What Can I do With a Major

Major: Plant Sciences

Description of Major:

In this program, you will study the scientific theories and processes involved in the growth, production, management, and the interrelationship between crops, soils, and climates in the production of food, feed and fiber. You will also study various theories and techniques used in soil conservation. There are a number of specialties in this program. You may study the growth and behavior of agricultural crops and the development of new varieties of crops. You may also study plant breeding, plant development and mutation, and hybridization. You may study plant pathology which deals with plant diseases and causal agents. You may also study range management.

At first you will study general course work which includes biology, chemistry, physics, statistics, and computer science, and also humanities subjects. Later in your program you will begin to focus on the plant sciences and technology specific to your area of interest. You will take laboratory courses which will identify biological relationships between different species of plants and employ statistical analysis of data collected during field experiments. Some programs of study also include business courses.

Related Career Titles:

Biologist
Botanist
Farm/Home Mgmt Advisor
Farm Manager
Farmer (Owner)
Forester
Groundskeeper (Gardener)
Nursery/Greenhouse Worker
Horticulturist
Landscape Architect
Range Manager
Soil Conservationist
Teacher (Vocational Agriculture)
Plant Scientist
Nursery/Greenhouse Manager

Employment Areas
Landscape design companies
Landscape design companies
Garden centers
Parks
Golf courses
Wholesale growers
Nurseries
Greenhouses
Florists
State/federal government
Colleges/universities
Environmental agencies
Nature education centers
Extension services
Business and industry
Pest management companies
International agricultural agencies
Forestry and Related Sciences
Horticulture Services Operations and Mgmt
Natural Resources Conservation
Natural Resources Management
Soil Sciences
Wildlife and Wildlands Management

Related Links:

American Society of Plant Biologists
www.aspb.org

Botanical Society of America
www.botany.org/bsa/careers/

American Society of Agronomy/Crop Science Society of America/Soil Science Society of America
www.agronomy.org

American Society for Horticultural Science
www.ashs.org

American Society of Landscape Architects
www.asla.org

American Farm Bureau Federation
www.fb.com

Plant Pathology Online
www.apsnet.org

American Society for Horticultural Science
www.ashs.org

American Society of Plant Biologists
www.aspb.org