Join the leader in science, technology, and agricultural management. The Department of Plant Science offers plant science programs focused on agricultural production with options in crop production management or plant health. Courses offered by the department in-tegrate physiology, soils and nutrition, agronomic practices, plant health management, protection against plant pests, ag marketing, and mechanization to provide students with a well-balanced background for positions in plant/soil sciences, and crop production. In addition, courses in areas such as microprop-a-ga-tion and plant improvement provide students with a background for further studies in plant biotechnology. Each degree option integrates departmental curricula with the basic sciences (e.g., biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics) and management skills to build a well-balanced foundation. The irrigation program is augmented by the Center for Irrigation Technology and the newly created International Center for Water Technology.

Located in the nation’s most productive agricultural valley, the Plant Science Department is ideally located to provide students with both a strong academic background and practical experience in plant science and production agriculture. Courses offered by the department integrate physiology, soils and nutrition, cultural practice, plant health, marketing, and mechanization to provide students with a well-balanced background for positions in plant science, crop production, soil sciences, agricultural mechanization, and plant health management/pest control. In addition, courses in areas such as micropropagation, plant propagation, crop improvement, and aspects of crop productivity provide students with a background for further studies in plant biotechnology. What You Can Earn: Starting salaries for plant science graduates are typically $45-60K annually, often with additional benefits such as company vehicles. Earning potential later in their careers is considerably higher. Interesting Classes You Might Take Agricultural Machinery and Equipment Citrus and Subtropical Fruits Vegetable Production Greenhouse and Nursery Crop Production Integrated Pest Management Soil and Water Management What You Can Learn: Students learn how to produce the food that feeds our world as well as how to protect our crops from losses due to pests.