The Department offers both Non-Thesis and Thesis MS degrees.

The Non-Thesis option is recommended for students who,

• do not currently plan to continue into a doctoral program or
• wish to obtain an MS in Plant Biology while concurrently working toward an MS or PhD in another program.

In the latter case, students must independently meet all requirements for completion of the Plant Biology Non-Thesis MS described below. That is, they may not use credit from any courses taken to meet both Plant Biology and their other program's requirements. The Thesis MS track is recommended for students who want to experience the post-graduate research environment but are not currently interested in committing to a doctoral program.

Two years is the normal duration of both the Non-Thesis and Thesis MS programs, although the Department guarantees support for three years. All students pursuing an MS are required to complete all requirements for the degree within five years of first registering with the Graduate College.