B.S. in Plant Sciences: Plant Science
The University of Maryland Plant Science Program is intended as a preparatory curriculum that will qualify our graduates for postgraduate study in any aspect of Plant Biology. The program is an area of concentration within the Plant Sciences major. Whether the student is interested in working in the rapidly developing field of agricultural biotechnology or wishes to academically contribute to the creation of new knowledge in the plant sciences, this is the option that should be chosen.
Curriculum
The curriculum addresses all aspects of the Plant Science discipline including Agronomy, Botany, Horticulture, Plant Physiology, Plant Pathology and Plant Molecular Biology. The required courses are multidisciplinary and highly diverse in order to expose students to a wide range of knowledge in basic plant science. In addition to Plant Science requirements, it provides a rigorous program in chemistry, physics and math that will insure a competitive advantage to our students when applying to any graduate program in the world.
Career Opportunities
- Advanced Degree Potential in any aspect of Plant Science
- Technical Positions in Agricultural Biotechnology Industries
- Managers and corporate administrators of Horticultural and Crop Industries
- Policy makers for government and private organizations
- Researchers investigating plant biotechnology and molecular biology
See career opportunities and internships in other programs.
Location
Our location in College Park, MD provides unique opportunities for students to study Plant Science. The University has several ancillary disciplines that are available to students in this field. Among these are the Departments of Biology, Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, Entomology, and the Center for Biosystems Research. In addition, College Park is located only three miles from USDA's Beltsville Agricultural Research Center and National Agricultural Library. The campus is also conveniently located within easy commuting distance to the National Institutes of Health and the National Medical Library, the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution and Georgetown, American, George Washington, Howard, and Catholic Universities.
Facilities
The Plant Sciences Building houses technology-rich classrooms, lecture halls, and laboratory facilities. These include a controlled environment facility consisting of 35 growth chambers, a tissue culture suite with a walk-in sterile culture room, warm and cold seed germination rooms, and six freezers, each with independent humidity control for postharvest studies. A state-of-the-art greenhouse has recently been built.
Faculty
The program is enhanced by an outstanding faculty and supported by private and public organizations. The collaboration between the University of Maryland and field practitioners provides "real world" experiences for students who participate in internship programs.