Students gain advanced knowledge of plant pathology, including physiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology of plant pathogens or host-pathogen interactions; the biology and ecology of plant pathogens; epidemiology and modeling of plant diseases; and the diagnosis and control of plant diseases, including chemical, biological and integrated methods of control. Students graduate with the qualitative and quantitative skills necessary for professional research and teaching in plant diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, and nematodes.