Department of Crop & Soil Sciences

Crop Science specialization areas include Plant Genetics and Crop Breeding, Crop Physiology, and Crop Ecology, Management and Production. While students may elect to specialize in one area, excellent opportunities are available for the development of graduate research projects integrating two or more areas.

Soils may be studied either as natural bodies or as a medium for chemical and biochemical interactions for transport of water, solutes and heat, and for plant growth. Washington State University is located in one of the best geographical areas in the world for the study of soils as naturally occurring bodies. Graduate programs are usually designed to specialize in the physical, chemical, biological, mineralogical, geomorphological, or fertility aspects of the soil system.

The Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture provides post-baccalaureate students with an interdisciplinary understanding of practices and current issues in sustainable agriculture, along with the science that makes it work.  Students who earn the Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture may take these skills into all industries and agencies involved in the food chain; from production, processing, and delivery to policy, regulation, and education.