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

Plant Systematics and Ecology

Ethnobotany

Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology

What is Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology?

Students interested in learning about plants at a molecular level are encouraged to consider courses that provide them with the necessary background and rigor to work for biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies.

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

*Course currently listed as Plant Physiology – 1 hour.

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?

Students interested in floristics, plant-plant and plant-environment interactions, and conservation typically complete courses that equip them will skills and training for positions in government agencies, conservation organizations and land management groups.

Marsh along the shoreline of Harkers Island.

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?

Ethnobotany is the study and documentation of dynamic interactions between plants and people, including traditional knowledge and plant-use customs of diverse cultures. It is sometimes called the “science of survival”. Ethnobotanists may pursue a number of different career paths depending on their specialized training and experience.

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