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two scientists inspecting a fruit plant in a greenhouse. they are wearing lab coats and protective gloves

MSc & PhD in Plant Agriculture (Thesis/Research)

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  3. MSc & PhD in Plant Agriculture (Thesis/Research)

Research the cornerstone of life on earth.

The M.Sc. and PhD in Plant Agriculture are offered through the Department of Plant Agriculture, a research-intensive department focused on horticultural crops, turfgrass, landscape species and field crops. Research in the department is divided into four areas: Plant Biochemistry and Physiology, Plant Breeding and Genetics, Crop Production Systems, and Bioproducts.

Best in Canada

Study in Canada’s largest and most diverse applied plant biology department.

Elevate your impact

Broaden your high-paying career options by achieving a graduate degree. M.Sc. and Ph.D. graduates in plant science are highly sought after by Canadian and international employers.

Research-based studies

Alongside faculty members and other students, you will develop, conduct and publish impactful research focused on your area of plant interest.

Excellent facilities

Conduct your research in excellent research facilities and equipment, including plant growth facilities, plots, fields and greenhouses.

Leading research centres

Work alongside and in the Bioproduct Discovery and Development Centre, Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farming, Gosling Research Institute for Plant Preservation, Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility, and Guelph Turfgrass Institute.

Research plots across Ontario

Access 17 field research stations (multiple soil types and heat unit zones) across Ontario.

This program is offered in-person at either our Guelph campus or Ridgetown Campus, depending on your supervising faculty member.

Program Brochure
Cost of Tuition/Living
Students at table with laptops look to prof speaking at front of room

More information on courses and admission requirements can be found here.

Plant Agriculture Graduate Calendar

Hear from Our Alumni and Professors

Karthika Sriskantharajah conducting research in a lab

Being an international student, I found the faculty to be very supportive. They assist each student by designing a career path to help shape their future.
Karthika Sriskantharajah, AlumniPhD in Plant Agriculture
Mary Ruth smiles and laughs

I work mostly on diseases and some of them can lead up to one-hundred percent crop loss, so it's really important to have effective environmentally friendly, sustainable methods to manage those risks to crops.
Dr. Mary Ruth McDonald, FacultyProfessor, Department of Plant AgricultureHear more from Dr. McDonald
Darren Robinson in black dress shirt

The biggest advantage of being stationed at the Ridgetown Campus is that the research facilities, the research land, all the equipment that we use, is within minutes of our offices and the buildings that we work out of. It allows us to be very flexible with establishment of our research studies.
Dr. Darren Robinson, FacultyProfessor, Department of Plant AgricultureHear more from Dr. Robinson
Max Jones in blue dress shirt

Graduate students in my lab work on a wide range of things. Some are working on regeneration from single cells. Some are working on optimizing conditions for medicinal plant production. Some are working on conservation of endangered species. It's important to preserve plants because with climate change, a lot of them are facing the threat of extinction.
Dr. Max JonesProfessor, Department of Plant AgricultureHear more from Dr. Jones

How to Apply

As part of the application requirements, you are required to secure a faculty advisor to supervise your program. Our faculty profiles describe research programs in more detail and can be found in the Department of Plant Agriculture website. Contact the faculty member you are interested in working with to discuss potential research opportunities. We recommend connecting via email.

  • The MSc program requires a Baccalaureate degree in an honours plant science/ biology program, or equivalent, from a recognized university or college with at least a B average over the last two years of full-time study (or equivalent).
  • The PhD program requires a MSc degree by thesis in a field appropriate to the proposed area of specialization with a minimum B average.
  • View the full admission requirements here.

There are no deadlines as applications are accepted at any time for Fall, Winter and Summer semester entry.

More details on the U of G graduate program application process here.

  • We encourage international applicants to apply well in advance of the posted deadlines to allow sufficient time to arrange for any necessary documentation ie. transcripts.
  • If your first language is not English, you will be required to submit the results of a standardized language test. Please refer to the Office of Graduate Studies website for the required English Language Proficiency acceptable tests and required scores.
  • More resources for international applicants are available on the U of G Graduate & Postdoctoral website.

Additional Options

You may also be interested in Environmental Science (Thesis/Research); Food Science (Thesis/Research)

OAC Grad Studies Viewbook

Contact

For questions on applying and admissions, contact:

Tara Israel
Department of Plant Agriculture
pagrad@uoguelph.ca
519-824-4120, Ext. 56077

For questions on graduate program options, contact:

Leigh West
Ontario Agricultural College (OAC)
lewest@uoguelph.ca
519-824-4120 Ext. 52101

Moving from the University of Saskatchewan to University of Guelph was a difficult decision for me, especially because I was moving to a place where I didn’t know anyone. Fortunately, one of the first things I recognized upon moving here is the sense of community that is fostered across campus.
William KramerMeet William, M.Sc. in Plant Agriculture
Hear more from William