Master of Science in Plant Pathology Top Colleges, Syllabus and Scope

M.Sc. in Plant Pathology is a 2-year postgraduate course, the minimum eligibility for admission to which is the successful completion of B.Sc. with a minimum aggregate score of 55%, and a minimum of 1 year of experience.

Admission to the course is based on the candidate’s performance in a relevant national, State or institute-level entrance test, such as PGIMER, and the following round of counselling. The average tuition fee charged in India for the course ranges between INR 5,000 and 1.2 Lacs for a span of 3 years.

Such postgraduates are hired in capacities such as:

• Researcher
• Plant Specialist
• Plant Pathologist
• Teacher
• Health Educators
• Health Manager
• Consultant etc.

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Industries that popularly hire such postgraduates include:

• Agricultural consulting companies
• Agricultural firms
• Agricultural Research Services
• Agrochemical companies
• Animal & Plant Health Inspection Services
• Biological control companies
• Biotechnology firms
• Botanical gardens
• Colleges and universities
• Diagnostic laboratories
• EPAs (Environmental Protection Agencies)
• Forest Services
• International agricultural research centers
• Lawn and landscape maintenance firms.

The average annual salary offered to successful Plant Pathologists ranges between INR 2 to 5 Lacs, increasing with experience and skillset in the field.

M.Sc. in Plant Pathology: Course Highlights

Listed below are some of the major highlights of the course.

M.Sc. in Plant Pathology: What is it About?

M.Sc. in Plant Pathology is essentially aimed at offering eligible candidates an advanced learning in plant diseases and their management. The program plays a vital role in familiarizing students with:

• issues relating to crop protection
• environmental issues caused by excessive usage of pesticides
• disease-causing organisms in plants
• factors that are responsible for plant epidemics and their effective protection from pathogens.
• technical training in emerging uses and effects of pesticides on plants.
• topics such as pathogens, pests, plant disease resistances, transgenic, biotechnology and Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO)
• identifying and managing plant diseases
• environmental friendly applications for plant protection
• tools for handling research work in all areas of plant pathology.

The program lays emphasis on research methodology and enhancing analytical thinking skills in students for handling plant-related problems and solving them effectively. Students are exposed to lessons in theory, practical, seminars, demonstrations, field visits, and group discussions and given first-hand experience.

Assessments include presentations, project works, assignments, and oral and written examinations. The course’s syllabus covers the following:

M.Sc. in Plant Pathology aims at sharpen the skills of eligible candidates in the various techniques and processes associated with plant protection. Both government and corporate sectors offer attractive compensation packages to pathologists.

Top Institutes offering M.Sc. in Plant Pathology

Tabulated here are the names and corresponding details of the top institutes offering the course in India.

Eligibility of M.Sc. in Plant Pathology

Candidates willing to apply for the course need to fulfill the minimum eligibility criteria listed here:

• Graduation in Biological Science or Agriculture, completed from a recognized university
• A minimum aggregate score of 50% at the level of graduation.

M.Sc. in Plant Pathology: Admission Process

Admission to the course is provided to eligible candidates on the basis of performance in a relevant entrance examination, which is conducted either by the concerned institution or at the State or national level. A cut-off score is set for the examination and students clearing that are eligible for the counselling process.

The counselling process comprises two additional rounds of Group Discussion and Personal Interview, wherein the candidate’s general aptitude for the course is examined, and seats are allotted to qualifying students.

Although, there are some colleges in India that provide admission on the basis of marks scored in last qualifying examination (graduation).

Some of the popular entrance exams conducted in India for adm*ission to the course are:

• Manipal University Online Entrance Test (MU-OET)
• JIPMER Entrance Exam

M.Sc. in Plant Pathology: Syllabus and Course Description

M.Sc. in Plant Pathology: Career Prospects

Successful postgraduates of the course are lucratively employed in:

institutions, horticulture, and agriculture-based establishments

• Government and private sectors, banks, food, commodity and biotechnology companies
• plantations, agriculture machinery industries
• maintenance of public parks, agricultural universities
• research units, botanical gardens, forestry etc.

Thy are hired for roles such as:

• marketing officers, professors, plant breeders
• logistic coordinators, pest control, field and forest officers, managers.

Successful postgraduates interested in pursuing further studies in the discipline may go for Ph.D. or M.Phil. in Plant Protection, Plant Pathology, Entomology, Nematology, Weed Sciences, and such branches.

Plant Pathology postgraduates can work as Plant Geneticists, Plant Breeders, Aquatic Botanists, Limnologists, Physiologists, Plant Pathologists, Professors, Consultants, and Agricultural Engineers or Inspectors at district or State levels.

Some of the popular professional avenues open to successful postgraduates of the course are listed below with the corresponding salaries offered for the respective positions.

A candidate for admission to the Master degree programmes should have minimum 60% marks (55% marks for SEBC/ST/SC ) OR 6.00 OGPA (Out of 10) at the bachelor degree level from a recognized university.

1. The eligible applicant must appear in entrance test.
2. The basis of selection of candidate for the admission shall be the merit.
3. The merit list shall be prepared by giving 50:50 weightage to the marks of OGPA (percentage marks) of the last degree and common entrance test examination.