As the global population increases, providing food, fiber and fuel to meet growing demand has become a significant challenge. We are one of the top tier U.S. universities training future plant breeders to meet this challenge and have expanded our effort through our Distance Education Program in Plant Breeding. We seek to alleviate hunger and poverty through the genetic improvement of plants while educating and developing plant breeders worldwide.
Online Graduate Program Overview
Our fully on-line plant breeding graduate degree programs offer students the flexibility to pursue a higher degree while maintaining employment, personal, and other commitments. This program is designed for busy working professionals and offers a quality alternative to traditional on-campus plant breeding programs.
Available Online Degrees
- Master of Science in Plant Breeding (Non-Thesis Option)
- Master of Science in Plant Breeding (Thesis Option)
- Ph.D. in Plant Breeding
Course Delivery
Each course has been uniquely designed by the instructor to provide course content in an accessible, understandable format. All courses will be delivered on-line, completely at a distance. Students will be able to view instructional materials, interact with other students and faculty, and complete assignments and examinations. The web based nature of course delivery allows students to access and complete course material at a time convenient to them.
Much of our content is delivered through streamed video. To fully participate in class, distance students must have:
- High speed internet connection and updated browser
- Common plug-ins (e.g. Adobe Reader, Flash Player, Virus Protection, etc.)
- Speakers
- Webcam and Microphone or Headset (for communicating via Skype)
For thesis option MS and Ph.D. students, graduate advisory committee meetings, examinations, and research defense will be handled through electronic communication, including video and teleconferencing. No campus visit will be required.
Distance Co-Chair
Students enrolled in the thesis option MS and Ph.D. programs will be required to have a research committee co-chair at their location to oversee their thesis or dissertation research. This co-chair must be a Ph.D. scientist.
Costs
Tuition and fees are set by the university and will vary based on tuition rates, residency, course load and applicable fees. An estimate of current tuition and fees for a 3 hour course are:
Texas Resident Tuition and Fees: $1,500 – $1,700 per 3 hour course.
Non-resident Tuition and Fees: $3,000 – $3,400 per 3 hour course
Scholarships and financial aid are available through the Office of Financial Aid. In addition, some employers provide financial assistance for their employee’s educational expenses.
Courses
Our online courses are the same courses, taught by the same instructors, with the same content as the courses taken by our on-campus degree students. We offer a variety of rigorous plant breeding courses as well as courses in entomology, plant pathology, plant physiology, statistics, agriculture economics, human resource development, and others.
Continuing Education Overview
The Texas A&M Plant Breeding and Genetics Continuing Education (CE) Program is designed to convey knowledge about crop genetics and improvement to
- industry technical and professional personnel who wish to refresh their knowledge in specific areas of plant breeding and genetics
- participants who want to gain a professional certificate in plant breeding and genetics
- others who simply want to know more about plant breeding and genetics.
While not required, CE participants may also pursue a Professional Certificate in Plant Breeding and Genetics. Continuing Education participation does not require enrollment at Texas A&M University, however all CE courses are taught by the same Texas A&M professors that teach those subject areas on campus. Course are delivered completely online.
Technical Requirements
- High speed internet connection and updated browser
- Common plug-ins (e.g. Adobe Reader, Flash Player, Virus Protection, etc.)
- Speakers
Costs
Courses range from 1-4 credits. An estimate of the current tuition and fees can be found at https://tuition.tamu.edu/undergraduate
Admission
CE participants may choose from a variety of courses or course units depending on their background in plant breeding and genetics. CE participants in the Professional Certificate in Plant Breeding and Genetics program should already have a foundation in plant breeding and genetics as evidenced by collegiate course experience and must follow the guidelines for admission to the certificate program. CE participants not interested in the certificate may take courses or course units based solely on interest in the subject area by simply purchasing access to currently available courses.