Plant and Soil Sciences Graduate Program
One graduate program. Two concentrations. Three degree options.
Plant Science involves course work in plant molecular biology, plant breeding, plant pathology, plant tissue culture, horticulture, crop science, plant anatomy and/or plant physiology with thesis research in one of those areas.
Soil Science involves course work and thesis research in soil chemistry, soil fertility and management, soil physics, soil microbiology and biochemistry, environmental microbiology, soil and water quality and soil formation and biogeochemistry.
Degree options:
- Ph.D. dissertation degree
- M.S. thesis degree
- M.S. non-thesis degree (full- or part-time)
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In our backyard
August 07, 2026 | Written by Molly Schafer | Photos courtesy of Madeline Brown, Alex McBreen, Catherine Morrissey, Scarlet Shifflett, J.D. Zimmerman and the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Division of Parks and RecreationThis year marks the 75th anniversary of Delaware State Parks, and for faculty and students at the University of Delaware, there is much to celebrate. For Delawareans, the state parks are a source of peace, but at UD, they’re also a source of purpose. The parks provide a living laboratory for research, opportunities for experiential learning and a space for community service. -
Global crops and drought
July 30, 2026 | Written by Adam Thomas | Illustration by Jeffrey C. ChaseA new study from the University of Delaware’s Kyle Davis examined production losses for 17 major crops accounting for three-quarters of the world’s food production and found that portions of the Midwestern United States, eastern Brazil, eastern Spain, and central and northern India were among the areas most sensitive to droughts. -
AI flower power
July 27, 2026 | Written by Katie Peikes | Photo illustration by Jeffrey C. ChaseYin Bao, University of Delaware assistant professor of digital agriculture, built a specialized AI tool called FLORIST to automatically analyze thousands of plant photos taken by everyday people, instead of manually sorting through 44,000 images. FLORIST efficiently filtered out the vast majority of photos that did not show active flowering, narrowing the dataset. Bao says the main takeaway is blending widespread public observations with deep genetic research gives a more complete understanding of how species evolve to survive in the wild.
Important Links
Application process update: Due to coronavirus (COVID-19), the program of PLSC is waiving the GRE requirement for our graduate program. If you wish to apply without a GRE score, please enter a future GRE exam date into the application. It need not be a legitimate exam date. Entering a future exam date causes the system to finish your application and send it on to our review committee where it will receive full consideration.