Program Description
The Doctor of Plant Health (DPH) is a professional degree focused on developing plant practitioners. The DPH degree is comparable to other health practitioner degrees (e.g. M.D. or D.V.M.). DPH Parallels Chart
The program requires 120 credit hours for graduation, including 20 credits from internships or practicums. You will have the opportunity to work in the field and apply your multidisciplinary skills to actual plant health problems.
The DPH program emphasizes a broad interdisciplinary education across all plant-related disciplines. Practical training and experience are the focus, rather than research. Unique aspects to this Nebraska program include:
- The core curriculum provides significant depth across all major disciplines involved in plant health (agronomy, horticulture, entomology, plant patholgy, soil science, weed science).
- Flexibility through elective credits and internships hone professional interests and bolster training credentials. You may choose to emphasize areas such as field crops, specialty crops, ornamentals, turfgrasses, landscapes, forestry, organics, regulatory, or other professional interest areas. You will have the opportunity to take courses in associated departments: Agricultural Economics; Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication; Biological Systems Engineering; Food Science and Technology; School of Natural Resources; and perhaps others.
- Experiential learning through required internships provides opportunity to develop skills in integrated probelm-solving and developing management systems. Internships can be with the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and state or federal government — nationally, even internationally.
- Diagnostic training across all disciplines is an important program component to enable effective identification and management of all issues affecting plant health.
As a Doctor of Plant Health you will apply science as a diagnostician and detective to identify and correct plant health problems. You will also develop plant management systems that maximize their economic, environmental and social sustainability.
Full Color PDF Program Brochure