PhD Course Requirements

In addition to the Graduate School requirements, the departmental requirements for the PhD in Plant Biology and Conservation will include the following. 

1. Three core courses

1. Field and lab methods in plant biology and conservation (PBC 450)
2. Quantitative methods in ecology and conservation (PBC 435)
3. Fundamentals of plant biology and conservation. (PBC 451)

2. Nine elective courses for graduate credit at the 300- or 400- level chosen from PBC and other departmental courses (i.e. Anthropology, Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Political Science). These electives must include at least one course in each of the following areas: ecology, evolution, and genetics. There are also three tracks available for students to choose from, though students are also able to develop their own track. Students within a track will take at least four courses from the options listed for any given track below.

A) Plant Ecology and Evolution (PBC 401 Plant Evolution and Diversity, PBC 402 Plant Community Ecology, PBC 410 Plant Animal Interactions, PBC 415 Spring Flora, PBC 425 Molecular Ecology, EARTH 340 Paleobiology) 

B) Plant Soil Interactions (PBC 418 Soils and the Environment, PBC 440 Soil Ecology, PBC 405 Ecosystem Ecology, EARTH 315 Geochemistry of Global Environment, EARTH 314 Organic Geochemistry, EARTH 312 Stable Isotope Geochemistry, EARTH 326 Data Analysis for Earth & Planetary Sciences, CEE 363-0 Environmental Engineering Applications I: Air & Land, CEE 364-0 Environmental Engineering Applications II: Water, CEE 441-0 Methods in Microbial Complexity, CEE 448-0 Biophysicochemical Processes in Environmental Systems, CEE 458 Soil Dynamics).

C) Applied Conservation (PBC 430 Plant Conservation Genetics, PBC 425 Molecular Ecology, PBC 402 Plant Community Ecology, PBC 430 Plant Conservation Genetics, BIOL SCI 347 Conservation Biology, CEE 395-20 Environmental Law and Policy, CEE 395-21 Sustainability: Issues and Actions Near and Far, GEOG 343 GIS)

3. Fourteen units of Independent Research (PBC 590), two of which will be lab rotations. Once the major advisor has been selected, the remaining units will be taken with the advisor
4. Zero credit Ethics course for one quarter;
5. Zero credit Student Research Seminar for Fall–Spring quarters starting the second year. Each student will give an annual presentation of independent research as part of this seminar. This will give students experience and feedback on public speaking and keep other students and faculty updated on student progress.
6. Oral defense of a written dissertation under the direction of a faculty member and approved by a dissertation committee.

Example Schedule