Landscape Symposium
What is Your Plant Power?: youtube.com/watch?v=nHmNVMbdDmY
Welcome to the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences at the University of Delaware. From landscapes to molecules, we study plants and soils at every level. We design beautiful and sustainable landscapes, study how crops can perform better in a changing climate, and track pollutants in the environment. Our faculty are on the cutting edge of technology and research.
We offer undergraduate programs in plant science, sustainable food systems and landscape architecture and graduate programs in microbiology, plant and soil science and water science and policy.
Our 350-acre campus in Newark, Delaware offers many hands-on learning opportunities. We have state-of-the-art scientific laboratories and working farms. Right outside our classroom doors, you’ll find the UD Botanic Gardens, the Fischer Greenhouse Complex, and the Rice Research, Investigation, Communication and Education (RICE) Facility. On our Georgetown campus, Carvel Center is our agriculture experiment station focused on agronomic, vegetable and horticulture crops and irrigation.
UD is a land-grant university, and our department houses a large Cooperative Extension component. In the UD Plant Diagnostic Clinic, we help enhance national agricultural security by detecting introduced pests and pathogens. Our soil lab provides soil testing and educational support to farmers, homeowners and others engaged in soil management and land use.
The Department of Plant and Soil Sciences offers many opportunities for students. Learn organic farming while producing food for the Delaware Food Bank, and explore Brazil’s plants and landscapes in our study abroad program. We have partnerships with organizations like Longwood Gardens, Mt. Cuba Center and FMC, an agricultural sciences company.
The world’s expanding population will increase demands on agriculture and natural resources. Our highly marketable graduates will find job opportunities in state and federal agencies, private and public horticulture, research and industry.
From hydroponics to robotics, agronomy to botany our department is filled with dedicated faculty, staff and students. I invite you to explore our website. If you have additional questions, please contact us directly and/or schedule a campus visit.
Jake Bowman
Interim Chair
Our students are trained to excel in a wide array of career options related to sustainable landscapes and food production, the environment, soils, and water quality, biotechnology and genomics. Students with skills in these areas are in high demand, with professional opportunities exceeding the number of graduates. We offer three majors: Plant Science where students gain a Bachelor’s of Science (B.S.) and have the freedom to specialize in Horticulture, Agronomy, Plant Pathology, and/or Plant Biology; an interdisciplinary B.S. in Sustainable Food Systems; and a nationally-accredited Bachelor’s of Landscape Architecture (BLA).
We have a student-to-faculty ratio of almost four-to-one, providing excellent research and internship opportunities for hands-on learning experiences. We get to know our students very well through our classes, advising, and research projects. Our academic environment is highly conducive to learning, with well-equipped laboratories, an extensive botanic garden, farm, and ecology woods, state-of-the-art greenhouses, computer facilities, and areas for studying and socializing. We have affiliations with individuals at major nearby institutions and companies that also provide unique opportunities for learning. Recent graduates from our department are in a broad spectrum of careers including positions as landscape architects and designers, laboratory technicians, soil scientists, graduate and post-graduate research scientists, park rangers, golf course superintendents, estate managers, faculty at other universities, greenhouse and nursery production specialists, and agronomists.
Our department offers master of science (M.S.) and doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in the plant and soil sciences. Two graduate areas exist in the department, namely: (1) plant science which includes the areas of cellular/molecular biology, breeding, genetics, and genomics, pathology, physiology, anatomy, landscape design, horticulture, crop science and weed science; and (2) soil science which includes chemistry, fertility and management, physics and hydrology, microbiology and biochemistry, environmental microbiology, soil and water quality, and soil formation and biogeochemistry. Our graduate faculty are recognized experts in their fields of study and deeply dedicated to providing comprehensive mentorship to their students.
Our faculty members are well recognized for research and their scholarly work, including four named chairs and numerous scientific society fellows. We also promote innovative teaching methods and individualized student advising. We’re active in public and professional service, delivering novel and innovative findings and practices to our stakeholders and in our fields of expertise. Our department has approximately 30 tenure-track faculty and a number of extension professionals. We currently have over 100 undergraduate majors, and 60 graduate students.