Agricultural Biotechnology

• Receive top-quality classroom, field, and laboratory experiences required for well-paying careers in industry, government, and farming.
• Learn from professors who are among the nation’s most productive and creative in the field. Several of the program’s faculty are members of the National Academy of Sciences, American Society of Agronomy, and Soil Science Society of America.
• Work with faculty on research funded by the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Department of Agriculture.
• Join a math, science, and engineering community residence hall at WSU Pullman — share classes with your neighbors, study together, get free tutoring, and use the hall’s computer lab.
• Support from American Society of Plant Biologists for undergraduate research.

A variety of state, federal, and university-sponsored programs are available to help students with educational costs.

For all students at WSU

Washington State University awards millions of dollars in financial aid and scholarships to students every year based on financial need, academic merit, or a combination of the two.

To get all the financial help WSU can provide, start by doing these two things:

• Complete the University's general scholarship application so you can be eligible for scholarship consideration, including departmental awards.
• Complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) so WSU can consider you for aid (scholarships, grants, loans, etc.) based on financial need. Get started here.

Click here for more info about WSU scholarships and financial aid

For agriculture majors

The College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS) annually awards more than $500,000 to students. For more information, see the CAHNRS scholarship page.

Jobs are available in government agencies, commercial businesses, and nonprofit organizations in the fields of crop physiology, plant breeding, biotechnology, and environmental quality.

Here are some examples of where you could find jobs; this isn't a comprehensive list, but you can see that there are plenty of places to put your degree to work.

Government employers

For instance:

• The USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, Natural Resource Conservation Service, and Cooperative Extension
• The Environmental Protection Agency
• The Washington State Department of Ecology, Department of Agriculture, and Department of Natural Resources

Teaching, research, and extension careers are available in community colleges and universities for graduates with advanced degrees.

Private commercial industry

For instance:

• Food processing companies
• Insurance agencies
• Commercial concerns dealing with farm products, fertilizers and agricultural chemicals, and seeds

International agriculture

Job opportunities and advanced study in agricultural biotechnology are available through such organizations as:

• The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
• The World Bank
• Various international research institutes
• Church-run agricultural development organizations
• The U.S. Peace Corps