Graduate Programs
Advanced Degrees that Advance Careers
Our partnerships with other departments greatly enhance the Crop and Soil Sciences graduate programs, offering opportunities for tailored research experiences and unparalleled career preparation.
You can choose from several paths, including doctoral and thesis and non-thesis master’s degree programs.
Our graduate faculty are experts in their fields. They also participate in a number of interdisciplinary programs throughout the university that enrich their teaching and mentoring, and in turn, benefit their students.
We’re serious about preparing our graduate students for meaningful careers that have an impact here in North Carolina and around the world.
explore our graduate programs in
Contact Us
Interested in Crop Science?
Candace Haigler
Director of Crop Science Graduate Programs
candace_haigler@ncsu.edu
Interested in Soil Science?
Owen Duckworth
Director of Soil Science Graduate Programs
SoilScienceDGP@ncsu.edu
Crop Science
Our graduate education opportunities in Crop Science encompass diverse disciplines including agroecology and sustainable agriculture, computational science and genomics, crop and forage management, crop product quality, pesticide fate and environmental impact, plant breeding and genetics, plant physiology, precision agriculture, turfgrass management and science, and weed science. Our research and teaching portfolio includes food, feed, and fiber crops, turfgrass, and specialty crops. In consultation with their Advisory Committee, our students take courses across multiple departments to facilitate their individual learning and research goals.
After completion of their degrees, our graduate students are in demand. They find diverse employment, including as agricultural consultants, extension agents, golf course managers, postdoctoral scholars, research leaders, managers, or technicians, and faculty members. These positions are found in various sectors including agrochemical and other private sector companies, universities, and government or scientific agencies in the United States and other countries.
Three graduate degrees can be earned within the crop science graduate program. A graduate minor in Crop Science is also available.
Soil Science
Our graduate education opportunities in soil science will prepare students for careers with public and private organizations in soil and environmental sciences. Our students find employment opportunities with consulting firms, government organizations or academia.
To ensure that all are well founded in the discipline, students are expected to acquire competence through coursework in the following sub-disciplines (four for master’s and all five for Ph.D. programs): soil physics, soil chemistry, soil microbiology, soil genesis and classification, and soil fertility.