Why Penn State?
Competitive program rankings. Broad funding and fellowship opportunities. Emerging research topics.
At A Glance
"Penn State is ranked among the top 15 research institutions in the nation."
Doctoral Recipients
- 50% enter academia
- 33% enter industry or private sector
- 17% enter government or public sector
“My adviser is key to my success in my Ph.D. program. I strongly believe that the match between student and professor is very important for the development of good research and student’s achievement.” --Ph.D., Agricultural and Extension Education
“We have renowned faculty members and great facilities. The department does a great job networking students with industries and preparing them for the private sector.” --M.S., Food Sciences
“I feel I work in a great community with supportive faculty and an open environment for the free exchange of ideas.” --Ph.D., Plant Pathology
Driven by our founding land-grant based mission--to create, analyze, and share knowledge that improves the lives of people in Pennsylvania, the nation and the world--the College of Agricultural Sciences invests more than $89 million in research and graduate study yearly.
Ranked as one of the largest agricultural colleges in the country, graduate programs are offered in 16 major areas within the college. In addition, students may choose to enroll in interdisciplinary programs, such as Ecology, Plant Biology, Genetics, and Molecular Medicine, supported by faculty advisers in the college.
Competitive Ranking
The College of Agricultural Sciences programs' continue to receive competitive peer rankings. The Faculty Scholarly Index, which evaluates the scholarly output of nearly 7,300 doctoral programs around the country, rated the CAS Soil Sciences program fourth, Agronomy and Crop Sciences seventh, and Food Sciences ninth.
Scholarly Excellence
An example of the caliber of our faculty: Jay Stauffer, professor of ichthyology in the college’s School of Forest Resources, was recently named a Distinguished Professor by the University. He is an internationally known expert on the ecology, systematics, and zoogeography of fishes.
Funding and Fellowship Opportunities
Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences ranks ninth in the nation among all universities in agricultural research expenditures (National Science Foundation Research Expenditure Rankings FY 2005--released January 2007).
A recent external fellowship and assistantship survey demonstrated how funding speaks to the caliber of leading-edge collaborations among the exceptional faculty and graduate students at CAS. Programs receiving Fullbright funding include Dairy and Animal Science and Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology. A student in Entomology received National Science Foundation funding, and International Ford Fellowships were awarded to students in Plant Pathology and Entomology.
The College of Agricultural Sciences faculty has active USDA-sponsored training programs in Agricultural Biosecurity, Nanoscale Science and Engineering in Forest Resources, and Integrated Soil and Water Sciences.
Leading-edge Facilities
The Food Science Building, which opened in 2006 on the University Park campus, houses state-of-the-art facilities for research and workforce training as well as the Berkey Creamery. By educating students with exceptional facilities, CAS is contributing to the future of the food processing and manufacturing industry throughout Pennsylvania and the nation.
The School of Forest Resources moved into a 95,000 square-foot building in 2006. The building includes teaching, research, and outreach facilities as well as office space for faculty, graduate students, and staff. The building also houses several laboratories, two large technology classrooms, and an auditorium.
Emerging Research
Whether you choose to work with leading faculty, be an investigator on scholarly publications, or be a presenter at a national conference--one thing is for certain: you'll be engaged in dynamic study and interdisciplinary research, mentored by college faculty who will help your succeed within a diverse campus community.
Just ask the students in the Eco-Roof Technology horticulture class (course HORT 497A) who will soon begin a monitoring program that promises to last for years. One green roof will be what lead researcher Rob Bergage calls "a showcase" on top of the Forest Resources Building. The green roof was a key factor in the structure's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. Penn State has been doing green roof research longer than any other institution in North America.
