Areas of Emphasis & Sample MS I & MS II Plans of Study

The IAD program offers students the opportunity to develop an individualized study program.  All students are required to take the core course and may, in collaboration with the advising faculty, develop an area of emphasis or specialization that best suits their experiences and their desires.  The following are programs that former students have developed and are offered as possible examples. Please see the “Students” page to read what some of the IADGG recent students have to say about the program.

The following section consists of selected sample programs of different specializations in the IAD program. Sample programs are not available for each specialization within the IAD program. The sample programs are provided to give students a framework from which courses can be chosen and to demonstrate the breadth of available courses. The IAD student should select courses by reviewing the sample programs and the general catalog with his or her major professor and advisor.

Classes included in sample programs may require additional prerequisites. See the UC Davis general catalog for possible requirements.

Many courses are taught only once every 2 years; check the general catalog and with individual departments for specific course offerings.

Open a new window listing department abbreviations here.

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All sample programs listed below also require the following:

IAD CORE COURSES (17 units in total)

IAD 200N Philosophy and Practice of Development (5)
IAD 201 Economics of Small Farms and Farming Systems (4)
IAD 202N Analysis and Determinants of Farming Systems (4)
IAD 203N Project Planning and Evaluation (4)

290/291 PARTICIPATORY SEMINAR (1)

Regardless of the option (thesis/orals), each student must take 1 unit of participatory seminar.

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Sample Programs of Specialization:

AGRICULTURAL AND RESOURCE ECONOMICS
AGRONOMY
- Crop Production Focus
- Crop Breeding and Genetics Focus
- Crop Physiology Focus

ANIMAL SCIENCE
AQUACULTURE
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
ECOLOGY
- Crop Ecology Focus
- Range Ecology Focus
- Forest Ecology Focus

GENDER
GEOGRAPHY
HYDROLOGY
NUTRITION
PLANT PATHOLOGY
RANGE SCIENCE
SOIL SCIENCE
VEGETABLE CROPS

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AGRICULTURAL AND RESOURCE ECONOMICS (Plan I 16-20 units; Plan II, 24-28 units)

Prerequisites (no credit towards completion of the MS degree is awarded)

ARE 100A Intermediate Microeconomics: Theory of Production and Consumption (4)
ARE 100B Intermediate Microeconomics: Imperfect Competition, Markets and Welfare Economics (4)
ARE 106 Quantitative Methods in Agricultural Economics (4)

Required Courses

ARE 204 Microeconomic Analysis (4)
ARE 214 Economic Development (4)
ARE 256 Applied Econometrics (4)

Recommended Courses (select the remaining courses from this list to complete unit requirement)

ARE 155 Quantitative Analysis for Business Decisions (4)
ARE 156 Introduction to Mathematical Economics (4)
ARE 175 Natural Resource Economics (3)
ARE 176 Environmental Economics (3)
ARE 215A Microdevelopment Theory and Methods I (4)
ARE 215B Open Macroeconomics of Development (4)
ARE 215C Microdevelopment Theory and Methods II (4)
ARE 215D Environment and Economic Development (4)
ARE 222 International Agricultural Trade and Policy (3)
ARE 252 Applied Linear Programming (4)
ARE 275 Economic Analysis of Resource and Environmental Policies (4)
ARE 276 Environmental Economics (4)
ARE 277 Natural Resource Economics (4)
Other courses by permission from Major Professor

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AGRONOMY SPECIALIZATION (Plan I 16-20 units; Plan II, 24-28 units)

Recommended Prerequisites (Credit allocation and required courses for the MS Degree are subject to review by guidance committee.)

CHE 2A,B General Chemistry (10)
CHE 8A,B Organic Chemistry (4)
BIS 1C Introductory Biology (5)
PLS/AMR 110A Principle of Agronomic Crop Production in Temperate and Tropical Systems (3)
PLS/AMR 110B Management of Agronomic Crops in Temperate and Tropical Systems (3)
PLS/AMR 110C Crop Management Systems for Vegetable Production (4)
BIS 101 Genes and Gene Expression (4)
PLB 152 Plant Genetics (4)
PLB 111 Plant Physiology (4)
PLS/AMR 120 Applied Statistics in Agricultural Science (4)
SSC 100 Principles of Soil Science (4)
MAT 16A,B Short Calculus (3)
At least one Entomology, Plant Pathology, or Hydrology course from the following:
ENT 110 Arthropod Pest Management (5)
PLP 120 Introduction to Plant Pathology (4)
HYD 110 Irrigation Principles and Practices (3)
HYD 124 Plant-Water-Soil Relationships (4)

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Crop Production Focus

Required Courses

PLS/AMR 110A Principles of Agronomic Crop Production in Temperate and Tropical Systems (3)
PLS/AMR 110B Management of Agronomic Crops in Temperate and Tropical Systems (3)
PLS/AMR 110C Crop Management Systems for Vegetable Production (4)
PLB 142 Ecology of Crop Systems (4)
PBI 202 Advanced Physiology of Cultivated Plants (2)
PLS/AGR 205 Experimental Design and Analysis (4)

Recommended Courses (select the remaining courses from this list to complete unit requirement)

ARE 140 Farm Management (5)
PLB 105 Developmental Plant Anatomy (5)
PLB 176 Introduction to Weed Science (3)
PLB 177 Action of Herbicides (3)
PBI 205B Advanced Plant Physiology (3)
PBI 205C Advanced Plant Physiology/Biochemistry (3)
ENT Entomology-Additional upper division and/or graduate courses (1)
PLP Plant Pathology-Additional upper division and/or graduate courses (1)
IPM 202A,B Diagnosis of Plant Pest Problems and the Control of Casual Agents (4,4)
PLB 154 Introduction to Plant Breeding (4)
PLB 158 Mineral Nutrition of Plants (4)
SSC 109 Nutrient Cycling and Management (5)
SSC 120 Soil Genesis, Morphology, and Classification (5)
HYD 103 Irrigation Principles and Practices (3)

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Crop Breeding and Genetics Focus

Additional Prerequisites

MAT 16 A,B,C Short Calculus (3,3,3)

Required Courses

PLS/AMR 110A Principle of Agronomic Crop Production in Temperate and Tropical Systems (3)
PLS/AMR 110B Management of Agronomic Crops in Temperate and Tropical Systems (3)
PLS/AMR 110C Crop Management Systems for Vegetable Production (4)
PLB 154 Introduction to Plant Breeding (4)
PLS 222/AGR 221 Advanced Plant Breeding (4)
PLB 143 Evolution of Crop Plants (3)
EVE 102 Population and Quantitative Genetics (4)
PLS 205 Experimental Design and Analysis (4)

Recommended Courses (select the remaining courses from this list to complete unit requirement)

PLS/AGR 206 Multivariate Systems and Modeling (4)
MCB 161 Molecular Genetics (3)
GGG 291 Seminar in History of Genetics (2)
GGG 201A Transmission Genetics (3)
BIS 102 Structure and Function of Biomolecules (3)
ENT Entomology-Additional upper division and/or graduate courses
PLP Plant Pathology-Additional upper division and/or graduate courses
PBI Plant Biology-Additional upper division and/or graduate courses
PLS/VCR 220 Biotechnology and Genetics of Crop Improvement (3)
PLS/VCR 221 Genomics and Breeding of Vegetable Crops (3)

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Crop Physiology Focus

Additional Prerequisites

BIS 101 Genes and Gene Expression (4)
BIS 102 Structure and Function of Biomolecules (3)

Required Courses:

PLB 142 Crop Ecology (4)
PLS/AGR 205 Experimental Design and Analysis (4)
PLB 105 Plant Anatomy (5)
PLB 117 Plant Ecology (4)
PBI 210 Plant Ecophysiology (3)
PBI 206 A,B,C Advance Plant Physiology Laboratory (3,3,3)
PBI 216 Advance Topics in Mineral Nutrition (4)
HYD 124 Plant-Water-Soil Relationships (4)
HYD 201 Advanced Plant Water Relations (3)

Appropriate courses might include one or more selected from above list, a foreign language, the culture and/or politics of a selected region of the world, a practicum in intervention strategies, etc.
Some substitutions are available. See adviser.

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ANIMAL SCIENCE SPECIALIZATION (Plan I 16-20 units; Plan II, 24-28 units)

Breadth Courses (choose 3)

ANS 123 Animal Growth and Development (4)
ANS 124 Lactation (4)
ANS 128 Agricultural Applications of Linear Programming (3)
NPB 121 Physiology of Reproduction (5)
NUT 110 Principles of Nutrition (5)
NUT 115 Animal Feed and Nutrition (4)
NUT 122 Ruminant Nutrition and Digestive Physiology (4)
NUT 124 Nutrition and Feeding of Finfishes (3)
ANG 206 Advanced Domestic Animal Breeding (3)
ANG 211 Genetic Engineering of Animals (2)
NUT 202 Advanced Nutritional Energetics (2)
NUT 254 Applications of Systems Analysis in Nutrition (3)

Depth Courses (choose 3)

ANS 115 Advanced Horse Production (4)
ANS 118 Fish Production (4)
ANS 119 Invertebrate Aquaculture (4)
ANS 143 Pig and Poultry Care and Management (4)
ANS 144 Beef Cattle and Sheep Production (4)
ANS 145 Meat Processing and Marketing (4)
ANS 146 Dairy Cattle Production (4)
ANS 147 Dairy Processing and Marketing (3)
ANS 148 Enterprise Analysis in Animal Industries (4)

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AQUACULTURE SPECIALIZATION (Plan I 16-20 units; Plan II, 24-28 units)

Breadth Courses

ABI 102 Animal Biochemistry and Metabolism (4)
ABI 103 Animal Biochemistry and Metabolism (4)
ANS 118 Fish Production (4)
ANS 131 Reproduction and Early Development in Aquatic Animals (4)
ECI 243A Water and Waste Treatment (4)
EBS 220 Pilot Plant Operations in Aquaculture Engineering (3)
EBS 245 Waste Management for Biological Production Systems (3)
WFC 120 Biology and Conservation of Fishes (3)
WFC 121 Physiology of Fishes (4)

Depth Courses

ABT 161 Water Quality Management for Aquaculture (3)
ABT 163 Aquaculture Systems Engineering (3)
ANS 119 Invertebrate Aquaculture (4)
ANS 136 A Aquatic Animal Growth Laboratory (2)
ARE 140 Farm Management (5)
EVE 112 Invertebrate Zoology (4)
EVE 112L Laboratory for Invertebrate Zoology (3)
NUT 124 Nutrition & Feeding of Finfishes (3)

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COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIZATION (Plan I 16-20 units; Plan II, 24-28 units)

Breadth Courses

CRD 152 Community Development (4)
CRD 153 International Community Development (4)
CRD 154 Social Theory and Community Change (4)
CRD 156 Community Economic Development (4)
CRD 157 Politics and Community Development (4)
CRD 160 Research Design and Method in Community Studies (4)
IAD 104 Gender and Environment in the Developing World (4)
SOC 144 Agriculture and Society (4)
SOC 145A Sociology of Third World Development (4)
WMS 182 Globalization, Gender and Identity (4)

Depth Courses

CRD 168 Program Evaluation and the Management of Organizations (4)
CRD 240 Community Development Theory (4)
CRD 241 The Economics of Community Development (4)
SOC 206 Quantitative Analysis in Sociology (4)

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ECOLOGY SPECIALIZATION (Plan I 16-20 units; Plan II, 24-28 units)

Breadth Courses

EVE 100 Introduction to Evolution (4)
EVE 101 Introduction to Ecology (4)
EVE 102 Population and Quantitative Genetics (4)
PLB 152 Plant Genetics (4)
BIS 101 Gene and Gene Expression (4)
BIS 102 Structure and Function of Biomolecules (3)
PLS/AMR 120 Applied Statistics in Agriculture Science (4)
PLB 111 Plant Physiology (3)
PLB 112 Plant Growth and Development (3)
PLB 117 Plant Ecology (4)
SSC 100 Principles of Soil Science (4)

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Crop Ecology Focus

Required courses

ECL 200 A,B Principles and Application of Ecological Theory (4,4)
ECL 216 Ecology and Agriculture (3)

Depth Courses (choose courses to complete unit requirement)

ENT 110 Arthropod Pest Management (5)
PLB 142 Ecology of Crop Systems (4)
PLS/AMR 150 Cropping Systems of the World (4)

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Range Ecology Focus

Required Courses

ECL 200 A,B Principles and Application of Ecological Theory (4,4)
ECL 216 Ecology and Agriculture (3)

Depth Courses (choose courses to complete unit requirement)

PLS/AMR 130 Rangelands: Ecology, Conservation and Restoration (3)
PLS/AMR 131 Identification and Ecology of Grasses (2)
PLS/AMR 134 Comparative Ecology of Major Rangeland Systems (3)
PLS/AMR 135 Ecology and Community Structure of Grassland and Savannah Herbivores (3)
PLS/AMR 137 Field Course in Rangeland Monitoring and Management (2)
ECL 206 Concepts and Methods in Plant Community Ecology (4)

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Forest Ecology Focus

Required Courses

ECL 200 A,B Principles and Application of Ecological Theory (4,4)
ECL 216 Ecology and Agriculture (3)

Depth Courses (choose courses to complete unit requirement)

PLB 144 Trees and Forests (3)
PLS/AMR 160 Agroforestry: Global and Local Perspectives (3)
ECL 206 Concepts and Methods in Plant Community Ecology (4)

IAD students specializing in ecology should complete the prerequisites and depth courses before taking the three required courses (ECL 200 A, ECL 200 B, and ECL 216).

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GENDER SPECIALIZATION (Plan I 16-20 units; Plan II, 24-28 units)

Breadth Courses

CRD 153 International Community Development (4)
IAD 104 Gender and Environment in the Developing World (4)
SOC 132 Sociology of Gender (4)
SOC 144 Agriculture and Society (4)
SOC 145A Sociology of Third World Development (4)
SOC 145B Gender and Rural Development in the Third World (4)
WMS 182 Globalization, Gender and Identity (4)
WMS 187 Gender and Social Policy (4)

Depth Courses

ECL 210 Advanced Topics in Human Ecology (4)
SOC 181 Social Change Organizations (4)
SOC 206 Quantitative Analysis in Sociology (4)
SOC 233 Gender, Culture, and Local/Global Transformation (4)
SOC 234 Gender, Family, and Society (4)

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GEOGRAPHY SPECIALIZATION (Plan I 16-20 units; Plan II, 24-28 units)

Breadth Courses

IAD 104 Gender and Environment in the Developing World (4)
ATM 116 Climate Change (4)
EVE 138 Ecology of Tropical Latitudes (4)
CRD 141 Organization of Economic Space (4)
CRD 142 Rural Change in the Industrialized World (3)
GEO 143 Political Geography (4)
WFC 156 Plant Geography (4)
WFC 157 Coastal Ecosystems (4)
LDA 168 Mountain Landscapes and Life (3)
NUT 120B Nutritional Geography (4)

Depth Courses

GEO 200B Geographical Concepts (4)
GEO 200C Theory and Practice in Geography (4)
GEO 290 Seminar in Selected Regions (4)
GEO 292 Seminar in Plant Geography (4)
ERS 105 Cartography (4)
ERS 186 Environmental Remote Sensing with Lab (5)
GEO 200D Research Methods in Geography (4)
ESP 166 Policy Making in Natural Resource Agencies (4)

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HYDROLOGY SPECIALIZATION (Plan I 16-20 units; Plan II, 24-28 units)

Required Courses (10 units)

HYD 141 Physical Hydrology (4)
HYD 142 Systems Hydrology (4)
HYD 200 Survey of Hydrologic Sciences (1)
HYD 290 Selected from seminars offered (1)

Select two: (6-8 units)

SSC 107 Soil Physics (5)
HYD 124 Plant-Water-Soil Relationships (4)
HYD 144 Groundwater Hydrology (3)
HYD 151A Field Methods in Hydrology (3)
HYD 151B Field Methods in Hydrology (3)

Recommended Courses (select the remaining courses from this list to complete unit requirement)

HYD 210 Hydrologic Modeling of the Vadose Zone (3)
HYD 212 Evapotranspiration (3)
HYD 243 Water Resource Planning and Management (3)
HYD 264 Modeling of Hydrologic Processes (3)

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NUTRITION SPECIALIZATION (Plan I 16-20 units; Plan II, 24-28 units)

Background or prerequisite coursework in basic chemistry, organic chemistry, physiology, and statistics desirable.

Required courses (14 units)

NUT 110 Principles of Nutrition (5)
NUT 112 Nutritional Assessment (3)
NUT 118 Community Nutrition (4)
NUT 219A International Nutrition (3)

Recommended Courses (select the remaining courses from this list to complete unit requirement)

NUT 101 Introduction to Nutrition and Metabolism (4)
NUT 111 Introduction to Nutrition and Metabolism (4)
NUT 113 Nutritional Assessment: Biochemical Measures (2)
NUT 114 Developmental Nutrition (4)
NUT 117 Experimental Nutrition (5)
NUT 120 Food Habits and Their Nutritional Implications (4)
NUT 201 Vitamin Metabolism (2)
NUT 202 Advanced Nutritional Energetics (2)
NUT 203 Advanced Protein and Amino Acid Nutrition (2)
NUT 204 Mineral Metabolism (2)
NUT 252 Nutrition and Development (3)
NUT 254 Applications of Systems Analysis in Nutrition (3)
NUT 258 Field Research Methods in International Nutrition (3)

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PLANT PATHOLOGY SPECIALIZATION (Plan I 16-20 units; Plan II, 24-28 units)

Required Courses (16 units)

PLP 120 Introduction to Plant Pathology (4)
PLP 205A,B Diseases of Vegetable and Field Crops (4,1)
PLP 206A,B Diseases of Fruit, Nut and Vine Crops (3,1)
PLP 208 Ecology of Plant Pathogens and Epidemiology of Plant Disease (4)
PLP 209 Principles of Plant Disease Control (3)
PLP 290 Seminar (1)

Highly Recommended Courses

PLB 148 Introductory Mycology (5)
PLB 176 Introduction to Weed Science (3)
ENT 110 Arthropod Pest Management (5)
NEM 100 General Plant Nematology (4)
SSC 100 Principles of Soil Science (4)

Recommended Courses (select the remaining courses from this list to complete unit requirement)

PLB 172 Postharvest Physiology and Handling of Horticultural Commodities (3)
PLB 172L Postharvest Physiology and Handling Laboratory (2)
PLB 158 Mineral Nutrition of Plants (4)
PLP 224 Plant Pathogenic Fungi (5)
PLP 226 Plant Virology (5)
PLP 228 Plant Bacteriology (5)

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RANGE SCIENCE SPECIALIZATION (Plan I 16-20 units; Plan II, 24-28 units)

Breadth Courses

ANS 144 Beef and Sheep Production (4)
PLS/AMR 120 Applied Statistics in Agriculture Science (4)
PLS/AMR 130 Rangelands: Ecology, Conservation and Restoration (3)
PLS/AMR 131 Identification and Ecology of Grasses (2)
PLS/AMR 132 Geographic Information Systems in Applied Ecology (3)
PLS/AMR 134 Comparative Ecology of Major Rangeland Systems (3)
PLS/AMR 135 Ecology and Community Structure of Grassland and Savannah Herbivores (3)
PLB 111 Plant Physiology (3)
PLB 112 Plant Growth and Development (3)
SSC 100 Principles of Soil Science (4)

Depth Courses

ABT 181 Geographic Information Systems Modeling (5)
PLS/AGR 205 Experimental Design and Analysis (4)
PLS/AGR 206 Multivariate Systems and Modeling (4)
PLS/AMR 137 Field Course in Rangeland Monitoring and Management (2)
ECL 206 Concepts and Methods in Plant Community Ecology (4)
NUT 122 Ruminant Nutrition and Digestive Physiology (4)
PLB 176 Introduction to Weed Science (3)

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SOIL SCIENCE SPECIALIZATION (Plan I 16-20 units; Plan II, 24-28 units)

Required Courses (10 units)

SSC 100 Principles of Soil Science (4)
SSC 120 Soil Genesis, Morphology, and Classification (5)
SSC 290 Selected from seminars offered (1)

Select one: (4-5 units)

SSC 102 Soil and Water Chemistry (5)
SSC 107 Soil Physics (5)
SSC 109 Nutrient Cycling and Management (5)
SSC 111 Soil Microbiology (4)

Recommended Courses (select the remaining courses from this list to complete unit requirement)

SSC 207 Transport Processes in Soils (4)
SSC 208 Soil-Plant Interrelationships (3)
SSC 211 Advanced Soil Microbiology (3)
SSC 216 Physical Geochemistry (3)
SSC 218 Soil Erosion and Conservation (3)
SSC 219 Ecosystem Biogeochemistry (4)

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VEGETABLE CROPS SPECIALIZATION (Plan I 16-20 units; Plan II, 24-28 units)

Required Courses

PLS/AMR 110 C Crop Management Systems for Vegetable Production (4)
PLS/AMR 118 Seed Production and Quality (4)

Highly Recommended Courses

PLB 111 Plant Physiology (3)
PLB 172 Postharvest Physiology and Handling of Horticultural Commodities (3)

Recommended Courses (select the remaining courses from this list to complete unit requirement)

PLS 213/VCR 212 Postharvest Physiology of Vegetables (4)
ECL 216 Ecology and Agriculture (3)
PLB 154 Introduction to Plant Breeding (4)
PLB 172L Postharvest Physiology and Handling Laboratory (2)
PLB 171 Plant Propagation (4)
PLB 176 Introduction to Weed Science (3)
ENT 110 Arthropod Pest Management (5)
PLP 120 Introduction to Plant Pathology (4)
SSC 109 Nutrient Cycling and Management (4)
HYD 110 Irrigation Principles and Practices (3)

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