The Department of Horticulture invites applications to our MS and PhD programs. Our graduate program emphasizes scientific study and original research. Each student’s program is tailored to meet the needs of that student. Graduates from our program are targeted to fill positions in academia, government, international organizations, and the private sector.
Prospective students can choose among the major commodity areas of fruit and nut crops, vegetables, and ornamentals. Within these commodities, specialization is available in many areas, including environmental conservation, plant physiology, post-harvest, plant development, plant nutrition, biochemistry, product utilization, pest management, sustainable horticulture, breeding, and biotechnology. Departmental assistantships, which include tuition waivers.
Applications will be evaluated based on the academic strength and research background of the applicant, as well as the fit with ongoing research programs in the department.
Available positions
1- Graduate Assistantship Opportunity
Position Summary: The University of Georgia’s Department of Horticulture is seeking a qualified individual to pursue a Ph.D.s degree in the area of peaches to evaluate the influence of orchard characteristics on tree nutrient dynamics for optimizing fertilization, maximizing production, and reducing environmental impacts of orchard nutrient management.
The position will be located at the Griffin campus in Griffin, Georgia.
Major Responsibilities: The successful candidate is expected to conduct research in the following area:
─ Nutrient dynamics as based on yield, rootstocks, and ripening time.
Relevant/Preferred Education, Experience, Licensure, and/or Certification:
─ B.S. (or M.S.) degree in horticulture, plant pathology, agronomy, entomology, or a related field
─ A minimum GPA of 3.0.
Preferred Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and/or Competencies:
─ Excellent demonstrated verbal and written communication skills.
─ A demonstrated commitment to high-quality research
Position available: Spring 2023. Applications received by October 1, 2022 (*international student deadline September 1, 2022), are assured full consideration; however, applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
Application procedures: Interested students should contact Dr. Dario J. Chavez (dchavez@uga.edu). Please write in the email’s subject line ‘PhD Graduate Assistantship’ and include the following information: 1) Statement of interest, 2) Resume, 3) GRE score (if available) plus TOEFL (if applicable), 4) Official transcripts, and 5) At least three letters of recommendation.
Application to the graduate school can be made online at https://grad.uga.edu/index.php/prospective-students/apply-now/ and the requirements for M.S. or Ph.D. application can be find https://hort.caes.uga.edu/graduate/admission.html. To learn more about the graduate program in the Department of Horticulture at UGA, you can consult the graduate handbook here: https://hort.caes.uga.edu/content/dam/caes-subsite/horticulture/documents/graduate-students/Horticulture%20Graduate%20Program%20Handbook%20April%202022.pdf
2- Graduate Assistantship Opportunity
Position Summary: The University of Georgia’s Department of Horticulture is seeking a qualified individual to pursue a Ph.D.s degree in the area of peaches to evaluate the influence of rootstocks in plant growth, productivity, and survival. Studies will include how different rootstocks and different high density training systems can be managed in the Southeast growing conditions.
The position will be located at the Griffin campus in Griffin, Georgia.
Major Responsibilities: The successful candidate is expected to conduct research in the following area:
─ Rootstock influence in plant growth, productivity, and survival
─ Rootstock and scion interactions in different high density training systems.
Relevant/Preferred Education, Experience, Licensure, and/or Certification:
─ B.S. (or M.S.) degree in horticulture, plant pathology, agronomy, entomology, or a related field
─ A minimum GPA of 3.0.
Preferred Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and/or Competencies:
─ Excellent demonstrated verbal and written communication skills.
─ A demonstrated commitment to high-quality research
Position available: Spring 2023. Applications received by October 1, 2022 (*international student deadline September 1, 2022), are assured full consideration; however, applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
Application procedures: Interested students should contact Dr. Dario J. Chavez (dchavez@uga.edu). Please write in the email’s subject line ‘PhD Graduate Assistantship’ and include the following information: 1) Statement of interest, 2) Resume, 3) GRE score (if available) plus TOEFL (if applicable), 4) Official transcripts, and 5) At least three letters of recommendation.
Application to the graduate school can be made online at https://grad.uga.edu/index.php/prospective-students/apply-now/ and the requirements for M.S. or Ph.D. application can be find https://hort.caes.uga.edu/graduate/admission.html. To learn more about the graduate program in the Department of Horticulture at UGA, you can consult the graduate handbook here: https://hort.caes.uga.edu/content/dam/caes-subsite/horticulture/documents/graduate-students/Horticulture%20Graduate%20Program%20Handbook%20April%202022.pdf
3- Graduate Assistantship Opportunity
Position Summary: The University of Georgia’s Department of Horticulture is seeking a qualified individual to pursue a Ph.D. degree in the area of peaches to evaluate novel plant growth regulators for promoting floral bud-break in peach.
The position will be located at the Athens campus in Athens, Georgia. The student will need to travel regularly to Griffin Campus in Griffin, Georgia and other places across Georgia.
Major Responsibilities: The successful candidate is expected to conduct research in the following area:
─ Physiological mechanisms behind floral bud-induction in peach.
─ Transcriptomic and metabolomic changes in response to plant growth regulators for induction of floral bud break.
Relevant/Preferred Education, Experience, Licensure, and/or Certification:
─ M.S. degree in horticulture, plant pathology, agronomy, entomology, or a related field
─ A minimum GPA of 3.0.
Preferred Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and/or Competencies:
─ Excellent demonstrated verbal and written communication skills.
─ A demonstrated commitment to high-quality research
Position available: Spring 2023. Applications received by October 1, 2022 (*international student deadline September 1, 2022), are assured full consideration; however, applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
Application procedures: Interested students should contact Dr. Anish Malladi (malladi@uga.edu) and Dr. Dario J. Chavez (dchavez@uga.edu). Please write in the email’s subject line ‘PhD Graduate Assistantship’ and include the following information: 1) Statement of interest, 2) Resume, 3) GRE score (if available) plus TOEFL (if applicable), 4) Official transcripts, and 5) At least three letters of recommendation.
Application to the graduate school can be made online at https://grad.uga.edu/index.php/prospective-students/apply-now/ and the requirements for M.S. or Ph.D. application can be find https://hort.caes.uga.edu/graduate/admission.html. To learn more about the graduate program in the Department of Horticulture at UGA, you can consult the graduate handbook here: https://hort.caes.uga.edu/content/dam/caes-subsite/horticulture/documents/graduate-students/Horticulture%20Graduate%20Program%20Handbook%20April%202022.pdf
About us: The University of Georgia (UGA), a land-grant and sea-grant university with statewide commitments and responsibilities is the state’s oldest, most comprehensive, and most diversified institution of higher education. UGA is currently ranked among the top 20 public universities in U.S. News & World Report.
The UGA-Griffin campus is located 30 miles south of Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, UGA-Griffin lies in the heart of one of the nation’s fastest growing areas in the nation. The 123-acre campus is one of the premier agricultural research centers in the region, housing world-class research facilities such as the Center for Food Safety, the Food Product Innovation and Commercialization Center, and the Center for Urban Agriculture.