The program is offered by .?The mission of the department reflects the strategic goals of Washington State University by advancing knowledge of plant pathology through creative research and scholarship, by extending that knowledge worldwide through the training of graduate students, and by applying the knowledge to protect the quality and quantity of the local and global food supply.

Student Learning Outcomes

All graduates will be able to:

To enable students earning the M.S. and Ph.D. in Plant Pathology to understand and apply the scientific method to plant pathological problems, to develop critical thinking and ?professional skills needed for successful careers in public and private sectors, the program provides training and coursework to help students develop the following skills:

• Understanding, interpretation and synthesis of scientific literature pertaining to plant pathology and related disciplines.
• Formulating hypotheses; developing experimental designs to test these hypotheses; establishing and maintaining experiments.
• Collecting data in an objective way and conducting appropriate statistical analyses.
• Interpretation and presentation of research results in oral and written formats.
• Presentation of research at professional meetings and local commodity meetings.
• Publication of research in peer-reviewed scientific journals and other discipline-appropriate outlets such as commodity newsletters.

Student Opportunities:

Students will gain analytical and practical skills in carrying out field-, laboratory- and greenhouse-based research that prepare them to be competitive for employment in academic, government and industry laboratories. Students will be provided other professional development opportunities such as resume writing, interview skills, written and oral communication skills, public speaking and attendance at professional conferences.