To earn a Master of Science under Plan A, students must complete the following requirements. 

Courses 

UConn Requirements. For UConn requirements to graduate under Master Plan A, visit the Registrar’s Steps to a Successful Graduation Website and the UConn Catalog. 

Department Requirements. The Advisory Committee will help you to select courses based on your background and future specialization. It is always useful to confirm your plans with your Major Advisor before the semester begins. Although the Plan of Study forms (which lists the courses you will take for the degree requirements) can be submitted as late as the fourth week of the student’s final semester, it is highly recommended that you complete this requirement much earlier. The reason is quite simple: the sooner your Advisory Committee signs off on the courses you must take for your degree requirements, the sooner you can have a clear set of minimum criteria to follow. Once the Plan of Study is approved and signed by the Advisory Committee, no further changes (additions or deletions) can be required unless agreed upon by the student and Advisory Committee. Your Advisory Committee members have the final say on what courses you must take for your degree requirements. They can request more courses if they feel that you need them based on your deficiencies and academic history. It is best to submit a signed Plan of Study form as early as possible. Once submitted, modifications by the student to the Plan of Study are possible if the Advisory Committee also signs 

Thesis, Defense, and Final Examination 

UConn Requirements. For UConn master’s thesis requirements, visit the Registrar’s Steps to a Successful Graduation Website and UConn Catalog. 

Department Requirements.  

Students must present a publicly announced Exit Seminar on their thesis research. This seminar is typically scheduled one hour before the Thesis Defense and is considered part of the Final Examination process.  

The contents of the Final Examination are under the jurisdiction of the Advisory Committee. It may be separate or combined with the Thesis Defense. If separate, it would follow the same procedures as for the Ph.D. General Examination. 

The unbound thesis or a digital copy, as preferred by the Advisory Committee members, should be distributed at least two weeks before the oral Final Examination, or Thesis Defense, to all Advisory Committee members. After the student has passed the Final Examination, the Advisory Committee may require modifications to the thesis. The student should allow enough time for the incorporation of changes before presenting it to the Major Advisor for final review. Members of the Advisory Committee can insist on a second review of the thesis and/or Thesis Defense.  

Timeline 

Year 1 

• Start research project 
• Enroll in coursework 
• Choose Advisory Committee members 

Year 2 

• Continue research project 
• Enroll in PLSC 5897 
• Complete coursework 
• Complete thesis related requirements and presentations 

Preparing to Graduate 

• Master’s degrees steps to a successful graduation 

To earn a Master of Science under Plan B (Non-Thesis), students must complete the following requirements. 

Courses 

UConn Requirements. For UConn requirements to graduate under Master Plan B, visit the Registrar’s Steps to a Successful Graduation Website and UConn Catalog. 

Department Requirements. None of your course credits may be research credits. Most of these courses should be selected in specialized fields to provide the candidate with advanced training in the following areas: Agronomy, Horticulture, Landscape Architecture, Plant Breeding, Plant Environment, Soil Science, and Soil Chemistry, or other acceptable areas. Some credits approved by the Advisory Committee may be selected from outside the department. The Advisory Committee may require the student to take other courses with or without graduate credit, depending on the student’s objectives and previous preparation. 

The Advisory Committee may require some research experience. The way to obtain this experience is to arrange a Topics in Plant Science (PLSC 5898) or Independent Study (PLSC 5899) course with a faculty member with appropriate interests. 

Final Examination 

UConn Requirements. For UConn requirements, visit the Registrar’s Steps to a Successful Graduation Website. 

The contents of the Final Examination are under the jurisdiction of the Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee has the discretion to determine whether the examination shall be written, oral, or both. Invitation to participate in an oral examination is issued by the Advisory Committee, although members of the faculty may attend. Under the Non-Thesis plan B, the examination shall be comprehensive and designed to assess the candidate’s mastery of the field and ability to integrate the knowledge acquired. 

Department Requirements.  

Students must bring the “Report on the Final Examination for the Master’s Degree” form to the exam for Advisory Committee signatures. 

Timeline 

Year 1 

• Enroll in coursework 
• Choose Advisory Committee members 

Year 2 

• Complete coursework 
• Successfully complete final examination 

Preparing to Graduate 

• Master’s degrees steps to a successful graduation