Plant Biology - PhD

We offer three graduate degrees in plant biology: a doctorate (Ph.D.), a thesis master’s degree (M.S.), and a non-thesis master’s degree (M.R.).

The plant biology graduate faculty is a diverse, active, collegial, and well-funded group representing vast research approaches in plant biology, from molecules to ecosystems. We engage in interdisciplinary research projects and collaborate with faculty members in many departments across NC State. Our plant biologists (including USDA-ARS scientists) can be found the Departments of Crop and Soil Sciences, Horticultural Science, Molecular and Structural Biochemistry, Entomology and Plant Pathology, and Forestry and Environmental Resources. We also have several associate faculty members from agricultural biotechnology companies located in the Research Triangle.

Our graduate students benefit from this wide scope of plant biology research at NC State and the broader research community at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and Duke University. They have the opportunity to conduct research in diverse areas of contemporary plant biology such as plant genomics, cell biology, plant-microbe interactions, and conservation biology, among others.

The Doctor of Philosophy is the highest degree we offer in the plant biology graduate program. Our goal is to produce independent research scientists who will contribute fundamental knowledge to the world or who will become leaders in government and industry laboratories.