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Graduate Program

Thank you for your interest in the Graduate Program in Plant Biology at Michigan State University (MSU). Our program is one of the finest in the country for research, training, and scholarship in the plant sciences. Plant Biology is central to the wide divergence of disciplines that make up modern plant science at Michigan State University.

The Department of Plant Biology is just one facet of MSU's emphasis on plant science. MSU has among the biggest and best plant science research programs in the world, which encompass many departments, field stations, research units and graduate programs. The Department of Plant Biology is the nexus of MSU's enormous research focus on plant science and is an exciting place to study and perform research.

We offer a PhD degree and the opportunity for students to get dual degrees or certifications fulfilling the requirements in interdisciplinary programs at MSU, such as Ecology, Evolution and Behavior (EEB) program and Molecular Plant Sciences (MPS) program. Students should plan to complete their PhD degree in 5 years.

The Department of Plant Biology has over 35 faculty members who study all aspects of plant biology from the level of molecules to ecosystems. As our faculty focus on basic research in all disciplines of plant biology, our students are trained to integrate information between different hierarchies of biological organization. The research programs in the department are highly diverse and our graduate program is flexible. Each student works with their committee to set a curriculum that best suits their interests and background. We urge applicants to review carefully the research interests of the faculty, and to contact those faculty members with whom they might like to work, well in advance of the application deadline (November 25th, 2024), to inquire about possible sponsorship.

Departments focused on Plant Science Research

Plant Biology

Horticulture

Forestry

Plant Soil and Microbial Sciences

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Fisheries and Wildlife

Field Stations

Kellogg Biological Station

Research units

Plant Research Laboratory

Plant Resilience Institute

Dual Major Opportunities through Plant Biology

Ecology, Evolution and Behavior Graduate Program

Molecular Plant Sciences Program

Computational Mathematics, Science and Engineering Program

Genetics and Genome Sciences Program

BioMolecular Sciences Program

Cell and Molecular Biology Program

Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Biotechnology Program