PhD in
Ph.D. in Plant Pathology
University of Georgia - College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Key Information
Select location
Campus location
Tifton, USA
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
4 - 5 years
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
USD 12,593 *
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
Aug 2023
* 12 or more credit hours. Reduced to $25/semester with graduate assistantship
Introduction
The Ph.D. degree in Plant Pathology integrates research and coursework at the interface of the plant, microbial, and environmental sciences. This program emphasizes the development of scientists who can fill leadership positions in research, teaching, outreach, and administration as it relates to plant pathogen biology, plant-microbe interactions, and disease ecology and management. It includes a wide range of opportunities in areas ranging from applied, field-based research to lab-based approaches aimed at understanding pathogens and their interactions with host plants at the molecular level.
With close to 30 faculty members and over 60 graduate students, the University of Georgia offers one of the largest and most holistic plant pathology graduate programs in the United States. Graduate students have the opportunity to specialize across the range of disciplines that comprise the contemporary field of plant pathology, including mycology, bacteriology, nematology, virology, virulence and resistance genetics, and molecular plant-microbe interactions, epidemiology, and integrated disease management. Our faculty work closely with each student to design an individualized program that meets the student’s career goals.
Prospective students who are interested in financial support will be considered automatically for any Graduate School, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and/or departmental assistantships for which they are eligible.
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Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
M.S. and Ph.D. students in plant pathology are typically supported through graduate assistantships or fellowships. These stipends originate from various sources, including faculty research grants, departmental funds, the UGA Graduate School, or various national or international fellowship organizations. When you apply to the Department of Plant Pathology, you will automatically be considered for all available funding sources for which you may qualify. For most assistantships and some of the fellowships that are available to our students, there is no distinction between domestic and international applicants. We do not typically accept M.S. or Ph.D. students unless we can identify assistantship or fellowship support for them.
As an additional benefit, students on a graduate assistantship only pay nominal tuition of $25 per semester.
Career Opportunities
This program emphasizes the development of scientists who can fill leadership positions in research, teaching, outreach, and administration as it relates to plant pathogen biology, plant-microbe interactions, and disease ecology and management. With their holistic training, our graduates are in high demand at universities (as research, teaching, or Extension scientists and professors), as industry researchers (e.g., in biotech, seed companies, or the agrichemical industry), in government (e.g., USDA-ARS or international research organizations), in private practice (e.g., as consultants), and in domestic or international NGOs.