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New Mexico State University

PES graduate student handbook

Welcome to Las Cruces and New Mexico State University's Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences. This handbook will provide valuable information to answer the most commonly asked questions about graduate school and departmental policies. You should also obtain copies of the following documents, available through the Graduate School Office: Graduate School Bulletin, Graduate Student Handbook, and "Guidelines for Preparing a Thesis or Dissertation."

The Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences offers a Masters of Science in both Plant and Environmental Sciences and Horticulture, and a PhD in Plant and Environmental Sciences. The faculty come from a variety of disciplines, including crop physiology, ornamental horticulture, soil science, plant breeding and genetics, nursery and greenhouse production, molecular biology, and forestry.

Although much of your time will be spent in class and with members of your committee, we encourage you to interact with other faculty members and fellow graduate students, who are valuable sources of information.

Professional Societies

Belonging to a professional organization while a graduate student is well worth the cost. The student has the opportunity to attend professional meetings, meet others in his/her field, and present research at these meetings to gain useful experience and exposure. Below are some common professional organizations and a brief explanation of each.

  1. American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
    • Encompasses all fields of science and technology. Publishes the weekly journal Science. Headquarters are at 1333 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005. Membership is $82. Dr. Paul Bosland and Dr. William Lindemann are NMSU members.
  2. American Society of Agronomy (ASA)
    • Crop Science Society of America (CSSA)
    • Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)
    • These societies are independent, autonomous organizations, but work closely together. They share a headquarters office at 677 S. Segoe Rd, Madison, WI. 53711. Graduate student memberships range from $22-$32, depending on the journal options selected. Many agronomy and soil science professors are members
  3. American Society for Horticulture Science (ASHS)
    • Student membership is $40; membership applications are usually in the back of the organization's journal, HortScience. National meetings are held annually, either in the summer or fall. ASHS rewards student travel grants to attend the meetings if presenting. The Department Head submits graduate student names and abstracts to ASHS for travel grants.
  4. American Society of Plant Physiology (ASPP)
    • Publishes Plant Physiology, an international journal devoted to research on physiology, molecular biology, environmental biology, biochemistry, and cell biology of plants. For membership/subscription contact: Daisy Gorzyca, Office Administrator at 15501 Monona Drive, Rockville, MD 20855.
  5. American Phyto/pathological Society (APS)
    • Standard rate is $24, includes your choice of journal and the option to receive additional journals at added costs.
  6. Association for Women in Science (AWIS)
    • Student membership is $10. Information is available through: AWIS, 1522 K Street, NW Suite 820, Washington, D.C. 20005.
  7. Society of American Foresters (SAF)
    • Student membership is $25. Dr. John Mexal is chairperson of the Southern New Mexico Chapter of SAF and has membership information

Honarary Organizations

  1. Gamma Sigma Delta: Honorary Society for Agricultural Sciences.
    • Must be nominated
    • Many faculty are members
  2. Pi Alpha Xi: Honorary Society for Horticulture.
    • Must be nominated
  3. Sigma Xi: Scientific Research Society
    • Must be nominated
    • Generally post-doctoral
    • Annual research and grant awards for undergraduate and graduate students

Degree requirements

Admission:
Students who plan to engage in advanced study in the Department of Plant & Environmental Sciences (PES) at NMSU must be admitted to the Graduate School, be accepted by the Department, and be accepted by a faculty member.

Requirements for a M.S. Degree:
The general University requirements for the MS degree are described in the Graduate Catalog available through the Dean of the Graduate School. The student should familiarize himself/herself with these requirements. The PES Department has established certain specific procedures and requirements for the M.S. degree, including a minimum GPA of 3.0 for entering M.S. students.

Most students are expected to complete a thesis. The thesis option requires completion of research suitable for journal publication. A non-thesis option is available for certain students (depending on prior training and experience), subject to approval by the student's committee and requires completion of a research project and paper of limited scope. A minimum of 30 to 36 semester credits is required for either option, including a minimum of 15 credits numbered 500 or above.

  1. Student's Committee:
    The student's committee should be formed the first semester of study. Foreign students may delay forming a committee until the second semester of study. The committee chair and one other member must be in the student's department; however, the home department of these two committee members may be outside the student's department (see Graduate Faculty Guidelines section "Appointments Outside of Home Department"). The third person on the committee must serve as the dean's representative and cannot be a faculty member. The student's committee approves the program of study (usually by the second semester), guides the student in research, and administers the final exam. The Department Head will not sign a program of study until the student's committee has been formed and has approved the program. There is no GRE requirement by the Graduate School & none by PES. The forms needed by the graduate school must be filed by the student. "Application for Admission to Candidacy must be filed with the graduate school no later than after the completion of 12 credits of graduate work."
  2. Final Exam:
    The final exam is administered by the student's committee. It can be in part an oral defense of the thesis, or research report, and in part a general examination of the student's field of study.
  3. Course Requirements:
    General course requirements are described in the Graduate School Bulletin. Specific course requirements are left to the discretion of the student's committee with the following exception;

    All MS candidates will present at least one department seminar during their tenure at NMSU. It is recommended that the seminar cover the student's research. The student will register for the official seminar course the semester the seminar is given.

  4. Thesis:
    A thesis will be written (for student's pursuing the thesis option) concerning the student's research. The thesis will be written according to Graduate School guidelines. The student should be familiar with deadlines for thesis submission to the committee and the Graduate School, and with specific thesis format.
  5. Research Report:
    A research report will be written (for students pursuing the non-thesis option) on an area of investigation conducted by the student. The student's committee will determine the report format and final acceptance.
  6. Teaching and Research Assistanship: See below, under Ph.D.

Requirements for a Ph.D. Degree:
The general university requirements for a Ph.D. degree are described in the Graduate Catalog, available through the Dean of the Graduate School. A student is urged to know these requirements. Additionally, PES has established certain specific procedures and requirements for the Ph.D. degree, including a minimum GPA of 3.3 for entering doctoral students.

  1. Qualifying Exam and Committee:
    During the first semester of study, the student must pass the qualifying exam administered by the department. The composition of the qualifying committee is determined after consultation with the graduate student, and upon recommendation from the student's advisor. The committee normally includes at least four members of the University Graduate Faculty, one of whom must be from a department other than PES. The qualifying exam may be taken the second semester of study for international students. The qualifying committee may recommend:
    1. admiting the student to further work towards the doctorate,
    2. limit the student to the master's program, or
    3. re-evaluating the student's progress after the lapse of one semester.
    4. discontinuing graduate work

    If a student has an M.S. degree from NMSU, the qualifying exam may be administered at the time of the M.S. final exam. If the student passes the qualifying exams, the student's advisor and the PES department head will appoint the Doctoral Committee to prepare the student's preliminary program of study for the doctorate with the Graduate School.

  2. Comprehensive Examination:
    This exam covers all phases of the major and minor fields, and is given after completion of most of the agreed-upon course work and when sufficient progress has been made toward fulfilling "additional" requirements (see #6 below). The examination must be part oral and part written. Generally, there should be a time lapse of at least one year between the comprehensive and final oral examination.
  3. Doctoral Committee: Comprehensive and Final Exams
    This committee will be composed of four members, three members from the major area,PES and two from a related area,one of whom may be the Graduate Dean's representative. See the graduate catalog for rules governing the Graduate Dean's representative. All members will attend the comprehensive oral and final defense. The Doctoral Committee guides the candidate in the reseach, evaluates the merits of the dissertation, and verifies satisfactory completion of "additional" requirements noted below.
  4. Dissertation:
    A dissertation subject chosen by the candidate in his/her major field must receive final approval of the Doctoral Committee. Also, the candidates must demonstrate potential to pursue independent investigation. After presentation of the dissertation, but before final action is taken upon it, the committee will require the candidate to defend it in a final oral examination. Research described in the dissertation must be suitable for publication in a journal.
  5. Minimum Course Requirements:
    Candidates for a Ph.D. degree in PES are expected to demonstrate (via course work and/or independent study) a thorough understanding and proficiency in their chosen major and minor areas. Additionally, a Ph.D. candidate is expected to have considerable knowledge of the other areas associated with the major area.

    6. Actual course requirements are left to the discretion of the Doctoral Committee, with the exceptions given below:

    1. All Ph.D. students will present two PES departmental seminars during their study at NMSU. It is recommended that the first seminar be presented within the student's first year. The second seminar will cover the dissertation research. If a Ph.D. student completed a M.S. degree in PES and presented a departmental seminar over the M.S.thesis research, only one departmental seminar (covering the dissertation research) will be required. The student will register for the official seminar course the semester the seminar(s) is/are given.
    2. All Ph.D. students must complete a minimum of 9 hours of course work numbered above 600 exclusive of research and thesis.
    3. Numbering of Courses
      Courses numbered 450-499 are designed for seniors and M.S. graduates; 500-599 are primarily for graduate students working on the master's degree; 600-700 are principally for students working on a doctoral degree.
    4. At least 18 hours of dissertation credit.
  6. Additional Requirements:
    One of the following six additional requirements must be satisfied and approved by the Doctoral Committee:
    1. Thorough knowledge of a foreign language other than English.
    2. Reading ability of two foreign languages.
    3. Reading ability of one foreign language and proficiency with a research tool.
    4. Reading ability of one foreign language and one semester of supervised teaching.
    5. Proficiency with a research tool and one semester of supervised teaching.
    6. Two semesters of supervised teaching.

Thorough knowledge of one foreign language means that the student can proficiently use the language effectively in his/her profession. An examiner approved by the Doctoral Committee and from the Department of Foreign Languages will be appointed to attest to proficiency.

A research tool is defined as a proficiency in a particular subject area different from the major and minor areas and is intended to broaden the student's academic background. Proficiency is defined as satisfactory performance in a minimum of six hours of course work in the particular subject area, or by a demonstrated ability in an area satisfactory to the Doctoral Committee.

Supervised teaching is intended to prepare students for the teaching profession. The experience may involve one semester of supervised teaching, development of instructional materials (e.g., audio-tutorial aids, slide sets, etc.) or any other experience that allows the student first-hand knowledge of the educational process. Competence is to be judged by the instructor. A written evaluation by the instructor will be submitted to the Doctoral Committee for approval.

Financial Assistance

Financial support is available for graduate students in the form of assistantships, fellowships, scholarships and loans. Departmental assistantships and university fellowships are generally limited.

As a research or teaching assistant, graduate students pay instate tuition, and the maximum work load is 20 hours per week. A complete application for assistantships includes a financial support application and three letters of recommendation from faculty or others who know the student's potential for graduate study. Documentation should be submitted directly to the Department of PES.

In the educational services building, there is a financial aid office that helps new graduate students apply for many types of financial support. Perkins loans (national direct student loans), Stanford loans (GSL), and college work study are all available to graduate students. The amount of aid awarded will be based on the financial need for the student.

Graduate students wanting to apply for any of the above forms of financial aid must maintain a GPA of 3.0 and must be enrolled for at least 9 graded graduate credits in a regular semester (fall and spring).

New graduate students wanting financial support should contact the following office to get a financial advisor: Director, Financial Aid Office, New Mexico State University, Box 30001, Dept. 5100, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003, Telephone (505) 646-4105.

  • Teaching Assistantships (TA)
    Each year the department is issued a limited number of Teaching Assistantships through the Graduate School. If a student wants to be considered for a teaching assistantship, he or she should make the request through their advisor. Three letters of reference are required and Esther Ramirez has these forms. The PhD students are eligible for TA support up to 3years and MS students for two years. A GPA of 3.0 is required by all students and the student must be enrolled for 9 credit hours. If the student is an international student, he/she will be required to attend a class during the summer and give a presentation to insure that the student has a good command of English and will be able to teach.
    Teaching assistantships start with the beginning of the semester in August (on or around August 20) and run through the end of the Spring semester in May (on or about May 15). Each year assistantships are reassigned. Therefore, a student with a teaching assistantship one year is not guaranteed an assistantship the next year. Available assistantships are assigned in late June or early July and occasionally again in December.
    The Graduate School issues a contract that must be signed by the student. The contract informs the student of the salary, and the beginning date and the ending date of the contract. Teaching assistants are paid twice a month (the 15. and last working day of each month). Internal Revenue Service tax withholding guidelines require undergraduate and graduate students employed through New Mexico State University maintain at least six (6) credit hours of course work during the Fall and Spring semesters and three (3) credit hours of course work for summer sessions to be eligible for the student FICA tax exeption. Student employees who do not meet this requirement during any given pay period will be subject to Social Security taxes at the rate of 6.2% and Medicare taxes at the rate of 1.45%.
  • Research Assistant (RA)
    A research assistant is responsible for working on research programs under the direction of a faculty member. Duties vary between research programs but can include field work, data recording and analysis, lab analysis, report writing, and computer programming. An assistantship is available to a graduate student meeting the job qualifications of the specific research program and is not dependent on the student majoring in the field of research or having the professor serve as a major advisor or as a committee member. However, research assistants are generally hired to conduct research in partial fulfillment of a M.S. or Ph.D. degree.

    A research assistantship is granted by an individual professor after approval by the Department Head and the Graduate School. After approval, the Graduate School issues a contract that must be signed by the graduate student. The contract states pay, hours per week, and the beginning and ending dates of the assistantship. Contracts are renewed yearly at the beginning of the fiscal year. A full research assistant is required to work 20 hours per week. Half-time research assistantships (10 hours.) are also available.
    Research assistants are paid twice a month on the 15 and last working day of each month. Payroll deduction for tuition also applies to research assistants.
  • Payroll Deduction
    All graduate assistants will pay tuition. Graduate students with a half-time (10 hours/week) or more will be eligible for the resident tuition rate during the first 12 months of tenure. If New Mexico resident status (application is available from the Registrar's Office) has not been established by the time of reappointment, the graduate assistant may be subject to the non-resident tuition rate. Contact the Registrars Office for further details. Tuition payments can be made by having them deducted from your paycheck by the business office. When enrolling, if you have signed a contract for an assistantship, the graduate school will have a payroll deduction card which you can fill out. Generally, payments are distributed over four months, and you do not have to make a downpayment (otherwise required).

International Students

The Center for International Programs (CIP) at New Mexico State University is the focal point for the University's international activities. The CIP provides services and advisement to international students from approximately 72 countries.

New international students must contact an international student advisor who will coordinate admissions, provide immigration advice, enroll the student in orientation programs, provide general counseling, and develop special programs for the student. The CIP also cooperates with international student associations and community organizations to organize socio-cultural activities for international students and their families. The CIP is in Garcia Annex, room 238, telephone (505) 646-2017. The CIP cannot loan money to a student unless the student's government sponsor has made arrangements with the CIP in advance. Obtaining Visas for Admitted International Students. If students have been admitted to the graduate school and the visa takes more than 30 days to process, contact Wendy Hall, 202 456-6130 or email her at whall@ostp.eop.gov in Washington DC for help.

Office Support Staff

Sally Baeza

  • See for all paychecks, purchasing regulations and financial activities except assistantships

  • Acct. Techn. Supervisor

  • Phone: 6-4620

Josephine Vasquez

  • See for travel reimbursements and credit card transactions

  • Accounting Technician II

  • Phone: 6-1141

Esther Ramirez

  • See for assistantships and general help. She is in charge of all the supporting staff

  • Department Secretary III

  • Phone: 6-3406

Linda Meyer

  • See for desk and room assignments; keys

  • Reports Layout Typist II

  • Phone: 6-3405

Jessica Phillips

  • See for help in department web page material and typing

  • Department Secretary I

  • Phone: 6-1137

Graduate Student Cubicles Assignment Rules

The Department of PES has access to 30 cubicles in Skeen Hall. The PES, Entomology, Plant Pathology and Weed Sciences Departments mutually agreed that cubicle space will be proportionally allocated based on graduate student enrollment by department.

Effective November 27, 2002, the assignment of graduate student cubicles was transferred to the Graduate Studies Committee but is handled by Linda Meyer.

Priority is:
  1. Teaching Assistants will be guaranteed cubicles, and will receive the highest priority. This is to facilitate undergraduate student access to Teaching Assistants.
  2. Full-time funded students (research assistantship and funded research) will be given second priority. Also, international students funded by non-NMSU agencies or institutions will be given the same priority. The priority will be based on the starting date in Graduate School.
  3. Full-time and then part time student will be given space based on availability after priority 1 and 2 are satisfied. Again the priority will be based on the starting date in Graduate School.
  4. PhD students that have not finished, will be required to give up an assigned cubicle. M.S. students that have not finished in three years will be required to give up an assigned cubicle.
  5. A current list shows the location (map) of each assigned cubicle of each room with the name of the student. See room numbers in Skeen Hall Third Floor N-345, N-349, N-353, and N-357, and Skeen Hall Second Floor N-257, N-253, and N329 for student cubicle assignments.
    1. Faculty members are requested to send an email request to Linda Meyer for assignment of cubicles for their graduate students that currently do not have a cubicle. The request must be submitted by the first day of class in the spring, fall, and summer session I and II. The request should include the name of the room and cubicle letter A through F that they desire for their student and the student's name and starting date. The information should also include why the cubicle should be reassigned based on the rules above if the cubicle is currently assigned to a student.
    2. When requests exceed the number of open cubicles, each request will be assigned a number and a random drawing will occur to assign the desks. After the dead line for submitting requests occurs, the desks will be assigned by email to the student with a copy of the email to the faculty. The student has two weeks to pick up the keys after being notified by email. After that date the cubicle will be reassigned.
    3. If no cubicles are available, an email request may be sent and the request will be put in a folder and filled if an opening occurs during the semester.
    4. The students will see Linda Meyer to receive a key and a desk label. A cubicle identification tag is to be placed on the cubicle to identify the room number, cubicle letter and name of student assigned to that cubicle. Also, students may not change desk assignments without a formal email request to Linda Meyer. Any change in cubicle not approved by email will result in the loss of the cubicle by both students. Change can only occur within an assigned room.
    5. Checks will be made of the cubicles in the middle of the semester to make sure that they are being used and not just assigned. If a cubicle appears to be just assigned, then an email will be sent to the student and faculty advisor asking if the cubicle is still needed by the student and if not, the cubicle status will become open.
  6. Faculty are also requested to send an email to Linda Meyer when a graduate student graduates and no longer needs a cubicle so that it may be reassigned. An email will be send to the faculty in August listing students assigned a desk. The faculty will send an email to Linda Meyer saying that the above students are still enrolled at NMSU and have not graduated. If the faculty do not respond, it will be assumed that the student has graduated and the desk will be reassigned.
  7. Students must turn in their key and key card to Linda Meyer when no longer using the cubicle. The student and advisor will be sent an email to turn in the keys. If after a second email is sent and the keys are not turned in with in two weeks, then new keys and locks for the cubicle will be ordered and the cost of change over will be charged to the faculty advisor's account.
  8. If a student has a cubicle, and assumes a TA, goes back to funded research, then the rules of seniority apply and a newer student may lose a cubicle to that student.
  9. When all the graduate student cubicles are assigned, students will be assigned to rooms with technicians and post doc. This assignment will be temporary until a desk becomes available in the graduate student area. At that time the student will be requested to move to the open space.

The Department has graduate student scholarships including:

  • Arden and Elsie Baltensperger Scholarship

Awarded to graduate students studying turfgrass science, plant breeding or genetics.

(Established by Arden and Elsie Baltensperger in 2004)

  • E.A. Herrera Graduate Scholarship

Awarded to a graduate student with preference given to students interested in pecan or fruit tree research.

(Established by Dr. Esteban Herrera friends and family in 2005)

  • Lowenstein Graduate Fellowship

Awarded to one graduate student who shall be designated the 'Lowenstein Fellow' studying some aspect of ornamental horticulute.

(Established through a bequeath from Dr. Bernard Lowenstein in 2004)

  • Marvin Wilson Memorial Scholarship

Awarded to a graduate student majoring in agronomy, horticulture or soils.

(Donated by friends and family of Marvin Wilson)

The Student should apply for the scholarships at the College of Agriculture and Home economics.