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Graduate Program

For the M.S. and Ph.D program, students must have a bachelor's degree in Horticulture or related field from an accredited university and meet these specific departmental academic standards:

1. Applicants from related areas will be required to correct any undergraduate course deficiencies.
2. The sum of Verbal and Quantitative GRE scores must be a minimum of 800.
3. A minimum score of 400 is required using the following formula:
   [Verbal GRE + 2 x Quantatative GRE + 1500 x (GPA-1)] / 10.
4. Acceptance is conditional upon a faculty member's willingness to serve as an applicant's major advisor. Without a major advisor, an applicant will not be admitted. Applicants are encouraged to contact faculty members to discuss research opportunities.

GPA may be the total from the institute where you received your degree or the last 60 semester hours only. For formula scores below 400, the departmental graduate committee will determine whether to admit the applicant provisionally for one semester. At the end of this period, a decision will be made on unconditional acceptance based on satisfactory progress.

The M.S. requires a minimum of 30 semester hours in the major field of study. The student's Plan of Study is individually tailored by the student, major professor, and advisory committee to meet the student's career goals. A thesis based on research by the student is required. The Doctoral program emphasizes original and creative research with a required dissertation. It is recommended that all graduate students refer to the Graduate Student Handbook for additional requirements and information.

Graduate School GSPOST Online (Graduate Student Plan of Study)
Plan of study forms

The Master of Agriculture (M.A.) is a non-thesis option which requires successful completion of 32 semester hours, 21 of which must be in agricultural sciences. Additional courses may be required for individual students and are determined by the major professor and advisory committee. No financial support (assistantships or fellowships) is available through Horticulture for M.A. students. See Graduate Course Offerings.

All international students are responsible for keeping their visa current, or maintaining their status with the INS. If your visa expires and you have an assistantship, your assistantship is automatically terminated. When the visa is returned to current status with INS, the assistantship can be reinstated, but there will be no back pay for the time the visa was not valid. In addition, any international student who is out of status with INS will not be allowed to use any facilities within Funchess Hall, including offices, phones, computers, etc. without special permission. Special permission will only be considered for situations beyond the student's control.

The SNA Research Conference is held annually in Atlanta, GA, in August, and is the most frequently attended conference of students in landscape horticulture. Titles for papers must be submitted by the due date (Feb. 28, 2006), and brief papers are due to the appropriate Section Editor by June 1, 2006. Consult SNA guidelines for format details. Oral presentations are 7 minutes in length, with an additional 3 minutes allowed for questions. Guidelines for oral presentations and posters are available each year in conjunction with the call for titles. See the SNA website for more information on submitting your research.

The ASHS - Southern Region Meeting is held annually in February at various locations. Titles must be submitted by the due date, normally around October 1, with the abstract due at the meeting. Oral presentations are 12 minutes, with an additional 3 minutes for questions. Dues of $20.00 per year, payable to ASHS-SR, should be remitted at the meeting and must be remitted prior to publication of the abstract.

The Alabama Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association (AFVGA) conference is held annually at various locations in Alabama. There are poster presentations during the conference. For information regarding deadlines for submission of abstracts, see your advisor.

Other presentations may be made depending on the nature of a student's work and the opportunities available. Graduate students are advised to consult with their major professor concerning appropriate forums for presentation of research results. Each graduate student is expected to present the results of his or her research. These presentations broaden the extent of the student's horticultural knowledge in general, provide training in developing presentations, develop self confidence in speaking before groups, and promote the achievements of the students and the Department of Horticulture at Auburn University.

Publications Contribution to the scientific literature is the ultimate application of the graduate student's research endeavors, and all M.S. and Ph.D. students are required to submit results of their work to appropriate journals for publication. The major professor is responsible for providing directions as to which journal the work is most suited for.

For additional information, contact: Dr. Gary Keever.

Note: Students must complete HORT Form 1, which is a planning form for meeting specific deadlines, before the department bookkeeper can file a PAF. You must have a PAF in order to receive a paycheck. The student and major professor each retain a copy of Form 1. The original should be given to the GPO who will file it in the department office and update it each time the student meets a deadline. These forms are for your benefit. They are to help insure that you meet all deadlines. Copies of all forms should be given to the GPO.