Off-Campus Master of Science Program Background Today's competitive market requires continuous professional development, particularly in academic areas that fall outside one's major during undergraduate training. Our department, in cooperation with the UMass Division of Continuing Education (DCE), offers the opportunity for advanced training in soil science. Students enrolled in this program already hold a Bachelor's degree in a science-related field such as geology, engineering, public health, biology, or environmental sciences. Over 10 years ago, the department began offering soil science courses at an off-campus location to facilitate training of non-soil scientists, enabling them to meet the educational requirements for certification as a Professional Soil Scientist. Eventually this program developed into a 30-credit program that upon completion, grants a Master of Science degree in Plant and Soil Sciences. Although the degree is in Plant and Soil Sciences, our off-campus program is limited to the area of soil science. This program is designed to meet the needs of working professionals who do not have the time or the opportunity to enroll in a traditional, full-time graduate program. Most students enrolled in our classes want to further their education because it expands their technical expertise. Others have used the advanced training for job advancement. Off-Campus Soil Science Courses Off-campus soil science courses are offered on a regular basis at a central location in Massachusetts, often in Worcester. Some of the courses, such as soil morphology and mapping, may travel throughout southern New England. We try to offer 2 courses each Fall and Spring semester, for a total of four 3-credit courses per year. There are no courses offered during the winter or summer breaks. Courses are generally identical to courses offered at the Amherst campus, and are often taught by the same instructors. Some of the instructors work in the private sector or for the federal government. All hold advanced degrees in their specialty area with most having a Ph.D. degree. Courses are offered on a rotating basis, allowing the student to take at least 6 different courses over a 2-year cycle. No courses may be taken on a pass/fail basis. Courses offered on a regular basis include:   PLNTSOIL 515   3 cr   Microbiology of the Soil*   PLNTSOIL 566   3 cr   Soil Formation*   PLNTSOIL 575   3 cr   Environmental Soil Chemistry*   PLNTSOIL 591I   1 cr   Hydric Soils (on-campus 2-day workshop)   PLNTSOIL 597M   3 cr   Soil Morphology and Mapping   PLNTSOIL 597X   3 cr   Inorganic Soil Contaminants   PLNTSOIL 597O   3 cr   Organic Contaminants   PLNTSOIL 597S   3 cr   Intermediate Soil Science   PLNTSOIL 697S   3 cr   Literature Seminar* Courses marked with * are required for graduation in the off-campus MS program. The above courses are offered off-campus through the Division of Continuing Education. One 3-credit course typically costs about $500. Please contact DCE at 413-545-2484 to register for the courses or to find out which courses are scheduled for the upcoming semester. You do not need to be enrolled in the MS program to take any of the above listed courses. Anyone who holds a BS degree may register for these courses. Master of Science Degree Requirements A minimum of 30 credits is required for graduation. Most of these credits can be earned through enrollment in the above listed off-campus courses. Courses marked with an * are required for graduation. The program also requires that by graduation time you have taken at least 2 courses in statistics, biometry, or related fields. Courses taken during your undergraduate studies may be counted towards this requirement. The UMass-Amherst Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology offers a statistics course each semester (Fall: BIOEPI 540; Spring: BIOEPI 640) at the UMass Medical School in Worcester. These courses are generally taught midweek at night. You can register for these courses through the UMass Graduate Registrar. You may also check with local colleges to see whether they offer a similar course that perhaps fits your schedule better. Make sure to get approval from the Graduate Program Director prior to enrollment in a non-UMass course. Note below the requirements for transferring such a course. In addition to obtaining at least 23 credits in the above listed courses (including statistics), M.S. candidates are required to sign up for the following classes:   PLNTSOIL 696   6 cr   Independent Study   PLNTSOIL 793   1 cr   Seminar Presentation Each M.S. candidate is required to complete an independent study project prior to graduation. This may be an extensive and critical review of the literature, a comprehensive evaluation of data or information gathered in your professional position, or other type of project that involves a critical evaluation of information. Once you have completed a minimum of four regular soils courses, you should talk with your academic advisor to select an appropriate project topic. Once a topic has been selected, you must prepare a project proposal and defend your proposal before your Guidance Committee. Once formal approval for your course packet and the project is granted, you can start your project. A description of the project, a comprehensive review of the appropriate literature, and a critical evaluation of the results is to be summarized in a final report to be submitted to the Guidance/Examination Committee (G/EC). You should submit drafts of your final report to your academic advisor prior to submitting the report to the entire G/EC. You can sign up for the seminar course through the Division of Continuing Education. Contact the program coordinators about the proper enrollment procedure. Prior to graduation you must present a seminar to the Department. You may select the topic of the seminar, but often the results of the independent study are used for this presentation. Be prepared to give a professional presentation using slides or PowerPoint. At the beginning of the semester that you plan on presenting your seminar, contact the chair of the departmental Seminar Committee to schedule the date. Make sure you formally sign up for the 1-credit seminar presentation (PLNTSOIL 793) through the Division of Continuing Education at the beginning of the semester that you plan on presenting the seminar. The final step in completing the requirements for the Master of Science degree is, upon finishing all other requirements, to pass an oral final examination. A 3-member Examination Committee will administer this exam. A positive majority vote by the Committee is required to successfully complete the program. The Application Process You can apply for admittance to the UMass Off-Campus Master of Science Program in Plant and Soil Sciences by completing the standard UMass Graduate School application form available on the web (www.umass.edu/gradschool/). The application process requires that you submit GRE scores less then 5 years old and that you hold a bachelor degree from an accredited academic institution. The GRE scores are a departmental requirement that is not waived. Please make sure that you apply to the Plant and Soil Sciences Off-Campus program when completing the application form. Fall applications should be received by November 1, and Spring applications by April 30. Once admitted to the program you will be assigned an academic advisor. Contact your advisor prior to taking courses to ensure that appropriate classes are taken. Once you have taken some courses, your advisor, in close consultation with each degree candidate, will recommend to the Graduate School (through the departmental Graduate Program Director) appointment of a 3-member Guidance Committee consisting of at least 2 members of the UMass Plant and Soil Sciences Graduate Faculty. Eventually the Guidance Committee will take on the role of Examination Committee to administer the final examination. Important! It is the MS candidate's responsibility to maintain academic eligibility by signing up for a formal academic activity at UMass each Fall and Spring semester. This may be accomplished by taking a UMass course, or signing up for the independent study project or the final seminar presentation. If you are not signed up for a formal UMass academic activity you have to pay the program fee or else you will be disenrolled by the Graduate School. See the Graduate School for details. Statute of Limitations Upon admittance to the university you have 3 years to complete all degree requirements. This is called the Statute of Limitations. Because most of the students enrolled in this program are working professionals with limited time to dedicate to academic endeavors, most will exceed this time limit. The Statute can be extended by petitioning the departmental Graduate Program Director. The petition should explain the reason for the delay, anticipated progress, the projected completion date, and must be supported by a statement from your advisor. Contact the Graduate Program Director for additional details. Transfer of Credits for Courses taken Elsewhere University regulations permit transfer of up to 6 credits (grade B or better) for appropriate graduate level courses taken at other educational institutions within three years of admission to the Off-Campus program. You must formally petition the UMass Graduate School for permission to transfer credits for graduate level courses taken elsewhere. The first step is to contact the Plant and Soil Sciences Graduate Program Director and request permission to transfer the desired courses into our off-campus program. These courses may not have been applied to another degree program. Contact For additional information about the degree program, contact the Graduate Program Director:   Dr. Wesley Autio Bowditch Hall 205 University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA 01003-9294 Tel. (413) 545-2963 autio@pssci.umass.edu For information about courses to be presented in off-campus locations contact:   Program Coordinators, Div. Continuing Education Continuing Education Building 358 North Pleasant Street University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA 01003 (413) 545-2484 msavoie@contined.umass.edu Links Society of Wetland Scientists   www.sws.org UMass Division of Continuing Education www.umassulearn.net UMass Graduate School www.umass.edu/gradschool/ Back to the Top   To Department Homepage   Copyright© 2003 University of Massachusetts Amherst. Site Policies. This page is produced by The Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, designed by Phyllis M. Berman, Nicholas B. Connor, and Huan Zhang and maintained by Emily Bellegarde. Page last updated Wed, April 27, 2005 Plant & Soil Sciences is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Department