MICROBIOLOGY AND PLANT PATHOLOGY

Subject abbreviation: PLPA College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Katherine A. Borkovich, Ph.D., Chair Department Office, 1234B Genomics

• (800) 735-0717 or (951) 827-2753

microplantpath.ucr.edu

Professors James E. Adaskaveg, Ph.D. Katherine A. Borkovich, Ph.D. James Borneman, Ph.D. Michael D. Coffey, Ph.D. Shou-Wei Ding, Ph.D. Hailing Jin, Ph.D. Howard S. Judelson, Ph.D. A. L. N. Rao, Ph.D. Jason E. Stajich, Ph.D. Georgios Vidalakis, Ph.D.

Professors Emeriti Michael F. Allen, Ph.D. Salomon Bartnicki-Garcia, Ph.D. Donald A. Cooksey, Ph.D. J. Allan Dodds, Ph.D. Dennis D. Focht, Ph.D. John A. Menge, Ph.D. Howard Ohr, Ph.D. Joseph S. Semancik, Ph.D. Michael E. Stanghellini, Ph.D. Peter H. Tsao, Ph.D. Seymour D. Van Gundy, Ph.D. (Plant Pathology and Microbiology/Nematology)

Associate Professors James Ng, Ph.D. Caroline Roper, Ph.D.

Assistant Professors Emma Aronson, Ph.D. Patrick Degnan, Ph.D. Emma Gachomo, Ph.D. Sydney I. Glassman, Ph.D. Rong Hai, Ph.D. Ansel Hsiao, Ph.D. Patricia Manosalva, Ph.D. Juliet Morrison, Ph.D.

Lecturers J. Ole Becker, Ph.D. (Nematology) Alexander Putman, Ph.D. Antoon T. Ploeg, Ph.D. Andreas Westphal, Ph.D.

Affiliated Faculty Xuemei Chen, Ph.D. (Botany and Plant Sciences) Isgouhi Kaloshian, Ph.D. (Nematology) Philip Roberts, Ph.D. (Nematology) Philippe Rolshausen (BPSC) Joel Sachs, Ph.D. (Biology)

The Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology participates in the Microbiology and Botany and Plant Sciences majors leading to the baccalaureate degree. See the Microbiology or Botany and Plant Sciences section of this catalog.

The Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology offers the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Plant Pathology.

Admission In addition to meeting the requirements for admission to the Graduate Division, students typically have a baccalaureate major in a biological science or training equivalent to that given in the Plant Science curriculum of the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. Majors in the physical sciences are welcomed, but students must be prepared to augment their undergraduate preparation with courses in the biological sciences. All applicants must provide GRE General Test scores (verbal, quantitative, analytical).

All candidates for the M.S. or the Ph.D. degree should have good basic preparation in chemistry and biology. It is common for students to have completed courses in biochemistry, organic chemistry, cell and molecular biology, calculus, general physics, general botany, microbiology, statistics, genetics, plant physiology, mycology, and plant pathology. If these courses have been completed as an undergraduate, graduate study is facilitated. If students have not completed these courses prior to admission, they may be required to take them early in their graduate career.

Master’s Degree General university requirements are given in the Graduate Studies section of this catalog. The master’s degree in Plant Pathology is offered under Plans I or II.

Plan I (Thesis) requires 36 units of upper- division and graduate courses, of which at least 24 must be in the 200 series courses in Plant Pathology or Nematology. A maximum of 12 units may be in graduate research for the thesis.

Plan II (Comprehensive Examination) requires 36 units of upper-division and graduate courses, of which at least 18 must be in the 200-series courses in Plant Pathology or Nematology, excluding graduate research for a thesis or dissertation, and a comprehensive final examination in the major subject.

The departmental graduate advisory committee, in consultation with the student’s major professor or curriculum advisor, is responsible for prescribing the course of study, which requires as a minimum of PLPA 200, PLPA 206/ NEM 206, PLPA 207, PLPA 210, PLPA 234, PLPA 250 and PLPA 265.

Doctoral Degree In accord with the student’s preparation and specific interests, the departmental graduate advisory committee, in consultation with the student’s major professor or curriculum advisor, prescribes areas where study is required. In addition to selected subjects in plant pathology, related fields in which some degree of competence may be expected is drawn normally from biochemistry, biology, chemistry, cell and molecular biology, entomology, genetics, genomics, mathematics, microbiology, nematology, plant physiology, soils, and statistics.

The departmental graduate advisory commit- tee, in consultation with the student’s major professor or curriculum advisor, is responsible for prescribing the course of study.

Course Work The course of study requires as a minimum PLPA 200, PLPA 206/NEM 206, PLPA 207, PLPA 210, PLPA 234, PLPA 250 and PLPA 265.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations Students must demonstrate to the departmental graduate advisory committee, by written and oral examination, adequate preparation in the fields fundamental to plant pathology and in any area in which students have placed special emphasis in their training. A written dissertation research proposal is to be prepared before the qualifying examination and defended during the oral examination. After successful completion of the qualifying examination and all other formal requirements to the satisfaction of the dean of the Graduate Division, the student is advanced to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree.

Dissertation and Final Oral Examination A dissertation is required of every candidate. The dissertation must be approved by the dissertation committee before the candidate may take the final oral examination. The final oral examination deals primarily with defense of the dissertation and its relation to the field in which its subject lies.

Professional Development Training

Both M.S. and Ph.D. students fulfill their professional development training by enrolling in PLPA 265, a 3-unit course that covers a range of topics including careers in plant pathology, cv preparation, skills on giving scientific presentations, strategies for success in the candidacy examination and graduate school. data acquisition, management and ownership, policy and regulation, as well as intellectual property.

Normative Time to Degree 18 quarters