
and formal presentation of research reports.
This degree is for individuals seeking career advancement in agronomy, agricultural
research and development, plant physiology, pest management, plant pathology,
and soils and irrigation. Graduate courses are offered in the late afternoon
or evening permitting students to earn their degree within two years when
working closely with an adviser.
Admission Requirements. The Master of Science degree in Plant Science
assumes preparation equivalent to a Bachelor of Science in Plant Science.
The following courses or equivalents are expected to be completed prior
to enrollment in courses to be applied to the master's program: Bot 10,
130; Chem 3A, 8; Genet 120; PLT H 103, 105, 106; Plant 99; SW 2, 100, 100L.
Students are required to submit in one complete packet the following materials
to the Office of the Dean, School of Agricultural Sciences and Technology,
Ag 102:
- one complete set of transcripts of all prior college or university work
- school application to the master's degree program
- 500-word statement of purpose by the candidate
- three letters of recommendation from persons in a position to make an evaluation in support of program entry, and
- one copy of the Institutional Score Report of GRE scores.
All graduate applicants whose native language is not English, regardless
of citizenship, must demonstrate English language proficiency through an
official TOEFL report showing a minimum score of 550, unless they have a
baccalaureate degree from an institution of higher education in which English
is the language of instruction.
The packet of materials must be delivered to the dean's office by the following
deadlines:
Desired Semester Submit
of Enrollment Packet by
Spring: October 25
Fall: March 15
Incomplete packets of materials will be returned to students for resubmission
the following semester. Required application materials are available in
the dean's office, Ag 102, (559) 278-2061.
A committee of department faculty will review all complete applications
which were received by the stated deadline. Written notification will be
sent, no later than the 15th day of the next succeeding month, regarding
whether or not admission has been granted. Admission to the M.S. in Plant
Science degree program is contingent upon admission to California State
University, Fresno. Students who have been denied admission to the graduate
program in plant science must appeal the decision in writing to the department's
graduate coordinator no later than two weeks following the date of the letter
of denial in order to be reconsidered by the faculty for admission during
the semester for which the application was originally submitted.
Admission as a classified student will be based on consideration of a combination
of all the following criteria:
- GRE scores, which must be submitted with application (suggested minimum scores of 480 verbal and 580 quantitative)
- grade point average for the last 60 units (minimum 2.75 GPA)
- college transcript verifying completion of prerequisite courses and that bachelor's degree was conferred
- completed School of Agricultural Sciences and Technology "Graduate Programs Admission Application"
- three letters of reference, and
- a typewritten statement of 500 words explaining the applicant's professional goals.
Conditional classified standing may be granted by the department to applicants
who have a minimum GPA of 2.5 (last 60 semester units) and who have 9 or
fewer units of prerequisite courses to complete. Students must achieve a
3.0 GPA on pre-
requisite coursework.
Students must achieve classified standing in the program by the semester
in which a maximum of 10 units to be used toward
the master's degree are completed.
Students are not normally accepted into the Master of Science in Plant Science
degree program if they have more than 10 units of prerequisite courses to
complete. Prerequisite coursework cannot be used to fulfill the 30 unit
master's program requirements. Potential graduate students who have 10 or
more units of prerequisite courses to complete are encouraged to enroll
as unclassified postbaccalaureate students in plant science at California
State University, Fresno and apply to the master's program when they have
9 or fewer units of prerequisite courses to complete. Students must achieve
a 3.0 GPA on prerequisite coursework.
Students completing prerequisite coursework, following admission as unclassified
postbaccalaureate students in plant science, must achieve a grade of C
or better in required prerequisite coursework to qualify for admission to
the master's degree program.
Program Requirements
All students must complete a 13-unit common core. Students must also
complete 9 units of additional requirements, including one course from each
of three sets of courses, as well as 5 units of approved electives. Each
student is also expected to complete a 3-unit thesis in consultation with
a thesis committee.
Core (13 units)
Agri 200, 201, 220; Plant 257, 270
Additional requirements (9 units)
Three courses, one from each of three sets:
Set A: Plant 252, 254, 255
Set B: Plant 258, 261
Set C: Plant 253, 256
Electives (5 units)
In consultation with their advisers, students select additional courses
from the three sets listed above, and/or from the department's approved
electives list.
Culminating experience (3 units)
Plant 299
Total minimum requirements (30 units)
Graduate Advising Notes
- Several of the approved elective courses have prerequisites other than courses listed as admission requirements.
- To obtain the required school application form and more specific information concerning the Master of Science in Plant Science degree, interested students should call or write the department office. Upon acceptance in the Master of Science in Plant Science program, students should obtain the Graduate Student Handbook from the department office.
- Upon acceptance into the M.S. in Plant Science program, students will be assigned an initial faculty adviser by the department chair. Students may subsequently select a faculty adviser upon obtaining his/her approval and notifying the department office of that selection.
- Elective courses are selected in consultation with the student's faculty adviser from the three sets of courses listed under additional requirements. They may also be selected from the department's list of approved electives, consisting of chemistry, biology and plant science courses.
- To progress through the graduate program, the student must: (a.) Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 (b.) Complete all prerequisite coursework (c.) Attain classified standing (d.) Meet the university graduate writing requirement (e.) File for advancement to candidacy (f.) Pass the department qualifying examination (g.) Complete the program requirements (h.) File a master's thesis committee assignment form (i.) Satisfactorily present and defend the thesis research results
- Advancement to candidacy requires the completion of 9 program units in residence, meeting the university graduate writing requirement, and filing a Petition for Advancement to Candidacy a minimum of one semester prior to enrollment in thesis and within the deadline.
- Before enrolling in Agri 220, the student must demonstrate graduate-level writing proficiency. This may be accomplished in one of three ways: (1) achieve a score of 450 or higher on Verbal Section of GRE (2) achieve a score of 124 or higher on Upper-Division Writing Examination (offered each semester) or (3) pass with a grade of B or better a section of Plant 110W (offered each fall) which has been designated by the School Graduate Committee as fulfilling the requirement. Any student who enrolls in Agri 220 before satisfying this requirement will be instructed to drop the course.
- All students must successfully complete the department qualifying examination, which is taken as soon as possible after completing Agri 200, 201 and Plant 257. Information on the department qualifying examination is included in the Graduate Student Handbook.
- See Division of Graduate Studies section in this catalog for university requirements.
