With a degree from the Department of Crop Sciences, you will have endless opportunities to succeed. The demand for our students is high, and the future looks even more promising for well-trained scientists.

Our graduates usually have two or more lucrative job opportunities waiting. On average, more than 30 percent of our undergraduate students attend graduate school.

2+
Average job offers upon graduation
$48,857
Average starting salary for undergraduates (data from 2017-18)
74%
Undergraduates who complete an internship

Career Areas

Agribusiness

Careers in agribusiness require knowledge in agronomy, biology, business, and technology to help commercial agriculture companies and producers manage successful agricultural enterprises. From finance to plant pathology, agribusiness professionals use a unique background of crop sciences and business to promote the development of crops.

Biotechnology

Biotechnologists use biology and technology to help solve global food, fuel, and fiber insecurities. They improve crop varieties and products, and develop new products from biological organisms and cells. Biotechnology spans several industries including agriculture, environmental sciences, food technology, medicine, and more.

Crop and Food Production

Producers work to create healthy, sustainable, and environmentally friendly food and fuel sources. They look at the entire crop production process of growth, development, and harvest to maximize efficiency and increase yield. Producers concentrate on reducing plant diseases, pests, and weeds.

Plant Breeding and Genetics

Plant breeders use genetics, agronomy, statistics, and technology to develop crops that are more productive, nutritious, and adaptive to climate change, improving the health of humans, animals, and the earth. They look at the genetic makeup of plants and try to cross plants with desired traits to create new varieties.

Urban Agriculture and Horticulture

Scientists in horticulture and urban agriculture strive to make food and fuel plants more nutritious, productive, and sustainable, in addition to improving living environments. They work in several industries in agriculture from urban design to viticulture.

Water Quality and Environmental Systems

Scientists in water quality and environmental systems find ways to increase crop productivity while minimizing harm to the environment including soil, water, and air quality. They find new strategies to reduce agricultural water runoff and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as ways to improve nutrient cycling for healthier soil.

Weed Sciences

Weed scientists use molecular, genomic, and practical approaches to explain how weed species adapt to stress, environmental factors, and herbicides. Research leads to increased food production through the implementation of integrated weed management programs.