17 Best Agriculture Master of Science (MSc) Degree Programs in United States of America (USA) for 2024

The M.S. (Master of Science) degree in Plant Pathology integrates coursework and research at the intersection of the plant, microbial, and environmental sciences. The program includes a wide range of opportunities in areas ranging from applied, field-based disease management research to lab-based approaches aimed at understanding plant pathogens and their interactions with host plants at the molecular level.

This degree produces graduates who are able to identify, formulate, analyze and solve complex biosystems engineering problems by using appropriate tools and techniques, including independent research, and who can effectively communicate to technical and non-technical audiences. Graduates are prepared for employment in national laboratories, industry, and universities, and are able to design, develop, regulate, research, and manage the systems and technologies needed to produce, transport, store and use natural resources to meet humanity’s most fundamental needs such as safe and abundant food, clean water, fiber, and renewable sources of fuel; and bio-based life-enhancing and life-saving products.

The Master of Science in Agricultural and Biological Engineering equips students with the skills to solve problems in agricultural, food, utilization, environmental control and biological systems. This program offers flexibility through several areas of study, allowing students to tailor their education to their unique interests. Regardless of the chosen area of study, all students will experience interdisciplinary coursework combining mathematics; computer science; statistics; engineering mechanics; chemical, civil, electrical and mechanical engineering; animal, crop and food sciences and other relevant domains.

The Master of Science program in agriculture is designed to further develop the technical knowledge and professional training necessary for those preparing for occupations in agriculture and for more advanced graduate studies. The emphasis is on current knowledge and how it may be adapted to future problems of all those engaged in producing, processing, and marketing of agricultural products.

The MS in Agricultural Engineering is oriented toward executing engineering solutions for feed, fiber, and food production problems and/or postharvest processing problems. Problems addressed by this degree are generally at or beyond the field scale; however, solution approaches frequently begin at the bench-scale level.

This interdisciplinary graduate group provides students with knowledge and skills to implement, facilitate, and manage programs that enhance agricultural development, resource management, and rural life, particularly in developing and less-industrialized regions of the world. The program provides both breadth and depth components. The required breadth components provide students with an understanding of international development issues related to agriculture and the environment. These include the history and philosophy of development, leadership and management techniques, fundamentals of crop and livestock farming systems, and agricultural economics. The depth component is acquired through a student’s area of specialization. These may include agricultural and resource economics, agricultural engineering, agronomy, animal science, anthropology, aquaculture, avian sciences, community development, ecology, economics, entomology, environmental design, environmental toxicology, food science, gender, geography, horticulture, nutrition, plant pathology, plant biology, plant protection and pest management, political science, pomology, preventive veterinary medicine, range science, sociology, soil science, sustainable agriculture, vegetable crops, viticulture, and water science. In addition to the Master of Science, the program offers a Certificate in Development Practice. This program is available to registered students in any UC Davis graduate program and includes coursework in international development, energy production and use in developing countries, entrepreneurship, human nutrition, and a development practicum.

Graduate study offered in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences leads to the Master of Science in Plant and Soil Sciences degree with concentrations in Agronomy and also to the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Plant and Soil Sciences with a concentration in Agronomy. The Agronomy graduate program emphasizes research to increase the production efficiency of agronomic crops and improve the quality of food, feed, and fiber.

The MS in Agribusiness focuses on the global competitive environment in food production and agribusiness. The increasing globalization of the food industry has highlighted the need for managers who have experience with the social, cultural, production, and consumption conditions in the major markets of the world. Course topics include accounting, marketing, agricultural marketing, price analysis, supply-chain management, and econometrics.

As a leader in both agriculture and business education, Delaware Valley University is uniquely qualified to offer graduate studies in agribusiness management. Our 11-course, the 33-credit curriculum will fully prepare you for senior management positions in the food and agriculture industries. You will learn from leading professionals, who bring their experience into the classroom, providing relevant examples and case studies.

The Master of Science program is designed to prepare students for advanced positions in the agricultural and biological engineering industry, consulting, and government, as well as for further graduate studies.

The master's degree program in Sustainable Agriculture is designed to produce graduates with the skills needed to succeed and be leaders in a century that will bring significant agriculture changes.

The Department offers the only Plant Pathology graduate program in the state. It is accredited through the Graduate School of the University of Arkansas by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.

Sponsored cooperatively by several departments, the Graduate Group in Horticulture & Agronomy includes faculty involved in a wide range of horticultural and agronomic research areas, including faculty in the Departments of Plant Sciences, Entomology, Environmental Science and Policy, Land, Air and Water Resources, Plant Biology, Plant Pathology, and Viticulture and Enology.

In this program, students gain advanced knowledge of plant pathology, including physiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology of plant pathogens or host-pathogen interactions; the biology and ecology of plant pathogens; epidemiology and modeling of plant diseases; and the diagnosis and control of plant diseases, including chemical, biological and integrated methods of control.

The MS degree program is offered under either Plan A (thesis) or Plan B (non-thesis). A total of 30 credit hours are required for each degree option. An advisory committee composed of at least three members of the graduate faculty guides the student. For a general description of these options, see the requirements for each option below.

Graduate study is offered in the Department of Forestry leading to the degrees of Master of Science in forestry and Doctor of Philosophy in forest resources. Specialized areas of study include forest business, forest management and economics, forest genetics, forest hydrology and soils, silviculture, forest biometrics, forest photogrammetry and remote sensing, forest tree and seed physiology, forest harvesting, and operations, and forest ecophysiology. The department has an extensive research program within the Mississippi Forest and Wildlife Research Center. This program provides the graduate student with a wide choice of problems for thesis or dissertation research supervised by an experienced faculty. Visit the MSU Online Graduate Catalog for course descriptions and more information.

The Master of Science in Food and Animal Sciences degree is offered with two options, thesis or non-thesis.