Plant Science Major

Plant Science Major

The plant biology program prepares students for careers or further study in areas related to food and plant production, turfgrass, plant pathology and pest management, plant breeding, natural products, and bioenergy. The curriculum offers three options: the Horticulture and Turf Industry option, for students intending to pursue careers in the plant business industry; the General Plant Biology Option, for students intending to pursue careers in research laboratories or graduate study; and the Natural Products option, for students interested in historical and cultural botany, economic botany (the study of the interaction of people and plants), and indigenous and modern medicinal plants.

The curriculum also offers minors in Agroecology, Horticultural Therapy, Medicinal and Economic Botany, and Plant Science; and certificates in Horticultural Therapy, Medicinal and Economic Botany, and Turfgrass Science.

Plant Science Major: Program Learning Goals

Students completing degree requirements will be able to:

1. Describe basic knowledge about plant structure and function, fundamentals of plant growth and physiology, and principles of horticulture [technical proficiency];
2. Summarize broadly the role of plants in agriculture, society and the environment [context];
3. Communicate, in written and oral forms, plant science knowledge to peers and others in society [communication]; and
4. Critically formulate hypotheses, interpret data, and apply basic principles and practices of plant science to solve fundamental and practical problems [critical thinking].

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