Botany
About the Major
Botany majors embark on a field of study that provides a broad background in plant biology, from the molecular level to that of the organism. Students take courses in ecology, genetics, physiology, taxonomy, anatomy, molecular biology and biochemistry. Students take part in supervised research, assisting faculty on research projects on campus and abroad. The Soltis Lab within the department is pioneering work on mapping the genome of a relative of the oldest flowering plant known, providing a biological reference point for efforts to improve agriculture and forestry.
Our graduates have gone on to become...
- A researcher for the U.S. Department of Agriculture at the Whitmore Foundation Farm in Leesburg, Florida
- A Science and Research Coordinator and GIS Manager for The Nature Conservancy in Florida responsible for six central Florida preserves totalling 18,000 acres
Possible Careers for this Major
Prehealth & Prelaw
Any CLAS major may prepare you for admission to professional schools such as medical school, vet school, law school, etc.
For more possibilities visit the Career Resource Center Web Site
- Park Ranger
- Plant Health Inspector
- Pharmaceutical Researcher
- Biochemist
- Biotechnologist
- Conservationist
- Educator
- Field Scientist
- Forester
- Educational Botanist
- Environmental Organization Botanist
- Federal and State Agency Researcher
- Industrial Botanist
Cool Courses You Might Take
- Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants (BOT 3503)
- Plants and Human Affairs (BOT 2800)
- Plant Ecology (PCB 3601)
- For more course descriptions, please visit the course descriptions page in the Undergraduate catalog
Some Unique Opportunities in this Major
- Biology Immersion Semester: You can choose to go to cool field sites or immerse yourself in a molecular lab. You will produce and analyze real data, and have a lot of fun doing actual research!
- Field School in the African Savannah
- For more opportunities, please refer to the department website
