Welcome!

Welcome to the Graduate Program in Seed Technology and Business (STB).

For more than ten years we have offered online educational opportunities to the next generation of #seedleaders. The STB master’s program and graduate certificates are designed to develop a comprehensive understanding of the seed industry from both a scientific and business perspective. We are happy to see you have interest in learning more about our program.

My involvement with the seed industry goes back to my first days as an Assistant Professor at ISU. As an Extension Specialist, I interacted almost daily with field and research staff of large and small companies throughout Iowa. Later, as a Research Coordinator with Pioneer Hi-Bred, Int., I learned first-hand about the challenges of developing, producing, and delivering high-quality seeds to customers; and about the talented people striving to meet those goals. When I had the opportunity to return to ISU, I was quite happy to land in the Seed Science Center, where I knew I would continue to work closely with the seed industry on a global basis. Leading the STB Graduate Program continues to be one of the highlights of that work.

As you look through the information on our website, you will find that the STB program is a combination of seed science and technology curriculum developed by faculty within the Iowa State University (ISU) College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, together with business curriculum from the ISU Ivy College of Business and seed industry experts. The STB faculty bring relevant, real-world experiences to the online classroom and strive to enhance leadership qualities to prepare their students for professional roles in the seed industry, whether you are entering a new career or looking for advancement opportunities within your career.

We love working with seed industry professionals in this capacity and we are constantly learning from each other throughout the process. I encourage you to explore the details of our online graduate program and graduate certificates as well as our on-campus short courses through the links found on the website.

We are always available to answer your individual questions. Please email us at seedgrad@iastate.edu or call 515.294.9137 to speak with our STB Program Coordinator, Lori Youngberg or you can reach me at munkvold@iastate.edu.

Best wishes,

Gary Munkvold, Ph.D.
Professor, Plant Pathology
STB Graduate Program Director