Welcome to the Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology at the University of California, Riverside Our departmental goals are to conduct research on the basic biology of plant pathogens and microbes, to develop methods for the management of microbial diseases of plants and other organisms, to provide a quality education to our students, and be a repository of expert advice on plant diseases and microbiology to the citizens of California and the world.<br><br>Our department has its roots in the Citrus Experiment Station, which was established in Riverside in 1905. Although the department has maintained strength in the study of diseases of citrus, the scope has expanded to include concentrations in numerous other plant diseases as well as many sub-disciplines of microbiology. Represented among our faculty are experts in the fields of genetics, genomics, bioinformatics, molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry, ecology, evolutionary biology, and traditional aspects of disease control. Many faculty members have close interactions with industry representatives, advisors, and policy makers throughout California and worldwide. This is critical to applied research for identifying emerging and common plant diseases and microbes, and developing innovative management programs based on ecological and epidemiological approaches. The Master's degree is self-funded and typically takes 2 years to complete. Non-thesis (comprehensive examination) and thesis options are available. The student selecting non-thesis degree program will generally take a minimum of 36 units of upper-division and graduate courses, of which 18 must be graduate level courses in Plant Pathology. An examination committee administers a comprehensive final oral exam in the major subject.