Plant Biology Degree Requirements and Focal Areas
Plant Biology Degree Requirements
This webpage is intended to help you to select which PB Elective and Restricted/Free Elective courses fit within your chosen focal area of Plant Biology to complete your degree requirements.To view plant biology degree requirements, visit the NC State Course Catalogue.
Focal Areas
Plant biology is a diverse discipline that ranges in scope from molecules to ecosystems and to the many ways in which plants are used. Although a focal area is not required, plant biology students may choose to focus their major and elective coursework in one of three areas: Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology, Plant Systematics and Ecology, or Ethnobotany. Students may also choose courses across all three areas to get a broader perspective, depending on their objectives.
When completing degree requirements, we recommend taking at least one advanced (300-level or higher) course in another plant science discipline (Crop and Soil Sciences, Forestry and Environmental Resources, Horticultural Science, Entomology and Plant Pathology). Multiple advanced courses in another discipline are encouraged for all plant biology focal areas.
Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology
What is Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology?
![Image of immunoflourescent data](https://cals.ncsu.edu/plant-and-microbial-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/38/2018/08/mkrojaspierce1500-1024x576.jpg)
PB Major Electives
Course Number | Course Name | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
PB 413/513 | Plant Anatomy | 2 |
BIO 414 | Cell Biology | 3 |
PB 421 | Plant Physiology | 3 |
PB 422* | Methods in Plant Molecular Biology & Physiology | 3 |
PB 480/580 | Introduction to Plant Biotechnology | 3 |
Restricted/Free Elective Choices
Course Number | Course Name | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
BCH 351 | General Biochemistry OR | 3 |
BCH 451 | Principles of Biochemistry | 4 |
BCH 452 | Intro. Biochemistry Lab | 2 |
BCH 453 | Biochemistry of Gene Expression | 3 |
BIT 410 | Manipulation of Recombinant DNA | 2 |
BIT Modules | 2 each | |
CS 413 | Plant Breeding | 2 |
CH 201/202 | Quantitative Chemistry / Lab | 3+1 |
CH 223/224 | Organic Chemistry II / Lab | 3+1 |
GN 312 | Elementary Genetics Lab | 1 |
GN 421 | Molecular Genetics | 3 |
MB 351/352 | General Microbiology / Lab | 3+1 |
MB 455 | Microbial Biotechnology | 3 |
PB 215 | Medicinal Plants | 3 |
PB 488/588 | Systems Biology Modeling of Plant Regulation | 3 |
Other Courses
CS 224 – Seeds, Biotechnology, & Society (3 credits)
Plant Systematics and Ecology
What is Plant Systematics and Ecology?
![Marsh along the shoreline of Harkers Island.](https://cals.ncsu.edu/plant-and-microbial-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/38/2018/05/marsh-1024x576.jpg)
PB Major Electives
Course Number | Course Name | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
PB 220 | Local Flora | 2 |
PB/AEC 360 | Ecology | 4 |
PB 400 | Plant Diversity and Evolution | 4 |
PB 403/503 | Systematic Botany | 4 |
PB 450/550 | Plant Ecology | 3 |
PB 464/564 | Rare Plants of North Carolina | 3 |
Restricted/Free Elective Choices
Course Number | Course Name | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
AEC 400 | Applied Ecology | 3 |
AEC 460 | Field Ecology and Methods | 4 |
CS 230 | Introduction to Agroecology | 3 |
FOR 221 | Conservation of Natural Resources | 3 |
FOR 261 | Forest Communities | 2 |
FOR 330 | NC Forests | 3 |
FOR 339 | Dendrology | 4 |
GIS 280 | Introduction to GIS | 3 |
NR 406 | Conservation of Biological Diversity | 3 |
PB 321 | Intro. Whole Plant Physiology | 3 |
PB 445 | Paleobotany | 4 |
SSC 200/201 | Soil Science / Lab | 3+1 |
SSC 452 | Soil Classification | 4 |
SSC 470 | Wetland Soils | 3 |
ST 312 | Introduction to Statistics II | 3 |
Other Courses
IDS 201 – Environmental Ethics (3 credits)
IDS 303 – Humans and the Environment (3 credits)
Ethnobotany
What is Ethnobotany?
![Students learning in the field](https://cals.ncsu.edu/plant-and-microbial-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/38/2018/05/Paw-Paw-Leaves-with-Kim-Calhoun-1024x576.jpg)
PB Major Electives
Course Number | Course Name | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
PB 213 | Plants & Civilization OR | |
PB 219 | Plants in Folklore, Myth, & Religion | 3 |
PB 215 | Medicinal Plants | 3 |
PB 345/346 | Economic Botany / Lab | 3+1 |
PB 403/503 | Systematic Botany | 4 |
PB 325 | Culinary Botany OR | |
PB 407/507 | Medical Ethnobotany | 3 |
Restricted/Free Elective Choices
Course Number | Course Name | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
BCH 351 | General Biochemistry | 4 |
PP 222 | Kingdom of Fungi | 3 |
PB 421 | Plant Physiology | 3 |
Other Courses
ANT 252 – Cultural Anthropology (3 credits)
At least two additional course in Cultural Anthropology