Master of Science in Agronomy

Our goal is to provide students with an applied education that emphasizes the functional relationships between the broad array of scientific disciplines required to produce crops in a sustainable manner. We define sustainable agriculture as utilizing production practices that meet the needs of today, while not compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Development and application of sustainable production practices requires a breadth of knowledge about how these practices influence other aspects of the agro ecosystem. A graduate degree in Agronomy from the University of Wyoming Department of Plant Sciences will equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary to obtain fulfilling positions in academia, industry, or the public sector. Faculty in the Department of Plant Sciences have diverse expertise in the areas of pest management (weed science & plant pathology), horticulture (plant propagation, turf management, & landscaping), and crop development and production (plant breeding, biofuels, forage science, variety development, water management, and environmental monitoring). Most of our faculty are based on the main Laramie campus, but we have a significant presence at the Research and Extension Centers near Lingle, Powell, and Sheridan. The Plant Sciences faculty prides itself on our approach to graduate education and the individualization of graduate programs. We have high expectations of ourselves as well as our students. We view graduate education as a collaboration between our faculty and our graduate students. We feel this approach is critical to developing students into scientists. Graduate students are considered members of the Department of Plant Sciences, and as such they are expected to contribute to the mission of the department in the areas of teaching, research, and extension. Research conducted in our department should be made available to our stakeholders through many communication channels. Therefore, it is expected that graduate students present the results of their research at extension field days or other venues when appropriate. Writing research results for distribution in the form of extension publication is also a common expectation of graduate students in our department. These writing and presentation experiences will help develop skills that will be valuable for the student regardless of their chosen career path. Specializations within the Agronomy Graduate Program Agroecology Forage Agronomy Horticulture Irrigation/Water Management Native Plant Propagation Plant Breeding Plant Pathology Specialty Crop Production Weed Science Requirements for the master of science degree include 26 hours of coursework numbered 4000 or above, 4 hours of thesis research, a research proposal, original research, and oral defense of the thesis. The M.S. degree is typically completed in two years. The student's coursework is selected to fit the student's individual needs by mutual consultation among the student, his/her major professor and graduate committee.