Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources

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Graduate Students

Graduate students with an interest in sustainable and organic agriculture can purse a degree or take classes with a strong focus in sustainable and organic agriculture in many departments across WSU. Currently there is not a specific department or program for graduate students to pursue a degree in sustainable and organic agriculture. A good first step when applying to graduate school is to contact faculty within your department of interest that may have research projects similar to your interests. Be aware that individual departments may also have application requirements in addition to those mandated by the university.

Departments include but are not limited to:
Animal Science
Anthropology
Biological Systems Engineering
Community and Rural Sociology
Crop and Soil Sciences
Earth and Environmental Sciences
Entomology
Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Masters in Ag
Plant Pathology
Sociology
For a listing of all other degree options at WSU’s Graduate School see http://www.gradsch.wsu.edu/future-students/academics/degrees/

Both thesis and non-thesis MS and PhD programs are offered by most of these departments.

Other graduate students research projects in Sustainable and Organic Agriculture

Certificates for Graduate Students

WSU Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture: Green Up Your Horizon

The new Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture allows students in any discipline to study sustainable and organic agriculture in more depth. It 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.

Academic Certificate in Sustainable Small Acreage Farming and Ranching

Both degree seeking and non-degree seeking students may sign up for classes and are eligible to receive the Certificate of Completion in Sustainable Small Acreage Farming and Ranching.  This is a 15-18 unit certificate to give students a concentrated focus in Sustainable Small Acreage Farming and Ranching.

Certificate in Organic Agriculture

The College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Sciences (CAHNRS) is offering an undergraduate* Certificate in Organic Agriculture. The certificate can be obtained on the Pullman campus or entirely online through WSU Distance Degree Programs. Working professionals, other non-degree-seeking students, as well as current students in other majors at WSU will be able to learn the fundamentals in a highly focused program through online and classroom venues.

*Please note that this certificate was designed for undergraduate students. Although graduate students may obtain the certificate, required courses may not all be available at the graduate level.

Classes for Graduate Students interested in Sustainable Agriculture

• AFS 501 Current Research in Organic and Sustainable Agriculture
• AFS/CRS 545 Field Analysis of Sustainable Food Systems
• Soils 502 Practicum in Organic Farming
• English 597/Hort 503: Rhetorics of Sustainability
• AFS/CRS 416* (now listed as Soils 404) Small Farming and Ranching
• AFS/CRS 417* (now listed as Soils 403) Agricultural Entrepreneurship

* Graduate school requirements allow students to take a maximum of 6 hours of upper level undergraduate coursework (300–400 levels) for a Master’s thesis program and a maximum of 9 hours for non-thesis Master’s and PhD programs.

Graduate Students FAQs

• How do I apply to a Graduate Degree program at WSU?
  
  
  Admission to Washington State University Graduate School is a joint decision between the Dean of the Graduate School and your prospective department or college. Many departments require additional materials or have earlier deadlines, so we recommend you contact them early in the process. Also, if you miss the priority deadline, you must contact the department to see if they are still accepting applications. After you have identified which department you would like to pursue a graduate degree in, follow the university application requirements at http://www.gradsch.wsu.edu/future-students/admission/apply.html. Please note that individual departments may also have application requirements in addition to those mandated by the university.
   
• For Non-degree Seeking Students who wish to take graduate courses but do not want to pursue a graduate degree.
  
  
  Not Advanced Degree Candidate (NADC): This classification is for those students with a baccalaureate degree who wish to take graduate courses but do not wish to pursue a graduate degree. Students in the NADC classification must pay graduate fees and must be admitted to a graduate department or program. Students may be admitted with less than a 3.0 GPA, but they must maintain a 3.0 GPA once admitted. Admission as NADC does not obligate the department/program to admit the student to a degree program at a later date. These students may take any course for which they have the necessary prerequisites except those at the 700- or 800-level. A maximum of six hours of graduate course work with grades of “B” or higher (nine for non-thesis master’s and doctoral degree) earned under NADC classification (and post-baccalaureate – class 5) may be applied to graduate degree requirements. Time limits on the course work would be the same as for transfer credit. Please visit www.gradsch.wsu.edu for more information.
   
• I don’t have a background in hard science or agriculture. I am interested in pursuing a graduate degree that focuses on Sustainable and Organic Agriculture, what do I do?
  
  
  Although the majority of departments that focus on Sustainable and Organic Agriculture have a strong focus in hard science and research, students with this interest can enroll in any degree program in any department and obtain the WSU Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture: Green Up Your Horizon. Students not interested in pursuing the certificate can still take several classes pertaining to Sustainable and Organic Agriculture and develop a strong background in this field of study. Please see “Classes for Graduate Students interested in Organic and Sustainable Ag.”
   
• Would a program such as Cultivating Success^TM Academic Certificate in Sustainable Small Acreage Farming and Ranching be appropriate to someone with no hard science or farming background?
  
  
  Yes, this certificate is an option in addition to the WSU Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture: Green Up Your Horizon. In order to obtain the CS certificate, a student must be enrolled as either a degree-seeking student or a non-degree seeking student. It is possible to get both certificates as several classes are similar for both. If you are currently enrolled, please contact the Cultivating Success^TM state coordinator found at www.cultivatingsuccess.org for more information about the academic certificate.
   
• Can I take Graduate Classes/be a Graduate Student through CSANR?
  
  
  CSANR is not a department and so does not host graduate students. Graduate students are funded through departments and their research project can be relevant to CSANR. In some cases, CSANR provides funding to faculty within departments for graduate students. If you are interested in pursuing a graduate degree at WSU, you would need to identify the department to which you would like to apply. Your research project and the courses you would need to take would be determined by the department and committee members.
   
• I am a professional working in an agriculture related career and want to pursue higher education as a graduate student to enhance my business/skills but don’t want to stop working?
  
  
  The emphasis of the Masters of Science in Agriculture is on the agricultural professional, practitioner, and educator. The unique qualities of this program is that it will be delivered through the use of distance education technologies where students are not required to relocate or stop employment while completing the degree program requirements. For more information about this program please visit http://msag.wsu.edu/. Please also note that a Certificate in Organic Agriculture is also available entirely online.
   
• Can students enrolled in the Masters of Science in Agriculture obtain the WSU Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture?
  
  
  Yes, as long as they meet the prerequisites and qualifications of the certificate WSU Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture: Green Up Your Horizon. It may be challenging for students who are working full time to participate in the optional Field Analysis of Sustainable Food Systems class that is a week-long intensive class. The core course AFS 501 is available via WECN (WSU’s video conferencing system) but not as a distance course. The student would need to contact that course instructor before enrolling. A Certificate in Organic Agriculture is also available entirely online.
   
• Are any graduate courses offered online through WSU’s Distance Degree Program (DDP)? What if I am not enrolled as a student at WSU?
  
  
  WSU does have university classes offered online through DDP. Similar to on-campus students you need to be enrolled at WSU either in a degree program or as a non-degree seeking student. In order to enroll in these classes a student would need to apply and be accepted to the university. You can visit www.wsu.edu or http://futurestudents.wsu.edu/admission/apply.aspx for full instructions on how to do this. The website http://online.wsu.edu/future_students/courses.aspx lists classes that are offered online through DDP. Please check often as this gets updated each semester. Hint: classes in Sustainable and Organic Agriculture are often under AFS, CRS, or SoilS. You may also visit http://online.wsu.edu for more information on distance courses. A Certificate in Organic Agriculture is also available entirely online.
   
• I have a Bachelor’s degree and am interested in starting my own small farm or enterprise, but do not want to get an academic degree, what is the best option for me?
  
  
  The small farms education program “Cultivating Success^TM” which is a collaborative program between WSU, UI and the non-profit Rural Roots, offers many classes and a variety of certificate options for beginning farmers and agriculture entrepreneurs interested in sustainable and organic agriculture please visit www.cultivatingsuccess.org for more information.
   

Other Useful Links

Why WSU? http://futurestudents.wsu.edu/why/default.aspx

Washington State University Home Page visit: http://www.wsu.edu/

WSU Graduate School visit: http://www.gradsch.wsu.edu/index.html

For graduate degrees specific to the College of Agricultural Human and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS) visit: http://academic.cahnrs.wsu.edu/graduate_studies.htm

All WSU degree programs visit: http://www.gradsch.wsu.edu/future-students/academics/degrees/

Graduate School FAQ’s visit: http://www.gradsch.wsu.edu/faq/

For International Students visit: http://www.ip.wsu.edu/enroll/

WSU Statewide campuses http://www.about.wsu.edu/statewide/

Organic Farming Systems and Nutrient Management visit: http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/soilmgmt/

Graduate Certificate visit: http://www.gradsch.wsu.edu/future-students/admission/gradcertprogram.html