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Curriculum for Plant Biology Ph.D. Students

All Ph.D. candidates take a core curriculum comprising courses recommended from the following categories, attend research seminars, research credits (PLBIO 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 72 credits including a minimum of 24 course credits are required for a Ph.D.  Students must complete all core courses and one optional core course with a total of 18-23 core credits.

1. Basic Core Courses.  Complete the following core courses:

  • *Stat 587--formerly Stat 401 (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  (Responsible Conduct of Research in Science and Engineering) Cr. 1.0. F., S.
  • Make four 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.  Up to five seminars are counted for Ph.D. (5 Crs.)
  • *Stat 587 and BBMB 316/404 can be waived if similar courses were taken elsewhere.

2. Optional Core Courses.  Take one course from the following courses:

  • GDCB 510  (Transmission Genetics), Cr. 3. S.
  • GDCB 511 (Molecular Genetics), Cr. 3. S.
  • EEOB 551 (Plant Evolution & Phylogeny), Cr. 4, F.
  • EEOB 566 (Molecular Evolution), Cr. 3. Alt. F.

3. 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. Alt. F.
  • BIOL 454  (Plant Anatomy), Cr. 4. F.
  • BIOL 474  (Plant Ecology), Cr. 3. S.
  • 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 528  (Cellular Growth and Regulation), Cr. 3. Alt. F.
  • Stat 581--formerly Stat 416 (Analysis of Gene Expression Data for the Biological Sciences), 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.