Horticulture: Academic Programs: Graduate

Program Guidelines

Graduate Coordinator: Dr. Marc W. van Iersel
Degree Program Assistant: Ms. Susan Ledbetter
Department Head: Dr. Douglas A. Bailey
Revised - June 28, 2007
Printable PDF version

Table of Contents

Program Overview
Admissions
General Information
The Master of Science (M.S.) Degree Program
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Degree Program
Graduate Faculty Members

Introduction

This document was compiled to serve as an introduction and guide to the Graduate Program of the Department of Horticulture at The University of Georgia. Within this document are instructions for admission and the operational procedures and requirements of the department. Included is a checklist describing the steps needed for completing degree requirements. Although some general aspects of admission procedures and graduation requirements are described, it is the responsibility of each graduate student to refer to The University of Georgia Graduate Bulletin. Information in the Graduate Bulletin includes the academic calendar, general university information, degrees, and course listings. In addition, a wealth of information can be obtained by accessing the Graduate School web page at www.gradsch.uga.edu, which provides information on admissions, applications, records and graduation, graduate school forms, and financial aid and awards. Guidelines for Thesis and Dissertations can be found at http://www.uga.edu/gradschool/academics/thesis.html The Department of Horticulture web page provides further information about the department at http://www.hort.uga.edu/.

The University of Georgia has a rich history with the distinction of being the oldest state-chartered university in the United States. Located 70 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta, total enrollment at the university is about 32,000 students (with -6,500 of those being Graduate/Professional students). A profile of the University can be accessed at www.uga.edu where information on the mission, history, facts and visitor information can be obtained

I. Program Overview

The Department of Horticulture offers graduate work leading to the Master of Science (M.S.) and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees. The department has about 40 full-time faculty members located at the Athens, Tifton, and Griffin campuses, the Georgia State Botanical Garden, and various other locations within the University of Georgia Agricultural Experiment Station. Research interests among the faculty span Georgia’s horticultural commodities and the various disciplines of Horticulture. Students can focus on areas of specialization that include plant breeding, plant physiology, plant development, biotechnology, postharvest physiology, nutrition, plant conservation, biochemistry, integrated pest management, weed control, water relations, crop production and management, and product utilization. Active teaching and research programs are being conducted in ornamental horticulture, floriculture, medicinal plants, fruits, vegetables, and nut crops. More information on specific research and teaching interests of the departmental faculty is available on the Department of Horticulture web page at http://www.hort.uga.edu/.

The facilities available for graduate training include plot land, greenhouses and laboratories at three well-equipped Experiment stations, the State Botanical Garden, and several field research centers that represent the climatic areas of the state. The department has strong interdisciplinary research programs with other departments in the University, and cooperative work is also available with a number of federal research laboratories.

Graduate work in Horticulture is designed to develop a high order of independent thought, broad knowledge, and technical skills. The programs for both graduate degrees are planned on an individual basis by the student and his/her advisory committee to complement previous experience and career objectives. The emphasis in graduate work is placed on research, supplemented by courses and seminars. Students who complete our programs are targeted to fill positions in academia, government, international programs, or the private sector. Students are encouraged to participate in the Department’s resident instruction and assist professors in teaching various aspects of our Undergraduate curriculum through classroom lectures, as classroom assistants, or as laboratory assistants.

Admission status, credit requirements, transfer credits accepted, academic standards, residence requirements, and time limits conform to regulations as given by the Graduate School and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Students with strong backgrounds in the biological and/or plant sciences are encouraged to apply.

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II. Admission

Application Materials

The Graduate School at the University of Georgia encourages potential applicants to obtain informational materials or apply to graduate programs on-line at the following website: http://www.grad.uga.edu.

For the on-line application or to request paper application materials, go to the website and click on the Admissions button at the bottom of the screen. Use the scroll-bar to scroll to the bottom of the next page, click on "Proceed with Electronic Application" or "Request Information or Paper Application", and follow the instructions that are provided. A graduate application can be submitted on-line with credit card payment or by printing a voucher and mailing a check or money order to the Office of Graduate Admissions. Downloadable forms are also available at the application website.

If you are unable to obtain the program information by internet, send an email request to gradadm@uga.edu. You may request application materials in a CD-rom format (for both PC and MAC) or in a paper booklet. Your message should include the requested materials, name, complete address, and the graduate programs of interest. Internet requests produce the fastest response; please allow two to three weeks to receive materials from the email request.

Alternatively, the application packet and a copy of The University of Georgia Graduate Bulletin can be obtained from the University of Georgia Graduate School by writing to:

Office of Graduate Admissions
534 Boyd Graduate Studies Research Center
The University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia 30602, U.S.A.

Applicants are responsible for providing for the submission of all application materials required for admission.

The following information must be submitted to the Graduate School:

General Application for admission
Application validation form (if applying electronically)
Two official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
Official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) entrance test scores
Official TOEFL scores (for applicants whose primary language is not English)
Application-processing fee of $50, which may be rendered by personal check, drawn on a U.S. bank, or money order. Applications submitted without the $50.00 fee will not be processed.

The following information should be sent directly to the Department of Horticulture:

At least three letters of recommendation with a completed Graduate School Letter of Recommendation form
A statement of purpose which outlines the reasons for wishing to pursue an advanced degree, interests, and goalss

Admission Standards

Applicants applying for the M.S. degree are expected to hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. Students entering the Ph.D. program generally have an M.S. degree prior to entering our program. Applicants should have ranked in the upper half of their undergraduate class. Graduates of international institutions must hold a degree equivalent of an undergraduate major in the field in which they propose to study.

When an application is received in the Office of Graduate Admissions, a copy of the application and related documents are sent to the Department of Horticulture. Once all relevant materials are received and the application is complete, the applicant’s admission packet is circulated among the Graduate Faculty of the department for evaluation. The Graduate Coordinator then sends to the Graduate School a recommendation of admission or non-admission and other requirements an applicant must fill. The Office of Graduate Admissions has the responsibility of reviewing the recommendation and notifying the applicant that he/she is either approved or denied admission. The Dean of the Graduate School makes the final decision of acceptance or nonacceptance. Upon acceptance by the Graduate School and notification of the Department, a letter will be sent to the successful candidate by the Graduate Coordinator indicating the name of his/her advisor and other pertinent information.

Successful admission into the Department of Horticulture is dependent upon meeting the admission requirements, available space, and the willingness of a Graduate Faculty member to serve as the student’s major professor. It is, therefore, in the applicant’s best interest to review the projects and research interests of the Department’s Graduate Faculty, and enter into some type of correspondence with them if an appropriate match is found. Applicants should indicate a specialty of interest and state their reasons and goals for pursuing an advanced degree in horticulture.

Application Deadlines

The Graduate School sets deadline dates for the receipt of applications and supporting credentials. It is recommended that applicants apply as early as possible up to one year in advance of the desired matriculation date.

Deadline Dates:
Semester	Domestic Applicants	Foreign Applicants
Fall	July 1	April 15
Spring	November 15	October 15
Summer (pre-session)	April 1	--------
Summer (all other sessions)	May 1	February 15

Applicants who wish to be considered for University Wide Graduate School assistantship competition, must be admitted as prospective degree candidates by February 15. Therefore, all application admission materials must be received by the Office of Graduate Admissions by January 1 to insure that they are processed in time for the competition.

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III. General Information

Financial Assistance

Financial aid is available to graduate students on a competitive basis in the form of graduate research and teaching assistantships. Stipends are set by the Graduate School. Assistantship awards for students on fiscal year appointments at 40% time for 2007-2008 are $16,068.00 for M.S. candidates and $17, 366.76 for Ph.D. candidates. Students holding at least 1/3 time assistantships pay a reduced matriculation fee of only $25 and a modest student fee (currently $536) each semester. In addition, nonresident fees are waived for graduate assistants.

Funds for graduate student support come from different sources and are available on a competitive basis. Sources include general university awards, departmental assistantships, and sponsored research programs. After acceptance into the graduate program, a student chosen to receive a departmental assistantship will be contacted by their major professor. Grant funds are a potential source of funding for graduate students. It is recommended that prospective students make direct contact with faculty working in their areas of interest regarding potential sources of funding. Each year the Graduate School selects university-wide graduate assistants from a list of highly qualified departmental nominees. Selections are held in early March for the next academic year. Thus applicants who wish to be considered for the Graduate School assistantship competition, must be admitted as prospective degree candidates by February 15. Retention of an assistantship is contingent on a graduate student remaining in good academic standing and the availabilities of budgeted funds.

The graduate school maintains a website listing fellowships, scholarships, and grant opportunities at www.gradsch.uga.edu/announcements/fellowships.htm.

Graduate Student Files

Graduate student files are maintained in the Horticulture main office. The Graduate Coordinator and Degree Program Assistant are responsible for their safekeeping.

Graduate Coordinator

The Graduate Coordinator is appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School upon the recommendation and approval of the department head and academic dean. The coordinator acts as a liaison between the Graduate School and Department of Horticulture. The Graduate Coordinators' duties are to:

Sign documents regarding graduate student activities
Maintain official departmental graduate student documents
Recommend and assign Major Professors
Supervise and coordinate graduate student activities for the Department

Major Professor

A faculty member is assigned by the Graduate Coordinator to serve as Major Professor for each graduate student. The Major Professor for an M.S. candidate must be a full or provisional member of the Department of Horticulture Graduate Faculty. Only full members of the Graduate Faculty may serve as a Major Professor for Ph.D. candidates. If a student is assigned to a temporary major professor, a permanent major professor must be assigned by the beginning of the second semester of residence.

Responsibilities of the Major Professor are to:

Orient the student upon arrival on campus
Explain general requirements to the student and plan his/her program for the first semester
Explain all policies regarding seminars, office assignments and laboratory procedures
Ensure that the student follows rules and regulations as established by the Graduate School and Department, and that the Program of Study and thesis/dissertation research as approved by the Advisory Committee are followed
Monitor the progress of the student and preside over periodic meetings of the Advisory Committee to assess the graduate student's progress
Assist the student with planning the thesis or dissertation research project
Schedule necessary meetings of the Advisory Committee for all required examinations.

Annual Progress Evaluations

All graduate students are required to have an annual evaluation of progress towards accomplishing their degree objectives. This evaluation will be conducted at least during the first month of the fall semester and more frequently if requested by the student or major professor. If requested by the student or the major professor, the graduate coordinator or department head will be present at this evaluation.

If the major professor intends to rate the progress as unsatisfactory, the major professor has to alert the graduate coordinator and department head in advance, and request the presence of one of them during the evaluation. As part of the evaluation, there need to be clear guidelines as to what the student needs to do to get back on track. This can include specific research tasks to be completed, courses to be taken, and grades to be achieved in particular courses. There also needs to be a clear time line specifying the time frame in which the student has to show adequate progress.

After the evaluation, the major professor and student will sign the evaluation form and send a copy to the graduate coordinator to be included in the student’s file.

If a student receives a grade of ‘U’ in any course, the student will be required to report this to the major professor and graduate coordinator. Any grade of ‘U’ will be followed by a progress evaluation in the first month of the following semester. Failure by the graduate student to report a ’U’ to the major professor and graduate coordinator is grounds for immediate dismissal from the graduate program.

Proficiency Course Requirements

All students admitted to the graduate programs are expected to acquire competence in several areas of general horticulture prior to completion of degree requirements. As a minimum requirement, all students must take or have taken sometime during their undergraduate/graduate career the following courses.

one graduate or undergraduate course in a commodity area.
Examples of courses satisfying this requirement are as follows:
- Fruit HORT 3020, 4020/6020
- Vegetable HORT 3010
- Ornamental HORT 3140, 3500, 3720, 4050/6050, 4060/6060
one graduate or undergraduate course in a minimum of 4 of the following 6 subject areas: soils, plant pathology, entomology, genetics, botany, and plant physiology. Previous course work will suffice at the discretion of the Advisory Committee.

Course Registration

A full-time course load is 12 hours per semester during the academic year and 9 hours during the summer semester. The maximum semester course load for any student is 18 hours per semester (6 hours during Maymester session). The minimum course load that a graduate student must enroll in is affected by whether the student is on a graduate assistantship or not. Students who do not have an assistantship must register for a minimum of 3 hours. Students on a graduate assistantship must register for a minimum of 12 hours during Fall and Spring semester, and a minimum of 9 hours during Summer session.

Departmental Seminar

All graduate students are expected to attend the regularly scheduled departmental seminar series. Exceptions are those students who have a conflict in class scheduling. Students who cannot attend seminar should notify the graduate coordinator to this effect.

Record of Research Data

All research data obtained by graduate students are the permanent property of the Department of Horticulture and should be so regarded. Methods of recording and filing data should be specified in the research proposal.

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IV. The Master of Science (M.S.) Degree Program

Advisory Committee

An advisory committee for each graduate student must be appointed before the end of the first semester of residency. The advisory committee must be approved by the graduate coordinator and is appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School. The three-member advisory committee will consist of the major professor (who will act as chairperson) and two additional members. The major professor and at least one other committee person must be members (or provisional members) of the Graduate Faculty. Only faculty members of the rank of Assistant Professor or above, or equivalent, are allowed to serve as committee members. At least one member of the committee must reside outside of the Department of Horticulture.

For appointment of the Advisory Committee, an official form must be filed with the Graduate School (see Form A, "The Advisory Committee for Master of Arts and Master of Science Candidates"). Following deliberations with the Major Professor, the student should verify that selected faculty are willing to serve. The form must be filled out by the student, then signed by the Graduate Coordinator who will submit it to the Graduate School. If any changes are made in the composition of the Advisory Committee, the Graduate School must be notified by filing a revised Advisory Committee form.

The Advisory Committee is required to hold a meeting before the end of the first year of residency. Other functions of the committee are to plan and approve the Program of Study, read and approve the thesis, and administer the final examination.

Program of Study

Each student must complete a program of study that constitutes a logical whole. The program of study must consist of at least 30 semester hours of graduate credit. At least 24 semester hours must be in course work; no more than 6 hours of research (7000 or 7300) can be applied to the 30-hour total. At least one half (12 hours) of the course work listed on a program of study must be in courses open only to graduate students. These hours cannot be satisfied by transfer credit, master's research or independent study courses.

Specific course requirements include:

3 semester hours of HORT 7300
1 semester hour of HORT 8000 (seminar). This course is offered during the Spring semester and includes aspects of effective seminar presentation.
STAT 6220 or STAT 6320 or higher
A graduate level chemistry/biochemistry course
Completion of any proficiency courses for students lacking previous horticulture experience (see pg. 10)

The Program of Study should be submitted on the appropriate form (see Form B "Program of Study for Master of Arts and Master of Science"). The program of study must be approved by the student's major professor, advisory committee, department graduate coordinator and dean of the graduate school. This should be completed by Friday of the second full week of classes of the semester in which degree requirements are completed. Courses should be listed in the order taken. 6000- and 7000- level courses open only to graduate students should be designated by an asterisk. No grade below "C" is acceptable for a course included on a program of study. (Note the Advisory Committee form must be submitted before or with this program of study). Changes made in the Program of Study should be reported to the Graduate School (see Form C "Recommended Change in Program of Study").

Research Prospectus

Each student is required to prepare a written research prospectus describing the proposed independent research to be conducted for the thesis work. The prospectus must be approved by the Advisory Committee. A copy is to be placed in the student's departmental file and becomes a permanent part of his/her record. The Prospectus must be completed before significant research is undertaken, and no later than the end of the first year of residency.

Residency Requirement

Minimum residency requirement is one academic year (two consecutive semesters of full-time study).

Grade Average

A student must maintain a 3.0 (B) average on the graduate transcript and a 3.0 (B) average on the program of study.

Application for Graduation

The student must submit an Application for Graduation form (see Form D ) no later than two full semesters in advance of anticipated graduation. If a student does not graduate in the semester designated on the graduation application, the Records and Graduation Office should be notified of the new date intended for graduation. Notification can be done either by letter, by submitting a "Graduation Change Form" (see Form E), or by using OASIS.

Thesis Approval

The fully corrected thesis must be prepared in accordance with the guidelines established by the graduate school and submitted to the Graduate Dean for signing. The thesis shall be written under the guidance of the student's Major Professor, and may be written in either traditional or manuscript style. With both styles, there must be an introduction and a literature review with the purposes of defining problems, presenting hypotheses or theories, stating objectives, and thoroughly reviewing pertinent literature. Both styles also require a concluding chapter or section which unifies preceding chapters or sections. Complete guidelines for thesis preparation can be found at http://www.uga.edu/gradschool/academics/thesis.html.

Approval and processing of the thesis should proceed as in the parts designated in the "Approval Form for Master's Thesis, Defense, and Final Examination Master of Arts and Master of Science Candidates" (see Form F). Upon approval by the Major Professor, copies of the thesis will be distributed to the rest of the Advisory Committee (Part I). The advisory committee must approve the thesis with no more than one dissenting vote and must certify their approval in writing (Part II). An absentation is not an appropriate vote for the thesis.

Final Examination

A final examination on both the program of study and the thesis is required and will be administered by the Advisory Committee (Part III of Form F). Defense of the thesis will be by an oral examination. All members of the advisory committee must be present for the entire defense, and the committee must approve the defense with no more than one dissenting vote. If a committee member cannot be physically present, the absentee member may participate via a teleconference in which all participants can hear each person's comments. The chair of the committee must register the vote and indicate that member's participation was by teleconference. The graduate school must receive the Final Defense Approval form no later than two weeks prior to graduation. The thesis will obtain final approval after suggested changes are completed (Part IV).

Submission of Thesis

One complete formatted copy of the thesis must be electronically submitted to the Graduate School no later than four weeks prior to graduation for a format check. All requirements for the thesis must be complete no later than one full week prior to graduation. The graduate school will not accept thesis for format checking or the Dean's approval between the last day of classes and late registration of the following term. An Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) Submission Approval Form must be completed by the student and major professor regarding different release options of the thesis on the web.

Department Exit Seminar

Students are required to present an exit seminar on their thesis research. The seminar is to be scheduled and notification given to the graduate coordinator at least two weeks prior to presentation. The seminar will be announced to all students, faculty, and staff members of the department. Students are encouraged to present their exit seminar as part of the Horticulture Department seminar series if possible.

Checklist for the M.S. Degree

A checklist has been provided to assist each student in the steps required to complete their degree program (view checklist). An up-to-date version of the checklist should be maintained in the graduate student's departmental file with the date of completion for each of the requirements filled in. The checklist is not meant to be all inclusive. It is the student's final responsibility to refer to the Graduate Bulletin and to comply with all regulations as defined by the Graduate School.

Graduate School Forms

All official Graduate School forms are accessible electronically here. The graduate school will not accept hand-written forms as official. Forms should be keyed in on-screen and then printed out for signatures. All names must be typed on the forms below or next to the actual signature. Copies of some of the commonly used forms for the M.S. degree follow. When turning in a form, access the most current version directly from the graduate school website.

Form A. Advisory Committee for Master of Arts and Master of Science Candidates
Form B. Program of Study for Master of Arts and Master of Science Candidates
Form C. Recommended Change in Program of Study
Form D. Application for Graduation
Form E. Graduation Change Form
Form F. Approval Form for Master's Thesis, Defense, and Final Examination Master of Arts and Master of Science Candidates [includes a page for Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) Submission Approval Form].

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V. The Ph.D. Degree Program

Advisory Committee

An Advisory Committee must be appointed by the end of the first year of residence. The Horticulture Department requires the advisory committee to be composed of at least five members. A minimum of three members must be graduate faculty, including the student's major professor who will serve as the chair of the committee. Two members must be from outside the Horticulture Department. The committee may include one non-UGA faculty, who must hold the Ph.D. degree. The Advisory Committee, in consultation with the student, is responsible for planning the student's program, choosing a subject for the dissertation, and arranging and administering preliminary written and oral examinations.

For appointment of the Advisory Committee, an official form must be filed with the Graduate School (see Form G, "Advisory Committee for Doctoral Candidates"). Following deliberations with the Major Professor, the student should verify that selected faculty are willing to serve. The form must be filled out by the student, then signed by the Graduate Coordinator who will submit it to the Graduate School. If any changes are made in the composition of the Advisory Committee, the Graduate School must be notified by filing a revised Advisory Committee form.

Program of Study

A preliminary Program of Study, developed by the Major Professor and the doctoral student and approved by a majority of the Advisory Committee, will be submitted to the Graduate Coordinator by the end of the student's first year of residence. The program of study is a list of the proposed courses the student plans to take to support his/her research. It should include 16 or more hours of 8000- and 9000-level courses (in addition to research and independent study). In addition, all students are expected to acquire competence in general horticulture and are required to have satisfied proficiency course requirements (see pg. 10). The "Preliminary Doctoral Program of Study" form (see Form H) requires approval signatures from the Advisory Committee members. This form is for departmental use only and should not be sent to the Graduate School. A copy is to be kept in the student's departmental file.

A final Program of Study must be submitted to the Graduate School for approval of the Dean of the graduate school by the time the notification of the oral comprehensive examination is given. The final Program of Study must be submitted on the proper form ("Final Doctoral Program of Study" see Form I) for approval by the Advisory Committee, Graduate Coordinator, and the Dean of the Graduate School. The final Program of Study must show all graduate courses relevant to the doctoral program (including courses from the master's degree and courses transferred from other universities), and not just courses satisfying the minimum degree requirement. Courses should be listed in the order taken. No grade below a "C" is acceptable for a course included in the program of study. To be eligible to graduate, a student must maintain a 3.0 grade point average on all courses on the Program of Study and on all graduate courses taken. Changes made in the Program of Study should be reported to the Graduate School (see Form J "Recommended Change in Program of Study").

Additional requirements for the Program of Study include:

A minimum of 30 semester hours of course work beyond the M.S. program, three hours of which are doctoral dissertation, of which 16 or more hours are of
8000- and 9000- level courses. 6000 or 7000 level courses that are open to graduate students only and research (HORT 9000) and dissertation hours (HORT 9300) do NOT count towards these 16 hours of 8000- and 9000- level courses.
1 hour of HORT 8000 (seminar). The requirement is satisfied if it was taken at UGA in the M.S. program.
STAT 6220 or STAT 6320 of higher (satisfied if taken during the M.S. degree).
A graduate level chemistry/biochemistry course (satisfied if taken during the M.S. degree).
Completion of proficiency course requirements for students lacking previous horticulture experience (see Proficiency Course Requirements).

Research Prospectus

The dissertation must represent originality in research, independent thinking, scholarly ability, and technical mastery of a field of study. The Major Professor and Advisory Committee shall guide the student in dissertation planning. The student is required to prepare a dissertation prospectus which provides an introduction, rationale, and description of the proposed research to be conducted. The prospectus must be formally considered by the Advisory Committee in a meeting with the student. Approval of the dissertation prospectus signifies that members of the Advisory Committee believe that it proposes a satisfactory research study. The prospectus must be presented to and approved by the Advisory Committee before significant research is undertaken. A copy of the approved prospectus must be placed in the student's departmental file and becomes a permanent part of his/her record.

Residency Requirement

At least two consecutive semesters of full time work must be spent in resident study on this campus (i.e., enrollment for a minimum of 30 hours of consecutive work included on the program of study).

Comprehensive Examinations

A student must pass comprehensive written and oral examinations before being admitted to candidacy. The written comprehensive examination consists of questions submitted by each of the Advisory Committee members. The Major Professor is responsible for administering the exam. Typically, the student will answer the sections of the exam from each of the committee members on successive days. Answers will be evaluated by the individual questioners. Each committee member will indicate to the Major Professor whether the exam questions were passed or failed. The committee must approve the exam with no more than one dissenting vote.

The Preliminary Oral Examination is given following the successful completion of the written examination. At least two weeks prior to the examination, The Graduate Coordinator must notify the Graduate School by letter of the date, time, and place of the Oral Preliminary Examination. The Graduate Coordinator will notify the Graduate School and the Department upon instruction of the Major Professor. All of the members of the advisory committee must be present for the entire defense. If necessary a committee member may participate by teleconference in which all participants can hear each person's comments. The chair of the committee must register the vote and indicate that member's participation was by teleconference. The examination is open to all members of the faculty and shall be announced by the Graduate School. The committee must approve the examination with no more than one dissenting vote.

The Graduate School will provide an official form, "Report of the Written and Oral Comprehensive Examination" after the Graduate Coordinator notifies the Graduate School of the time and place of the oral examination. The results of both examinations must be reported to the Graduate School on this form within two weeks after the date of the oral exam.

Admission to Candidacy

The student is responsible for initiating the application for admission to candidacy. The application should be filed with the dean of the Graduate School at least two semesters before the date of graduation. This application certifies that the candidate has demonstrated the ability to do acceptable graduate work in his/her field. In addition the following criteria must be met:

The final Program of Study has been officially approved by the Advisory Committee, graduate coordinator and graduate dean.
An average of 3.0 (B) or higher has been maintained on all graduate courses taken, and that no course with a grade below C has been accepted as part of the Program of Study.
The Research Skills requirement has been met.
All prerequisites set as a condition to admission and proficiency course requirements have been completed.
Written and Oral Examinations have been passed and reported to the Graduate School.
The Advisory Committee, including any changes in the membership, is confirmed.
The Residency requirement has been met.

The appropriate form to file with the Graduate School is the "Application for Admission to Candidacy for Doctoral Degrees" form (see form K). Signatures are required of the Major Professor and Graduate Coordinator before submission to the Graduate School.

After Admission to Candidacy, the student must register for at least two more semesters and a total minimum of ten hours of dissertation or other appropriate credit. A student must register for a minimum of 3 hours credit in any semester when using University facilities and/or staff time.

Application for Graduation

A student must complete the application for graduation with the Graduate School at least two full semesters prior to graduation. The appropriate form is the "Application for Graduation" form (see Form L). If a student does not graduate in the semester designated on the graduation application, the Records and Graduation Office should be notified of the new date intended for graduation. Notification can be done either by letter, by submitting a "Graduation Change Form" (see Form M), or by using OASIS.

Department Dissertation Seminar

Students are required to present an exit seminar on their dissertation research. The seminar is to be scheduled and notification given to the graduate coordinator at least two weeks prior to presentation. The seminar will be announced to all students, faculty, and staff members of the department. Students are encouraged to present their exit seminar as part of the Horticulture Department seminar series.

Dissertation Approval and Defense

The dissertation must be prepared in accordance with the guidelines established by the graduate school and submitted to the Graduate Dean for signing. The dissertation shall be written under the guidance of the student's Major Professor, and may be written in either traditional or manuscript style. With both styles, there must be an introduction and a literature review with the purposes of defining problems, presenting hypotheses or theories, stating objectives, and thoroughly reviewing pertinent literature. Both styles also require a concluding chapter or section which unifies preceding chapters or sections. Complete guidelines for thesis preparation can be found at http://www.uga.edu/gradschool/academics/thesis.html.

Approval and processing of the thesis should proceed as designated in the "Approval Form for Doctoral Dissertation and Final Oral Examination" (see Form N). Upon approval by the Major Professor, copies of the thesis will be distributed to the rest of the Advisory Committee (Part I), and the Major Professor will schedule a final oral defense and notify the Graduate School. Three weeks must be allowed for members of the Advisory Committee to read the dissertation. The Graduate School will subsequently notify the University community of the date, time and location of the defense.

The Advisory Committee members must approve the dissertation with no more than one dissenting vote, and must certify their approval in writing, before a dissertation will be deemed as ready for a final defense (Part II). If the advisory committee declines to approve the dissertation, the Major Professor will notify the student and the Graduate School.

Oral Defense and Final Examination. The final defense of the dissertation will be chaired by the Major Professor and attended by all members of the Advisory Committee. The committee must approve the oral defense and examination with no more than one dissenting vote (Part III). All of the members of the advisory committee must be present for the entire defense. If necessary a committee member may participate by teleconference in which all participants can hear each person's comments. The chair of the committee must register the vote and indicate that member's participation was by teleconference.

Final approval of the dissertation is complete when the suggested changes of the Advisory Committee have been incorporated. The dissertation must be submitted to the Graduate School for final approval no later than the last day of classes of the following semester. If this deadline is missed, the dissertation must be defended again and re approved by the Advisory Committee.

One complete formatted copy of the dissertation must be electronically submitted to the graduate school for a format check no later than four weeks prior to graduation. The Graduate School will not accept dissertations for format checking or the Dean's approval between the last day of classes and late registration of the following term. The graduate school must receive the Final Defense Approval form and an electronic submission of the corrected dissertation no later than two weeks prior to graduation.

An Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) Submission Approval Form must be completed by the student and major professor regarding different release options of the thesis on the web. The Graduate School will electronically submit the official copy of the dissertation to the main library for archiving. A student must enroll for a minimum of three hours of credit the semester in which graduation requirements are met.

Checklist for the Ph.D. Degree

Graduate School Forms

All official Graduate School forms are accessible electronically here. The graduate School will not accept hand-written documents as official. Forms should be keyed in on-screen and then printed out for signatures. All names must be typed on the forms below or next to the actual signatures. Copies of some of the commonly used forms for the M.S. degree follow. When turning in a form, access the most current version directly from the Graduate School website.

Form G. Advisory Committee for Doctoral Candidates
Form H. Preliminary Doctoral Program of Study
Form I. Final Doctoral Program of Study
Form J. Recommended Change in Program of Study
Form K. Application for Admission to Candidacy Doctoral Degree
Form L. Application for Graduation
Form M. Graduation Change Form
Form N. Approval Form for Doctoral Dissertation and Final Oral Examination [includes a page for Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) Submission Approval Form]

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VI. Graduate Faculty

In order to serve as a Major Professor to an M.S. student, a Faculty member must be appointed as a provisional or regular member of the Graduate Faculty. Faculty are required to have a regular Graduate Faculty appointment in order to serve as a major professor to doctoral students and to teach research-oriented, advanced graduate courses. Faculty in the Department of Horticulture currently holding Graduate Faculty appointments are listed below with a brief description of their research interests.

AFFOLTER, JAMES M. (Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1983)
Associate Professor, Director of Research for the State Botanical Garden
The State Botanical Garden of Georgia
2450 South Milledge Avenue, Athens, GA 30605-1624
Phone: 706-542-6144; Fax: 706-542-3091; E-mail: affolter@uga.edu
Dr. Affolter's research interests include plant conservation, medicinal and aromatic plants, and systematics of the Apiaceae (parsley family). In addition to working with rare and endangered species native to the southeastern United States, he maintains a long-term collaboration with a botanical garden in Cordoba, Argentina to promote sustainable harvest and production of herbs endangered by over-collection for commercial use.

ARMITAGE, ALLAN M. (Ph.D., Michigan State, 1980)
Professor, Floriculture Physiology
Department of Horticulture, University of Georgia
1111 Plant Science Building, Athens, GA 30602-7273
Phone: 706-542-2471; Fax: 706-542-0624; E-mail: armitage@uga.edu
Dr. Armitage is well known as a writer, speaker and researcher throughout the world. His research is in the area of environmental physiology of greenhouse crops, with emphasis on new crops for the greenhouse and landscape industry. His new crops include Verbena ‘Homestead Purple', Ipomoea ‘Margaurita' and Coleus ‘Sun Lover' series as well as Rosmarinus ‘Athens Blue Spires'. He teaches courses in herbaceous plant identification and greenhouse crop production.

BAILEY, DOUGLAS A. (Ph.D., Purdue University, 1986)
Department Head
Professor, Floriculture Physiology
Department of Horticulture, University of Georgia
1111 Plant Science Building, Athens, GA 30602-7273
Phone: 706-542-0789; Fax: 706-542-0624; E-mail: dabailey@uga.edu
Dr. Bailey's general research interests lie in the area of floriculture crop physiology and plant growth regulator applications in floriculture production. His specific research expertise is flowering physiology of florists' hydrangea.

BOYHAN, GEORGE E. (Ph.D., Auburn University, 1994)
Associate Professor, Extension Horticulturist-Vegetables
East Georgia Extension Center Nessmith-Lane Continuing Education Bldg. 2nd Floor Statesboro, GA 30460
Phone: 912-681-5639; Fax: 912-681-0376;
E-mail: gboyhan@uga.edu
Dr. Boyhan's research and extension duties include Vidalia onions, cucurbits (watermelon, cantaloupes, etc.), commercial organic production, and greenhouse vegetable production including transplant vegetables.

CONNER, PATRICK, J. (Ph.D., Cornell University, 1996)
Assistant Professor, Pecan Physiology
Department of Horticulture, Coastal Plain Experiment Station Tifton GA 31793
Phone: 229-386-3903; Fax: 229-386-3356;
E-mail: pconner@tifton.cpes.peachnet.edu
Dr. Conner's research focuses on the breeding and genetics of pecan. The main goal of the breeding program is to produce new cultivars with high levels of disease and insect resistance combined with improved horticultural characteristics. The program is actively exploring the use of molecular markers as a selection tool on juvenile seedlings and as a method to elucidate the inheritance of many traits. Research is also being conducted on race-specific resistance to pecan scab.

CZARNOTA, MARK A. (Ph.D., Cornell University, 2001)
Assistant Professor, Weed Science
Department of Horticulture, University of Georgia
1109 Experiment Street, Griffin, GA 30223
Phone: 770-228-7398; Fax: 770-412-4764; E-mail: mac@griffin.uga.edu
Dr. Czarnota has a 75% extension and 25% research position, and is responsible for weed control in ornamental, Christmas trees, and Floriculture. His extension and research program are involved in answering important weed control issues in the nursery / landscape, Christmas tree, and floriculture industries. Research interests also include herbicide development, allelopathy, adjuvant technology, invasive weeds, and weed control issues in the blueberry industry.

DIAZ PEREZ, JUAN CARLOS (Ph.D., University of California, Davis, 1994)
Assistant Professor, Vegetable Crops
Department of Horticulture, Coastal Plain Experiment Station
Tifton, GA 31793
Phone: 229-391-6861; Fax: 229-386-3356;
E-mail: jcdiaz@tifton.cpes.peachnet.edu
Dr. Diaz Perez conducts research is on cultural management, with emphasis on plasticulture, drip irrigation and compost utilization of solanaceous crops and onion. He also studies whole-plant environmental physiology of vegetable crops, particularly heat and water stress responses.

KAYS, STANLEY J. (Ph.D., Michigan State University, 1971)
Professor, Pre-and Postharvest Physiology
Department of Horticulture, University of Georgia
1111 Plant Science Building, Athens, GA 30602-7273
Phone: 706-542-2471; Fax: 706-542-0624; E-mail: kaysstan@uga.edu
Dr. Kays conducts research on flavor and insect resistance chemistry, developmental physiology of vegetable crops, and postharvest physiology of horticultural products. He teaches courses in postharvest physiology.

KNAUFT, DAVID A. (Ph.D., Cornell University, 1977)
Professor, Ornamental breeding and genetics
Department of Horticulture, University of Georgia
1111 Plant Science Building, Athens, GA 30602-7273
Phone: 706-542-2471; Fax: 706-542-0624; E-mail: dknauft@uga.edu
Dr. Knauft has both research and teaching responsibilities in the department. His research program will involve development of cultivars for the ornamental industry, focusing on consumer appeal, resistance to biotic and abiotic stress, and adaptability. Further research is planned on improving understanding of invasiveness in the nursery industry. Teaching efforts include outreach programs that place undergraduate and graduate students in public school classrooms to improve science learning. He also teaches organic gardening and plans a course in plant breeding.

LINDSTROM, ORVILLE M. (Ph.D., Minnesota, 1981)
Associate Professor, Stress Physiology, Woody Ornamentals
REI Coordinator
Department of Horticulture, Georgia Experiment Station
Griffin, GA 30223-1797
Phone: 770-228-7244 or 770-228-7295
Fax: 770-412-4764; E-mail: olindst@gaes.griffin.peachnet.edu
Dr. Lindstrom conducts research on the impact of low-temperature stress on woody plants. He works on the development of specific cultural practices to enhance the growth and cold hardiness of woody landscape plants, and the selection of cold hardy taxa of woody landscape plants for homeowners and the nursery industry. He is also developing and refining a model relating cold hardiness of woody landscape plants to environmental variables.

NESMITH, D. SCOTT (Ph.D., Michigan State University, 1990)
Associate Professor, Pomology
Department of Horticulture, Georgia Experiment Station
Griffin, GA 30223-1797
Phone: 770-228-7358; Fax: 770-412-4764;
E-mail: snesmit@gaes.griffin.peachnet.edu
Dr. NeSmith's research is primarily directed toward cultivar development, cultural management, whole plant physiology, and growth regulator usage for blueberries. He also conducts some research with other small fruit crops including muscadine grapes and blackberries.

OZIAS-AKINS, PEGGY (Ph.D., University of Florida, 1981)
Professor, Molecular Biology and Tissue Culture
Department of Horticulture, Coastal Plain Experiment Station
Tifton, GA 31793-5401
Phone: 229-386-3902; Fax: 229-386-3356;
E-mail: ozias@tifton.cpes.peachnet.edu
The research program in Dr. Peggy Ozias-Akins's lab focuses on female reproduction and gene transfer in plants. She has an ongoing molecular marker program to tag and clone the gene(s) for apomixis, asexual reproduction through seed, in order to assist the conventional transfer of apomixis into pearl millet as well as enhance the potential for introduction of this trait across taxonomic boundaries through gene transfer. For more information on Dr. Ozias-Akins' program, see: nespal.cpes.peachnet.edu/research/biotechnology/default.htM

PENNISI, BODIE (Ph.D., University of Florida, 1999)
Assistant Professor, Floriculture
Horticulture-CES, Rural Development Center
Tifton, GA 31793
Phone: 229-386-3410; Fax: 229-386-7374; E-mail: bpennisi@uga.edu
Dr. Pennisi's primary responsibility as an Extension Horticulturist is working with the floriculture industry. Her cultural specialty includes floriculture crop production in greenhouses, tropical foliage plant production, and interior plantscaping. Her research focuses on growth and development of various greenhouse ornamental crops as influenced by various environmental variables and resolving general production problems.

ROBACKER, CAROL D. (Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1981)
Associate Professor, Tissue Culture and Genetics
Department of Horticulture, GA Experiment Station
Griffin, GA 30223-1797
Phone: 770-412-4763; Fax: 770-412-4764;
E-mail: croback@gaes.griffin.peachnet.edu
Dr. Robacker's research area is breeding and genetics of ornamental plants. One of her goals is to develop new cultivars of deciduous and evergreen azaleas with resistance to azalea lace bug, cranberry rootworm and other pests. She is also evaluating landscape plants for tolerance to environmental conditions in Georgia, including heat, cold, and pests. Techniques used to evaluate and develop new cultivars include interspecific hybridization, genetic analysis of segregating progenies from crosses, identification of molecular markers linked to resistance, determination of physiological or morphological basis of resistance, in vitro screening and selection, and mutation breeding techniques.

RUTER, JOHN M. (Ph.D., University of Florida, 1989)
Professor, Ornamentals
Department of Horticulture, Coastal Plain Station
Tifton, GA 31793-0748
Phone: 229-386-3907; Fax: 229-386-3356: Email: ruter@tifton.cpes.peachnet.edu
Dr. Ruter's research focuses on container nursery crop production in the southeast. Research efforts have included evaluation of pot-in-pot production systems and development of containers made from recycled paper. Current research focuses on container nutrition, reducing phosphorus in runoff from container nurseries, decreasing water use or improving water use efficiency in nurseries, heat stress physiology, development of weed control and plant growth regulator programs for container plants, and evaluation of native and exotic plants for Georgia landscapes. A new research program has been initiated to develop Camellia oleifera as a commercial oil crop in the southeast.

SMALLEY, TIMOTHY J. ( Ph.D., University of Georgia, 1988)
Associate Professor, Ornamentals
Department of Horticulture, University of Georgia
1111 Plant Science Building, Athens, GA 30602-7273
Phone: 706-542-0788; Fax: 706-542-0624; E-mail: tsmalley@uga.edu
Dr. Smalley conducts research in the effect of soil amendments (biostimulants, porous ceramics, hydrogel, mycorrhiza, bark, poultry litter, municipal solid waste) on growth and water stress tolerance of ornamental plants. Dr. Smalley teaches Nursery Management, Landscape Contracting, and Horticulture Professionalism. He is the departmental undergraduate, scholarship, internship, and jobs coordinator, and he advises the Hort Club and Landscape Club.

SPARKS, DARRELL (Ph.D., Michigan State University, 1965)
Professor, Pecan Physiology
Department of Horticulture, University of Georgia
1111 Plant Science Building, Athens, GA 30602-7273
Phone: 706-542-2471; Fax: 706-542-0624; E-mail: ds@uga.edu
Dr. Spark's research includes pecan tree physiology with emphasis on fruit set and environmental factors affecting growth and development.

TAYLOR, KATHRYN C. (Ph.D., University of Florida, 1987)
Associate Professor, Stone Fruit Horticulture
Department of Horticulture, University of Georgia
Fruit and Tree Nut Research Laboratory
Byron, GA 31008
Phone: 478-956-6418; Fax: 478-956-6459; Email: kctaylor@uga.edu
Dr. Taylor is the stone fruit specialist for Georgia and is located in the center of the commercial stone fruit industry at the Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut Research Laboratory. Her work is directed at the support of the peach industry in Georgia, the southeast and the U.S. through horticultural research and extension. This includes the development of systems that improve young tree care, optimize yield and fruit quality, insure reliable cropping, and optimize the post-harvest product. How these systems interact with biotic and abiotic factors is also assessed.

THOMAS, PAUL A. (Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University, 1988)
Associate Professor, Floriculture
Department of Horticulture-CES, 224 Hoke Smith Building
University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602
Phone: 706-542-2340; Fax: 706-542-2375; E-mail: pathomas@uga.edu
Dr. Thomas's primary responsibility as an Extension Horticulturist is working with the floriculture industry. His cultural specialty includes greenhouse crop production, annual plant production, herbaceous perennial production and interior plantscaping. He teaches Greenhouse Management and Interiorscaping for upper classman. His research focuses on growth regulation of annuals and perennials, nitrogen effects on bedding plants and resolving general production problems.

VAN IERSEL, MARC (Ph.D., The University of Arkansas, 1994)
Associate Professor, Floriculture
Department of Horticulture, GA Experiment Station
Griffin, GA 30233-1797
Phone: 770-412-4766; Fax: 770-412-4766;
E-mail: mvanier@gaes.griffin.peachnet.edu
Dr. van Iersel conducts research on the physiology of floricultural crops. His main research interests include mineral nutrition and fertigation in greenhouses, photosynthesis, and plant water relations. His research projects include: development of fertilization guidelines for plants grown in closed irrigation systems (ebb-and-flow, flood floor) and the effects of environmental (light, temperature, atmospheric CO2 concentration) and cultural (nutrition) factors on the CO2 exchange rate of crops. He also is involved in a project to look at the use of electrolyzed water on disease suppression in greenhouse crops and cut flowers.

WETZSTEIN, HAZEL Y. (Ph.D., University of California, Davis, 1978)
Professor, Plant Development, Tissue Culture, Plant Reproduction
Department of Horticulture, University of Georgia
1111 Plant Science Building, Athens, GA 30602-7273
Phone: 706-542-0777; Fax: 706-542-0624; E-mail: hywetz@uga.edu
Dr. Wetzstein's interests are in plant growth and developmental biology. Her research interests include cell and tissue culture, somatic embryogenesis, pollination, and reproductive biology. Dr. Wetzstein's laboratory uses in vitro culture for plant conservation, propagation, and plant improvement. Other research includes studies on the effects of agrochemicals on pollination and fruitset, supplemental pollination, flower development, and factors affecting embryogenesis and seed development. Dr. Wetzstein teaches a graduate level course in Plant Growth and Development. She also serves as the departmental Graduate Coordinator.

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