| Master’s
Degree
Undergraduate preparation for admission to the MS
program includes courses in intermediate micro- and macroeconomics,
statistics, and calculus.
Graduates with MS degrees have found employment in
government and international agencies, agricultural extension services,
financial organizations, and agribusiness firms.
Requirements
Prospective MS candidates may select either the Plan A
(thesis) or Plan B (non-thesis) program. The Plan A program requires 25
credit hours of course work and 6 credit hours of thesis. The student
must pass an oral exam in defense of the thesis.
Plan B requires 34 credit hours of course work, of
which 18 credit hours must be from courses at the 600 level or above. A
scholarly paper, a written comprehensive exam, and a subsequent exam are
required. The scholarly paper should reflect the candidate’s
substantive analysis of a subject in the field of agricultural and
resource economics. The written exam covers materials from the core
courses.
All students pursuing the MS are required to take the
following courses: AREC 458, 627, and 705; ECON 420 (or 627); ECON 425
(or AREC 626); ECON 604 (or 606); and ECON 605 (or 607).
Doctoral Degree
Applicants with a master’s degree in either
agricultural economics or a closely related field with no under-graduate
deficiencies will be considered for admission to the PhD program.
Students currently enrolled in the MS program, upon successful
completion of 12 credit hours of graduate course work, may petition for
admission to the PhD program. Students with outstanding undergraduate
records (minimum GPA of 3.3) in agricultural and resource economics or a
closely related field with no undergraduate deficiencies may also gain
admission to the PhD program. Applicants for the PhD program must have
completed all courses required for admission to the master’s program.
Employment opportunities for PhD graduates include
private and public research organizations and university positions in
research, teaching, and extension.
Requirements
Students in the PhD program must take AREC 610, 626,
629, 634, 637, 638, 705; ECON 606, 607, 608, 609, and 627; and two other
approved graduate courses.
PhD students must pass a written comprehensive exam
based on core courses (see departmental brochure for details). They must
also pass an oral comprehensive exam, write an acceptable dissertation
based on original research, and defend it in a public examination before
being awarded the PhD degree.
Agronomy and Soil Science
Sherman 101
1910 East-West Road
Honolulu, HI 96822
Tel: (808) 956-8708
E-mail: soil1@avax.ctahr.hawaii.edu
Web: agrss.sherman.hawaii.edu/
Faculty
*S. A. El-Swaify, PhD (Chair)--soil and water conservation, salinity
I. S. Campbell, PhD--crop management, information
systems
*R. S. de la Pena, PhD--crop management, root crops
*C. I. Evensen, PhD--water quality extension, environmental education
*J. H. Fownes, PhD--forest ecology
*J. B. Friday, PhD--tropical forestry and agroforestry extension
*M. Habte, PhD--soil microbiologybiochemistry
*N. V. Hue, PhD--soil chemistry
*R. C. Jones, PhD--soil mineralogy, x-ray analytical methods
*H. H. Keyser, PhD--soil microbiology, Rhizobium
*S. C. Miyasaka, PhD--alternative crops, nutrition
P. S. Motooka, PhD--weed science (forest/pastures)
*J. A. Silva, PhD--soil fertility and soil chemistry, statistics
*P. Singleton, PhD--legume BNF
B. J. Smith, PhD--pasture/grazing management. livestock behavior
*G. Uehara, PhD--systems simulation in international agriculture
*R. S. Yost, PhD--expert systems in soil management, fertility
Cooperating Graduate Faculty
D. Borthakur, PhD--biotechnology, Rhizobium
J. L. Brewbaker, PhD--crop breeding, agroforestry
C. S. Tang, PhD--biochemistry of crops and soils
Affiliate Graduate Faculty
K. C. Ewel, PhD--ecology
F. C. Meinzer, PhD--crop physiology, water relations, gas exchange
L. D. Swindale, PhD--international agricultural research and
development, soil pedology
*Graduate Faculty
Degrees and Certificates Offered:
BS in agronomy and soil science, MS in agronomy and
soil science, PhD in agronomy and soil science, Graduate Resource
Management Certificate (see the “Interdisciplinary Programs” section
within this Catalog), Environmental Studies Certificate (see the
“Colleges of Arts and Sciences” section within this Catalog)
The Academic Program
Agronomy (AGRN) is the study of food, fiber, feed, and
fuel crops and their physiology, interaction with the environment, and
management from a systems perspective. Soil science (SOIL) is the study
of natural land and soil resources and their effective management
through the application of the principles of basic scientific
disciplines, such as chemistry, physics, and biology, and technologies
derived therefrom. Understanding the soil is required to intelligently
manage and preserve this valuable natural resource. The combination of
agronomy and soil science [AGRS] is a logical marriage of two
interdependent subjects fundamental to implementing land use practices
that are highly productive, sustainable, economically viable, and
environmentally safe.
Students majoring in agronomy and soil science are
involved in the full spectrum of subjects and activities required to
under-stand and responsibly manage land, water, crops, and climate for
the benefit of humankind. Modern scientific approaches and instruments
allow agronomists to study soil-plant-atmosphere systems at all scales,
from the microscopic level to large land areas. Many find great
satisfaction in applying results from the laboratory to large-scale
land-use problems. In recent years many students trained in agronomy and
soil science have embarked on successful careers in ecological and
environmental protection, in international institutions and
organizations, and in farm-based agricultural industries. The department
is one of only a few in the nation with a special commitment to
international linkages with the developing world and the only department
fully dedicated to crops and soils of the tropics. |