The HCS Master’s degree program gives students the opportunity to gain additional knowledge and necessary skills in a field in order to engage in research and other scholarly activities, to teach, and to become practitioners. The master’s degree program consists of a coherent pattern of courses and other educational experiences, a master’s examination, and a thesis (Thesis, Plan A) or report (Non-Thesis, Plan B). The non-thesis M.S. degree is permitted only by petition to the Graduate Studies Committee. The student is responsible for knowing all the graduation requirements of both the Graduate School and the Department. All graduate students in HCS are required to complete a curriculum of four courses that encompass crop physiology, ecology, plant breeding and biotechnology, and experimental design.

M.S. Thesis Option (Plan A) in HCS: The student must submit a complete, typed, thesis draft to the SAC for approval prior to the Master's exam.

Format is important; students must follow the Graduate School Guidelines for Preparing and Submitting Theses. If the thesis is acceptable and the student performs satisfactorily on the Master's exam, the SAC will indicate approval by signing a Thesis Approval form. The approval form and the final thesis must be submitted to the Graduate school no later than one week before commencement. A bound copy of the thesis must be submitted to the Horticulture and Crop Science main office in Columbus.