Course Requirements: A focused, coherent program of study approved by the Advisor and Advisory Committee is planned prior to or during the second semester in the student's residency. This program requires a minimum of 30 semester hours beyond the B.S. degree, including six hours of thesis research credit (799). Of the 24 hours required in graduate courses, at least 12 must be earned in a major area. A minimum of 12 credit hours must be earned at the 600-level or above, including two credit hours of Graduate Seminar (798). Only one credit of NRSC 608T (Teaching Methods) may be applied toward this requirement. If the student is inadequately prepared for the required graduate courses, additional courses may be required at the undergraduate level. Undergraduate courses will not be counted as part of the student's graduate program.

Students in the Plant Science specialization are required to have one semester each of 400- level biochemistry, plant physiology, and statistics. Students in the Soil Science specialization are required to have 12 credits of 400-level soil science courses. The 12 credits must be earned in any four of the following five areas: soil chemistry, soil physics, soil pedology, soil microbiology, soil fertility. Credits for these courses may be earned as part of a B.S. or M.S. degree program. Details concerning course/credit requirements are summarized in the appended summary of requirements.

Graduate Seminar: All students must register for seminar (798) twice during their M.S. program. They are expected to attend seminar regularly regardless of enrollment for credit. (The Graduate Seminar requirement is further discussed here)

Thesis Requirement: A thesis is required for the M.S. degree (thesis option). Directions for the preparation of the thesis are printed in the publication entitled Style and Policy Manual for Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations which is available from the Graduate School. These directions must be strictly observed.

Final Oral Examination: A final oral examination on the thesis must be held when the thesis is complete and has been approved by the Advisor, and provided that all other degree requirements have been met. The Examining Committee is appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School following nomination by the student's Advisor. In most circumstances, the Advisory Committee is nominated as the Examining Committee. The form for nomination of the Examining Committee can be obtained from the Graduate School, and must be submitted, with the Advisor's and Graduate Coordinator's signatures, at least two months prior to the date on which the oral examination is scheduled.

The Examining Committee, with a minimum of three members, conducts the oral examination on the thesis. An additional comprehensive examination (oral or written) may be required at the option of the Committee. The Advisor serves as the Chair of the Examining Committee, and is responsible for scheduling the examination and notifying the members of the Committee of location and time. Members of the Committee must be given a minimum of seven working days in which to read the thesis prior to the examination.

Following the examination, the Committee reports its findings to the Graduate School on the "Report of Examining Committee". In addition to this report, the Department requires a report for the departmental file on the outcome of the examination.

Download the 28 page Graduate Program Handbook in PDF format (152kb). You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view it. If you would like more information about the Graduate Program, please contact the NRSL Graduate Coordinator at NRSLGC@umail.umd.edu.