What are the main differences between an M.S. and Ph.D.?
It varies greatly from one field to another and one graduate program to another. It is a good idea to look at online descriptions of the requirements for master's and Ph.D. programs in the field that interests you.
In very general terms, in technical fields, a master's program is often three or four semesters long and is designed for the students to take a lot of advanced courses in their specific area of interest, to become a highly skilled practitioner in that area, able to apply the latest techniques and tools to problems. Book learning is often not enough to get you up to speed, so most master's programs also include supervised projects in which you get some practice and expert feedback on what you are doing.
A Ph.D. program is typically four or more years, of which the first two may be similar to the master's program described above — that is, many courses focused mostly on your chosen area. However, the overall goal is to educate you to be a researcher — someone able to develop new tools and techniques or to acquire new knowledge, and not just to apply known tools and techniques (though you had better know about those as well). And most programs try to provide additional skills that researchers will need, whether in academia or industry, such as communication skills (writing and giving talks) and good exposure to what else is going on in the field and where, and who is funding what kind of work.
Research may begin early in the program while you are still taking lots of courses, but the later years will be mostly focused on research, leading up to the completion of a thesis, which is a substantial contribution to our knowledge of the field. These may range in size from a journal article to a book, but generally, they represent a couple of years' worth of highly focused work.
The idea is that when the degree is finally granted, you will be one of the world's experts in the area of your thesis, which may be pretty narrow, but it should be something new and of interest to others. It is a chance to practice doing what you will be doing in a research career, but with expert supervision from your research advisor(s).
What are the typical timelines for each degree program?
- Ph.D. - 4-6 years
- M.S. - 2-3 years
Recommended scores for GRE/TOEFL?
Current program specific and international requirements can be found on the Graduate College Requirements website.
What happens after I apply?
After your application has been processed through the Graduate College, it will be distributed to faculty members in the department. Faculty members will review each application and make recommendations for consideration. Applicants under consideration may be asked to come for an in-person interview (optional, nationally based applicants) or may be interviewed via teleconference (optional, international applicants). If applying for fall admission, applicants may be invited for their interview to coincide with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Recruitment Weekend. After interviews, the faculty will make final decisions on admissions. Applicants will be notified through the Graduate College of their admission decision.
When are admission decisions made?
Decisions are typically made in March or April for fall admission.
What should I do if I get accepted into multiple schools?
- Choose Iowa State.
- http://blog.accepted.com/choosing-among-multiple-grad-school-offers/
- https://www.gradschools.com/get-informed/before-you-apply/choosing-graduate-program/choosing-graduate-school
What happens if an applicant receives offers from multiple professors in the same department?
Discuss with each professor to learn more about the proposed research project, their expectations, and how the research aligns with your interests. At some point, you will need to decide which is the best fit.
Can a TA stipend be added to a RA stipend?
No, the graduate student stipend remains the same whether the student is a TA or RA. If a student with an RA adds a TA, the stipend will not change.
Are there opportunities for rotations in PLPM labs?
Students admitted into the Plant Pathology degree program enter directly into their research lab at the start of their studies. Students admitted into an interdepartmental degree program will complete 3 lab rotations (between multiple departments), then choose a permanent lab based on research interests and funding availability.
Which interdepartmental programs do Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology faculty participate in?
To learn more about our Interdepartmental graduate programs and their application procedures, please visit their respective websites:
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Genetics
- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology
- Plant Physiology
- Microbiology
- Sustainable Agriculture
- Toxicology
What opportunities are available to prepare me to become a professor?
Work with your professor to participate and present at extension events, become a TA, and apply to the Preparing Future Faculty program.
What exactly is Extension?
Born from the Smith-Lever Act of 1914, the Cooperative Extension System (CES) is a partnership between agricultural colleges/ land-grant universities and the USDA to support agricultural extension work. The CES is a non-formal education program that brings university research knowledge into the community. Today extension work in plant pathology provides science-based, unbiased information to the agricultural community to help improve farming systems. For more information, visit ISU Extension and Outreach or discuss opportunities with prospective major advisors.
What are some career paths with a degree in plant pathology?
- Professor (Research, Teaching, Extension)
- Industry (Agrichemicals, Seed, Diagnostics, Biotech, Nursery, Landscape)
- Government (USDA, APHIS, PPQ, ARS, Forest Service, EPA, local and state)
- Policy and Legal (Commodity boards, law firms, public policy)
Are there any professional organizations related to plant pathology?
There are numerous professional organizations/societies to which our departmental members belong. Participating in professional organizations is a pivotal means for us to share our research, keep up to date with current trends, and network with others. Listed are a few of the most common organizations for our department:
- American Phytopathological Society
- Mycological Society of America
- American society for microbiology
- Society of Nematologists
- International Society for Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions
- American Society of Virology
- American Society of Plant Biologists
I'm interested in a PPEM graduate program. What should I major in as an undergraduate?
There is no right or wrong program to study if you are interested in joining the Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology Department; however, our graduate programs generally work best for people with broad undergraduate degrees. Here are some common programs we see: