COLUMBUS — The professional Master’s in Plant Health Management degree, developed by Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, has become the first graduate program at the university to achieve affiliation in the National Professional Science Master’s Association.
The first of its kind at Ohio State, the degree is a joint effort of the departments of plant pathology and entomology whose aim is to provide hands-on training that includes both technical and professional aspects of plant health management, as the need for qualified individuals in the field increases.
Demand
The demand is growing for students and people trained in plant health management because of the increasing demand for global food production, said Anne Dorrance, a professor of plant pathology and co-chair of MPHM.
The MPHM is designed for individuals who are going into the industry rather than pursuing those who want to pursue a research path, said Jeff Hattey, assistant dean for academic programs in the college.
Prospective students
Combining classroom and e-learning delivery, the program is geared toward recent graduates and working professionals such as extension educators, agriculture educators, crop advisers, turf/landscape managers and natural resource managers, as well as professionals in business and law who wish to specialize in regulatory, environmental or intellectual property issues.
Full-time students can complete the degree in 1-1.5 years, but the program is designed to be pursued part-time and may be completed in 2-3 years.
Multidisciplinary in nature, the program’s curriculum includes courses from six different Ohio State departments, combining life sciences with business, education and communication courses.
The first group of MPHM degree students began taking courses in August 2012.
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