Students in the Plant Breeding and Genetics Option will learn an interdisciplinary approach to applied plant breeding by taking courses across a broad spectrum of disciplines. The option may be tailored to meet students’ career goals including graduate school as well as directly entering public or private sector breeding programs. After completing their degree, students will have gained fundamental knowledge in plant breeding that may be applied in a range of crops including annual and perennial horticultural crops, agronomic food and feed crops, and forest trees.
The Plant Breeding and Genetics option can be earned with a B.S. in Horticulture or a B.S. in Crop and Soil Science.
View the Plant Breeding and Genetics option checklist (PDF).
Why Choose to Study Plant Breeding and Genetics at Oregon State?
- New and innovative undergraduate option that combines traditional breeding methodology with cutting edge genetics and genomics.
- Gain practical experience in breeding and genetic analysis working in the greenhouse, field, and lab with a diverse array of economically important crops ranging from staple foods to ornamentals.
- Extensive, cross-campus multi-disciplinary plant science network including botanists, horticulturalists, and plant pathologists
Connecting with a Faculty Mentor
In addition to the advising our students receive from our Head Undergraduate Advisor, we connect students in the Plant Breeding and Genetics option with one of our faculty members who will serve as the student’s mentor. Incoming students should meet with Shawn Mehlenbacher or Sagar Sathuvalli, Co-Directors of the Plant Breeding and Genetics Program. At this time the student will discuss their interests in plant breeding or related discipline and be connected with a faculty member that can help guide them toward their career interests. We recommend meeting with your faculty mentor at least once per term, if not more often.