The required curriculum meets the course requirements of the university and the College of Agricultural Sciences and provides for a broad background in plant science. Completing an option and engaging in an experiential learning activity allows students to fulfill their individual education goals and prepare for career aspirations.

All Botany undergraduate majors are required to do the following:

1. Complete the core course curriculum meeting the requirements of the university, College of Agricultural Sciences, and Botany academic requirements.
2. Select and complete the course curriculum of a 21-credit option to obtain advanced scientific background and skills in a particular area of plant science. Students may select a pre-determined botany option from the catalog or create a customized option with approval of a BOT advisor. Course work delivered in the options provides students with advanced knowledge and skills related to the study of plants and plant-like organisms in natural and managed ecosystems and in the laboratory.
   1. Comprehensive Botany
   2. Customizable Option
   3. Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation
   4. Molecular, Cellular, and Genomic Botany
   5. Plant Pathology
3. Participate in an experiential learning and subsequent student seminar. Every Botany major is required to have an experiential learning (EL) component in their curriculum that is not part of a scheduled academic course. The EL component can take many forms but must involve a minimum of 60 hours of work and must have a substantial educational objective that is related to the BOT degree. Academic credit is not required but may be earned by enrolling in research (BOT 401 RESEARCH) or internship (BOT 410 INTERNSHIP). Paid and voluntary positions are both acceptable. To meet the requirement, the student and the EL supervisor must make a written agreement that is approved by a Botany advisor. After completion of the EL project, the student is required to participate in a 1-credit student seminar during Fall term of the senior year (BOT 407 SEMINAR), to reflect on the EL project and to incorporate it into future career planning activities.

Major Code: 515

This outline is generally valid for students pursuing any of the botany options. Certain major requirements can be fulfilled by taking courses from each SELECT menu, such as the Math requirement, Additional Quantitative Skills, WIC, and Non-vascular plants. For clarity, the term-by-term map does not show all of these choices, which are dictated by a student’s math placement, interests, and option. At least one of each type of course requirement is shown in the plan, and the full menus are provided at the end of the term-by-term. Students should be aware that some of these courses are needed to fulfill requirements for specific options. Students should also be aware that the Experiential Learning requirement should be completed before the start of the senior year.