The Doctor of Plant Health (DPH) is a professional degree focused on educating and developing high level plant practitioners. The DPH degree is comparable to other health practitioner degrees (e.g. M.D. or D.V.M.). See DPH Parallels Chart
The program requires 100 graduate credit hours for graduation, plus internships or practicums. DPH students have the opportunity to work in the field and apply multidisciplinary skills to actual plant health situations and problems.
The DPH program emphasizes a broad interdisciplinary education across all plant-related disciplines. Practical training and experience are the focus, rather than a total focus on research. Critical elements of this University of Nebraska–Lincoln program include:
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The core curriculum provides significant depth across all major disciplines involved in plant health (agronomy, horticulture, entomology, plant pathology, soil science, weed sciences).
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Experiential learning through required internships provides opportunity to develop skills in integrated problem-solving and managing production systems.
- Flexibility through elective credits and internships build professional capacity and bolster experiential credentials.
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Diagnostic training across all disciplines is an important program component to enable effective identification and management of all issues affecting plant health.
- Professional capabilities will be enhanced through emphasis in leadership and other soft skills development.
As a Doctor of Plant Health, you will apply science to develop and implement plant management systems that maximize their economic, environmental, and social sustainability. You will also serve as a diagnostician to identify and correct plant health problems.