Applied Plant and Soil Sciences Bachelor of Science Degree

In Fall 2024 Stockbridge launched a new bachelor degree program called Applied Plant & Soil Sciences (APSS).  This new major merges 3 previous bachelor degree programs (Horticultural Science, Plant & Soil Sciences, and Turfgrass Science & Management) into one comprehensive major. 

What's Applied Plant & Soil Sciences?

If you are debating whether to commit to a traditional major in biology or chemistry or environmental science, but are certain that you have more interest in plants than in animals and humans, the Applied Plant & Soil Sciences major may be right for you.

The bachelor of science in APSS, through theoretical and practical training, prepares students to tackle real-world problems by integrating and applying knowledge they learn from different disciplines.

This program includes rigorous training in laboratory methods covering biology, chemistry, microbiology, ecology, and environmental science.  Courses provide broad foundations in the plant and soil sciences, including plant health and physiology, soil health, plant production, and pest management. 

A rich list of electives allow APSS majors to focus their advanced coursework on specialized topics in plant science and biotechnology, horticultural sciences, plant pathology, sustainable agriculture, conservation biology, turfgrass science, or a related discipline.  APSS majors also have the choice to specialize their path of study by selecting a four-course focus in either additional science courses, or business courses offered through the Isenberg School of Business.

The Stockbridge Advantage

Our founder Levi Stockbridge was the first to apply the scientific method to questions of agriculture.  We've been applying comparative growing conditions and noting their results for over 150 years, and the scientific research produced at Stockbridge is recognized around the globe.  Today, much of our focus is on the science of sustainability.  We learn how plants can assist in climate protection and we develop them to this work even more effectively.  At the same time, we're engineering plants to be better able to resist, and adapt to, current changes in the climate.

Improve Your Lab Skills And Participate In Award-Winning Research

Stockbridge offers direct access to top researchers from 9 different countries, and UMass is ranked #1 in the U.S. for agricultural sciences.  Across your classes, you'll receive rigorous laboratory training in our state-of-the-art labs and greenhouses, with opportunities to join ongoing faculty research projects at Stockbridge, or any other UMass science department, or to propose and pursue your own independent research.  Unlike many other colleges, UMass faculty are required to conduct research and publish new work in their fields.  This not only provides many research opportunities to UMass students, but also renews the freshness of our classes each semester as faculty update their classes with new research questions and discoveries.

Cutting-Edge Research Facilities

Stockbridge facilities include newly renovated, specialized Plant and Soil Laboratories, a technology-enabled, climate-controlled Research and Education Greenhouse, a Hydroponic Greenhouse, an Agricultural Learning Center, plus a Crop and Animal Research Farm, Organic Vineyard, Cold Spring Orchards, and Cranberry Station.  We also maintain a set of highly accurate indoor growing chambers that allow plants to be grown in exact and controlled conditions, raising the integrity of our research.  As a small school of around 300 students, we benefit tremendously from the investments in research and sustainability that have made the University of Massachusetts Amherst a top destination for our award-winning, international faculty.

What Kind Of Research Questions Can I Pursue at Stockbridge?

We love scientific creativity.  Students are free to propose research projects in whatever area attracts their interest, with faculty supervision to ensure the validity of your experimentation process.  We often look for the "sweet spot" of ideal conditions for plants of interest.

• Which seed priming agents produce the largest root mass, and does temperature alter their effectiveness?
• New England has a "fake Spring" after which temperatures dip below freezing and kill many newly awakened plants. Can we genetically alter plants so that they don't wake up until real Spring?
• How does soil carbon affect the mineralization of nitrogen in the decomposition process that renews soil health?  Is there an ideal time for decomposition to occur to best support new growth?
• When removing cover crops before a new growing season, when should it be done, and how low should the cover crop be cut to best supply nutrients to our intended crop?
• The Jojoba plant produces a waxy oil around its seeds, and we could make biofuel from it if the plant could produce enough.  Can we genetically modify it to produce more oil?  Can we make similar modifications to a different plant that can be cultivated by the acre?
• What's the best way to use a particular soil wetting agent.  How do changes to plant type, plant age, pot dimensions, and environmental conditions change the amount of wetting agent and the ideal frequency of application?
• Some plants can clean toxic and heavy metals from their soil (phytoremediation).  Which plants can we engineer to absorb even more of these pollutants so they can do their work better?
• How do we prevent and remediate grapevine trunk diseases that cost the wine industry millions of dollars in annual losses?

Careers in Applied Plant & Soil Sciences

Many successful graduates work in research or applied aspects of the biotech industries, pest management, agricultural and horticultural businesses, and environmental consulting arenas. Others go on for advanced graduate training for careers in business, the public sector, pharmaceutical development, or academia.

APSS graduates work in the private and public sectors, and many apply to graduate programs.  Career paths often involve being a specialist in the scientific testing and management of ideal conditions for soil and water quality.  Graduates have become federal and state inspectors for the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), head horticulturists at botanical gardens and zoos.  Jobs await in plant breeding, soil conservation, and precision agriculture.  Others become biotech scientists, uncovering the pharmaceutical properties of plants, and conducting agricultural research and development.  Some choose a path as science educators, imparting their passion to younger scientists in training.

Pursuit of a graduate degree provides access to advanced jobs, especially in research.  Bachelor degree students can apply to continue their work at Stockbridge with the faculty they've come to know.  An accelerated “5th year” master’s program is available at Stockbridge, and can quickly make graduates more competitive in job markets.  Additional graduate programs offer a Masters degree, or PhD degree, in Plant and Soil Sciences, Environmental Conservation, or Plant Biology.  You can see our graduate students and the heavv-hitting research areas they've chosen to investigate.

Stockbridge students are full members of the university, and are invited to take advantage of the College of Natural Sciences Career Center, which provides help with resume and cover letter writing as well as a place to practice interview skills.  The entire career center, and its professional staff, are specialized to the needs of science-based careers.  The CNS Career Center hosts multiple career fairs on campus throughout the year, and even provides a downloadable Career Development Handbook for science majors.