Welcome to the Department of Plant, Soil and Agricultural Systems Dr. Brian Klubek, Interim Chair

   Thank you for your interest in the Plant, Soil and Agricultural Systems Department at SIUC. Our main goal is to prepare you for an exciting and rewarding career in horticulture, agronomy, soils, agricultural systems technology, or agricultural education.

   When you interview for a position in the "Real World", you will be assessed by three criteria: academic training, interpersonal skills, and work-related experience. Academic training is one of our strengths. Our broad spectrum of coursework specializations, coupled with the quality of our faculty, will prepare you to compete strongly with graduates from any other university in the U. S. We offer many opportunities to develop and strengthen your interpersonal skills through many discipline-related and personal interest clubs that are available on campus. In fact, our department, college, and university offer a club for just about any interest you may have. The final component, work-related experience, is often difficult to gain for students such as you. Consequently we work closely with important members of the agricultural community in Illinois to provide a large number of internships (during summer for credit) and externships (during Spring Break). Another avenue for work-related experience is through employment as student workers. These students work directly in our professors' research programs and earn valuable experience and exposure.

   Our department consists of two major divisions: students in Plant and Soil Science pursue coursework and training in horticulture, agronomy, and soils whereas students in Agricultural Systems pursue the same in agricultural technology and mechanization, agricultural production, agricultural information, and agricultural education.

   Please explore our site and its links. Contact us by email (psas@siu.edu) or telephone (618-453-2496) if you have any questions.

-Dr. Klubek