*NEW: TA assistantships are available in the Department of Horticulture. Please contact Prof. Laura Jull for more information: lgjull@wisc.edu, or 262-1450.

The Department of Horticulture at the University of Wisconsin has an active graduate program leading towards Masters and Ph.D. degrees. Faculty and graduate students work on a wide range of research projects in horticulture ranging from applied weed management, floriculture and woody ornamentals, vegetable crop breeding and production, fruit crop breeding and production, physiology, evolution, biochemistry, bioinformatics, and basic plant development. For more information about graduate research opportunities, please see Graduate Study and Research coordinator Patrick Krysan.

It is important to note that acceptance into the graduate program is contingent upon identifying, and being accepted by, a faculty mentor. Once your application has been received, it will be circulated to those faculty who are looking for graduate students. These faculty may contact you directly, and this begins the process of identifying a faculty mentor. You should feel free to contact faculty members directly and ask them about their research interests and their plans to bring new graduate students to campus. Some of our students are supported by some type of financial aid, such as research or teaching assistantships, however it is important to note that these are highly competitive and are awarded to top applicants based on merit and scholarly achievement. More detailed information about financial aid is available at Scholarships.

For more information about graduate applications, please see the Department of Horticulture's Graduate Admissions Page and the Graduate School's Admissions Page.

Graduate study in the Department of Horticulture requires a combination of research, advanced coursework, and participation in seminars. Independent research is usually initiated soon after arrival. At the end of the first semester all candidates need to file specific coursework. Doctoral candidates must pass a Preliminary Examination demonstrating their breadth and depth of preparation. Frequent colloquia by distinguished scientists help keep students and faculty in touch with advances in all aspects of the plant sciences.

Research by the faculty addresses issues mainly in five basic areas. For ease of presentation, the summaries of faculty research given by faculty are organized into these five areas as well as listings under each individual faculty. Please note that many faculty and students collaborate closely within and between areas of study.

Vegetable Crop Production & Improvement
Fruit Crop Production & Improvement
Floriculture & Woody Ornamentals breeding, production, and management
Turf Management
Plant Molecular Biology, Genomics, and Genetics
New: Organic Sustainable Production

For students with research interests that extend into other fields besides Horticulture, there are numerous opportunities for course work, collaborative research, and seminars presented by experts. Interdisciplinary work is encouraged, both within the Department and in combination with other departments or programs, including Agroecology, Agronomy, Bacteriology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Botany, Chemistry, Entomology, Forest and Wildlife Ecology, Genetics, Geology, Physics, Plant Pathology, Plant Breeding/Plant Genetics, Soils.

Students may also want to check out the Office of Graduate Studies and Professional Development website for other valuable information.