Skip to main content
Skip to main menu Skip to spotlight region Skip to secondary region Skip to UGA region Skip to Tertiary region Skip to Quaternary region Skip to unit footer

Slideshow

Banner Image:
Environmental research portrait of Distinguished Research Professor Winner Kelly Dawe.

Plant Biology - B.S.

About this Degree

The Plant Biology major is aimed at giving students a broad understanding of plant and/or fungal biology relevant to current environmental and societal challenges, and thus relevant to jobs. The plant biology major includes several core classes similar to a biology major (e.g. genetics, evolution) but provides the flexibility to build an interdisciplinary program of study from a broader range of courses and pursue an emphasis in either ecology/environment or biotechnology/bioinformatics/genomics. Advanced plant biology classes are typically small and promote interactive learning with combinations of lab and lecture experiences. Independent research is a central theme in our department, because directed study in the field or laboratory with a faculty member gives the student first-hand experience with the scientific process and builds skills relevant for careers in science.

The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree with a major in Plant Biology is a liberal arts degree with a concentration in the plant sciences. It prepares students for ecologically or biotechnology oriented careers focusing on the plants that are foundational to earth’s biota and essential for supplying the world with food, fuel, and fiber

 

What you will learn

The best way to learn about science is to help professionals as they acquire new knowledge in the laboratory or at field sites. Plant Biology faculty welcome undergraduate participation in research projects. By working "in the trenches" along side faculty, graduate students and research fellows, undergraduates discover how science is really done, and at the same time, receive academic credit for their efforts.

Careers in Plant Sciences are numerous and diverse. They include research at universities, government laboratories and at biotech companies; teaching at the high school, college or university level; management and interpretaion as staff biologists with state and federal agencies; and adminitration and sales with plant and plant product related industries. An undergraduate major in plant biology also provides a strong background for graduate-level study in plant biology and other biological sciences.

Agriculture Technician

Agronomist

Animal Technician

Biological Technician

Botanist

Chemical Analyst

Clinical Research Assistant

Conservation Technician

Ecosystem Manager

Educator

Environmental Consultant

Environmental Technician

Environmental Scientist

Field Research Biologist

Genetic Engineer

Horticulture/Agricultural Plant 

Industrial Ecologists

Breeder

Lab Equipment Sales Representative

Lab Technician

Laboratory Associate

Medical Lab Nurse

Medical Professional

Microbiologist

Nutritionist

Park Naturalist

Plant Ecologist

Plant Research Technologist

Project Coordinator

Quality Control Technician

Research Assistant

Soil and Plant Scientist

School Programs Coordinator

Wildlife Biologist

3M Company

Alliant Energy

BASF The Chemical Company

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical 

Companies

Biotechnology

Chemical Companies

Consumer Health And Safety

Cox Arboretum

Dow ArgoSciences

Food Safety

Food Technology

Genetic Engineering 

Georgia Department of Agriculture

Georgia Department of Natural 

Resources

Great Smokies Diagnostic Lab

Lab Technicians

Lockerly Arboretum

Marketing And Sales

Medical College of Georgia

Medicine

Natural Resources

Safety and Testing

Scottsdale Farms Nursery

The State Botanical Garden of Georgia

US Department of Agriculture

US Fish and Wildlife Service

US National Park Service

Zoo Atlanta

General Research Information:
  • Systematics
  • Molecular Genetics
  • Genomics and Bioinformatics
  • Fungal Biology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Ecology
  • Cellular and Developmental Biology
  • Biochemistry and Physiology
  • Biology Education

Support Franklin College

We appreciate your financial support. Your gift is important to us and helps support critical opportunities for students and faculty alike, including lectures, travel support, and any number of educational events that augment the classroom experience. Click here to learn more about giving.