Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Agriculture - Breeding and Biotechnologies

A focus for the Department of Plant Agriculture is plant breeding and related fields including: genetics, genomics, molecular biology and biotechnology. Outcomes from this extensive research include advancements in knowledge of the genetic control of plant traits. For example, in some cases research results in characterizations of genes, and advanced plant improvement methods involving tissue culture manipulations, molecular selection and improved germplasm. The outlet for much of this work is the creation of new crop varieties that are licensed to commercial entities in Ontario and beyond. Royalties collected from seed sales of multiple varieties, and germplasm released by the Departments plant breeding programs, bring in over 800,000 to the University annually. This represents the largest and most consistently successful University of Guelph intellectual property revenue stream.

As a part of the application package, applicants are required to secure a faculty advisor to supervise their program. The MSc 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 requires a MSc degree by thesis in a field appropriate to the proposed area of specialization with a minimum B average.