Graduate Students

Mite Scouting
The Department of Horticulture offers graduate work leading to the following degrees:

The M.S. and Ph.D. degrees culminate in original research reported in a thesis. These advanced degrees are often pursued by students who are interested in research related careers, or who would like direct training in research methods.

Students can also declare graduate options in:

Students select thesis topics and programs of study in consultation with a graduate committee chaired by their graduate advisor. As such, research topics and programs of study are highly personalized and tailored to each student’s specific skills, interests, and career goals. Despite this diversity, the work of our faculty and graduate students can be classified into three broad areas of strength and emphasis.

Breeding, Genetics, and Biotechnology
Faculty and students explore fundamental questions related to the control and regulation of plant traits using a variety of techniques and tools including molecular biology, genomics and bioinformatics. Faculty and students also apply fundamental knowledge to make genetic improvements to crop plants and to modify plant growth and productivity. Current breeding programs exist in berry, hazelnut, ornamental plants, and vegetable systems. 

Sustainable Crop Production
Faculty and students explore basic and applied questions related to the design and management of sustainable and productive horticultural cropping and farming systems. The program integrates a diverse set of disciplines and tools including basic plant sciences, applied crop management, and field experimentation and analysis. Program areas include viticulture and enology, berries and small fruit, tree fruit and nuts, vegetables, and nursery and greenhouse production.

Community and Landscape Horticultural Systems
Faculty and students explore basic and applied questions related to the design and function of urban and community landscapes including golf courses, sports fields, gardens, parks and open spaces. Program areas include turf and landscape management, community food systems, pollinator ecology, and sustainable landscapes.

Graduate Faculty

Nearly 40 faculty members of the Department of Horticulture serve on the Graduate Faculty. Their interests are varied, ranging from farming and cropping systems, crop production, plant physiology, postharvest handling, germplasm evaluation, plant breeding, genetics, and biotechnology. There are graduate faculty located on campus as well as at branch experiment stations and federal labs.

Contact Us

For more information or to review our admissions process, please contact:

Elaine Clark
Oregon State University
4017 ALS Building
Corvallis, OR 97331-3002
Phone: (541) 737-5477
Fax: (541) 737-3479
elaine.clark@oregonstate.edu

John Lambrinos
Director of Graduate Programs
4137 Ag Life Sciences Bldg
Corvallis, OR 97331-3002
Phone: (541) 737-3484
john.lambrinos@oregonstate.edu