Ph.D. in Horticulture and Natural Resources

Develop the scholarly knowledge and research skills to become an independent principal investigator.

In this doctorate program, graduate students are expected to excel in research, teaching, extension activities and develop professionally. Independent and original research is an important part of this program and forms a basis for a graduate thesis. Research can be conducted within the department or in other cooperating departments.

$462.96 per credit hour*

90 credit hours

Career specialization

*This estimate is for illustrative purposes only. This number is for in-person courses at the K-State Olathe campus and does not include any course, department or college fees; online fees; and also my vary depending on your transfer hours, course choices and your academic progress.

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Program Features

Requirements

This program requires at least three years of full-time study beyond the bachelor's degree, equivalent to at least 90 semester hours of graduate course work and research credits. Up to 30 hours of graduate credits at the M.S. level may be applied toward the Ph.D. program of study. The courses that can be applied should be relevant to the current Ph.D. program. This Ph.D. program also requires a dissertation representing at least 30 hours of research credit.

Beyond the 30 credit hours from a master's degree that is applied toward this doctorate, course and curriculum requirements are as follows:

60 semester hours of course work and research credit, to include:

24 to 30 credit hours of graduate course work

Must include 3 credit hours of Graduate Seminar (HORT 951)

30 to 36 credit hours of research (HORT 999)

Tailoring your curriculum
The program of study will be developed initially through consultation between the major professor and the student. Courses to be taken should fit into a unified plan aimed at providing the student with a comprehensive background in the chosen area of interest. Initiative in program design by the student is encouraged. The program should be presented at the initial meeting with the Advisory Committee. The program of study form is available from the Graduate School.

Guidelines
Doctoral students should earn a significant majority of their course work credit hours that are required by their programs of study in courses numbered 800 or higher. Although supervisory committees have considerable latitude in providing an appropriate program of study for their students, they are encouraged to follow these guidelines:

Of the 24 to 30 hours of course work credit hours beyond the master's degree approved by the supervisory committee, 15 credit hours should be at the 800-level or above, in addition to doctoral research credit hours.
For course work beyond the master's degree, no more than 6 credit hours of 500-level courses are permitted in a doctoral program. No 500-level course taken in the student's major field of study (e.g., department) may appear in the program of study.
Not more than 6 hours of problems or other individualized courses should ordinarily appear on the program of study for the doctoral program.
For students who bypass the master’s degree, the program of study must include at least 15 credit hours at the 800-level or above, in addition to doctoral research credit hours. No more than 12 credit hours of 500 level courses are permitted in a doctoral program and they must come from outside the student’s major field of study (e.g., department).

Upon approval by the major professor and advisory committee, the student will submit their program of study to K-State's Graduate School. The program of study must be approved and submitted to the Graduate School prior to the end of the student's second semester (excluding summer semester). All changes in the program of study must be approved by the advisory committee, graduate program director or department head, and Graduate School.

Graduate Research

All Ph.D. students must conduct original research under the supervision of the major professor and the advisory committee on a selected problem related to their field of study. A research proposal must be developed as the first step in the research process. The research proposal should demonstrate a sufficient level of understanding of the researchable problem, the appropriate methodology and scientific rationale to be approved by the student's advisory committee. The experimental data collected must be analyzed, interpreted and presented in the form of a bound dissertation.

The research proposal should be presented to the advisory committee for their approval and recommendations prior to the end of the student's second semester (excluding summer semester).

A baseline expectation for all students is that they develop a brief research proposal that addresses each of the following elements pertinent to developing scientific research skills:

One or more testable hypotheses
Clear research objectives
Rationale for the proposed research, including a scientific literature review and, if available, preliminary data
Feasible proposed research methodology
Expected outcomes
Potential impact
Pertinent literature citations

The process of developing a concise research proposal is an appropriate and necessary prerequisite for the eventual completion of the research thesis. As a general rule, the proposed research effort should be rigorous and of high enough standard to merit its publication in a peer reviewed journal.

Teaching Experience

All Ph.D. students, regardless of funding source, must participate in the teaching program of the department of horticulture and natural resources for one semester during their degree program. This requirement cannot be waived. The purpose of this requirement is to ensure that all doctoral students have a personal experience with instruction as a chance to develop teaching and communications skills. It is important that the assignment be meaningful and equivalent to what is expected of a half-time teaching assistant (10 to 20 hours per week); only conducting grading and clerical activities do not meet the spirit of this requirement.

Teaching assignments are made annually by the director of graduate programs and the student's adviser in concert with the undergraduate teaching faculty. Teaching assignments are typically made at the end of the Spring semester for the subsequent academic year. Prior to making the assignments, current students will be asked to provide a list of courses with which they would like to assist, if possible.

New graduate students are typically not asked to serve as a teaching assistant their first semester, but may be asked to assist in their second semester.

Outreach/Extension Experience

An outreach experience gives students exposure to a potential area of employment, adds to their expertise in their field of study and helps them gain empathy for the industry and public that the discipline serves. Each student must participate in two of the three general categories listed below. Major advisers should arrange for these experiences, and the activities are ideally decided on at the time of filing the program of study. After completion of the extension experience, the activities conducted must be briefly described and documented by the student in their Annual Progress Report.

I. Developing and Communicating Information

Present research-generated information in a form and in a medium designed to reach either the general public or industry.
Prepare and present a talk on a horticultural, park management and conservation or wildlife and outdoor enterprise management topic to an audience of non-scientists. Examples include garden clubs, commodity groups and extension meetings.
Use an alternative or creative medium to deliver information. Examples are websites, television or radio, on-farm or other demonstrations or materials delivered electronically.

II. Interacting with the Public

Assist in developing and conducting a commodity or other meeting designed to attract a large and diverse audience. Assisting with only clerical or audiovisual equipment duties does not fulfill the spirit of this requirement.
Participate in the planning and execution of a tour. This could involve a facility tour or it could involve scheduling visits for a group of professional, including international groups.
Travel with an extension specialist on assignment for at least three days, which need not be consecutive.
Assist in responding to requests for horticultural or natural resources information from extension agents.

III. Public Service

Presenting programs or developing materials for public or private schools, including preschools in your field of study.
Presenting programs or developing materials for other educational institutions or groups in your field of study.

The student may undertake an extension activity not described herein subject to approval by his/her major adviser and the director of graduate programs. Waiver of this experience must be requested at the time that the plan of study is submitted, and it will only be approved for students with extensive backgrounds in extension. Waiver requests submitted near the completion of a student's degree will not be considered. Students who pursue both the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees are only required to fulfill this requirement during their M.S. program.