To meet the demands of today’s increasingly competitive global economy, companies and businesses require a highly skilled and intellectually flexible workforce. Our innovative partnerships with other WSU colleges and other universities provide a wider platform for students to learn on, modeling collaboration and marshaling resources to better prepare students to navigate life and careers in an age of global connectedness and competition.
A core set of interdisciplinary courses in each program gives students a solid foundation on which to build expertise in a specific discipline. Students are encouraged to participate as part-time employees in research programs and seek professional internships for applied learning experiences
Agricultural and Food Systems
The AFS BS-degree curriculum is designed to expose students to a diverse array of scientific disciplines associated with agricultural and food production systems that will support graduates in being successful practitioners in these fields. The AFS program offers a BS degree in five majors:
- Agricultural Technology and Production Management
- Agricultural Education
- Organic Agriculture Systems
- Agricultural and Food Business Economics
- Agriculture and Food Security
Each major emphasizes gaining a solid background in the agricultural sciences, including learning to work with, and in, the complexity of agriculture and food systems. An internship related to one’s focus area is required.
Integrated Plant Science
The IPS BS-degree program emphasizes basic science and is designed to provide students with the depth and breadth of knowledge across plant science disciplines required for them to be successful professionals in these fields, and perhaps pursue graduate degrees. There are six majors to choose from:
- Agricultural Biotechnology
- Field Crop Management
- Fruit and Vegetable Management
- Landscape, Nursery, and Greenhouse Management
- Turfgrass Management
- Viticulture and Enology
Molecular Plant Sciences
The MPS doctoral program incorporates plant physiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology, and is considered one of the top programs in the world. The interdepartmental curriculum is led by 43 faculty members from the CAHNRS Departments of Crop and Soil Sciences, Entomology, Horticulture, Plant Pathology, and the Institute of Biological Chemistry, as well as in the Departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Molecular Biosciences, Electrical Engineering, and Computer Science. Graduate students study with some of the best minds in America to understand the characteristics and mechanisms of plants. They use this knowledge to develop life-saving medicines, keep our food safe, and evolve agricultural systems to feed the world.
