Curriculum for Plant Biology M.S. Students

All M.S. candidates take a core curriculum comprising courses recommended from the following categories, attend research seminars, research credits (PLIBIO 699), annual Loomis Lecture and mini-symposium and retreats. Students will take additional courses of interest as directed by their Program of Study (POS) Committee members.

A total of 36 credits including a minimum of 16 course credits are required for a M.S.

  1. Basic Core Courses.  Complete the following core courses:
  • * Stat 587 (Statistical Methods for Research Workers), Cr. 4. F., S., SS.
  • * (i) BBMB 316 (Principles of Biochemistry) (3-0) Cr. 3. F. S. or *(ii) BBMB 404   (Biochemistry I), Cr. 3. F. and BBMB 405 (Biochemistry II), Cr. 3. S..
  • GDCB 513 (Plant Metabolism), Cr. 2. Alt. F.
  • GDCB 545 (Plant Molecular, Cell & Developmental Biology), Cr. 3. Alt. F.
  • GR ST 565 (Professional Practice in the Life Sciences), Cr. 1. F., S.
  • Make two seminar presentations and enroll each term in the Interdepartmental Plant Biology seminar PLBIO 696. The first seminar must be during the student's first year and is a 20 minutes seminar. The last presentation must be an exit seminar.  Two seminars are counted for M.S. (2 Crs.)

*Stat 587 and BBMB 316/404 can be waived if similar courses were taken elsewhere.

2.  Optional Courses.

  • Agron 516 (Crop Physiology), Cr. 3. S.
  • Agron 538  (Seed Physiology), Cr. 2. Alt F. 
  • Agron 625  (Genetic Strategies in Plant Breeding), Cr. 3. Alt. S.
  • BBMB 645  (Molecular Signaling), Cr. 2. Alt. S.
  • BBMB 675  (Nucleic Acid Structure and Function), Cr. 2. Alt. F.
  • BBMB 676  (Biochemistry of Transcription), Cr. 2. Alt. S.
  • BCB 544 (Introduction to Bioinformatics), Cr. 4. F.
  • BIOL 454  (Plant Anatomy), Cr. 4. F.
  • BIOL 474  (Plant Ecology), Cr. 3. S.
  • EEOB 551  (Plant Evolution & Phylogeny), Cr. 4, F.
  • EEOB 561  (Plant Diversity and Evolution), Cr. 4.
  • EEOB 563 (Molecular Phylogenetics), Cr. 3. F.
  • EEOB 566  (Molecular Evolution), Cr. 3. Alt F.
  • GDCB 510  (Transmission Genetics), Cr. 3. F.
  • GDCB 511  (Molecular Genetics), Cr. 3. S.
  • GDCB 528  (Cellular Growth and Regulation), Cr. 3. Alt. F.
  • Stat 581 (Statistical Design and Analysis of Microarray Experiments), Cr. 3. S.

In addition to the required core courses, a wide selection of courses is available to IPB graduate students for broadening their scientific education. Decisions about which courses are taken and when they are taken are made by the student, initially in consultation with his or her temporary advisor, and then with his or her major advisor and eventually with POS Committee, which also serves as the Thesis or Dissertation Committee.

Please refer to online website for Course availability.