BS in Plant Sciences with Emphasis in Breeding, Biology and Biotechnology
Degree Program Description
From the food on our plates to the homes we live in to the fuel in our vehicles, plants impact all aspects of our daily lives. As an ever-growing human population continues to increase the demand for crops and other plant products, so too does the demand for plant scientists. Plant Sciences addresses the challenges from the field to the laboratory.
Plants are an integral component of the food, fiber, and medicinal components necessary to meet current and future population demands. Manipulation of plants at the cellular level can improve yields, pest resistance, and enhance nutritional value. Students in this emphasis area will gain classroom and real world experience (research opportunities in labs; internships with industry partners) to prepare for challenging careers or advanced education. From commercial plant breeders to lab managers, trained students are in high demand for rewarding opportunities.
Major Program Requirements
Students are required to completed the BS in Plant Sciences major program requirements in addition to the emphasis area requirements.
Emphasis Area Requirements
Manipulation of plants at the cellular and genetic level can lead to improvements in crop performance and resistance to pests, as well as increase plant users. Job opportunities from the laboratory to the field are widespread in seed and chemical industries around the world.
| Breeding, Biology and Biotechnology Emphasis Area Requirements | ||
| CHEM 1400 & CHEM 1401 | College Chemistry I and College Chemistry I Laboratory | 4 |
| STAT 1200 | Introductory Statistical Reasoning | 3 |
| PLNT_SCI 2135 | Plant Molecular Biology | 4 |
| PLNT_SCI 3213 | Genetics of Agricultural Plants and Animals | 3 |
| or BIO_SC 2200 | General Genetics | |
| PLNT_SCI 3225 | Plant Breeding and Genetics | 3 |
| PLNT_SCI 4315 | Crop Physiology | 3 |
| or PLNT_SCI 4320 | Molecular Plant Physiology | |
| PLNT_SCI 4325 | Advanced Plant Breeding | 3 |
| PLNT_SCI 4550 | Plant Biotechnology | 4 |
| Select two: | ||
| BIOCHM 3630 | General Biochemistry | 3 |
| BIO_SC 2300 | Introduction to Cell Biology | 4 |
| CHEM 2100 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| PLNT_SCI 3275 | Grain Crops | 3 |
| PLNT_SCI 4313 | Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition | 3 |
| PLNT_SCI 4315 | Crop Physiology (*Course not taken to fulfill requirement may be used in select 3) | 3 |
| or PLNT_SCI 4320 | Molecular Plant Physiology | |
| PLNT_SCI 4400 | Plant Anatomy | 4 |
| Total | 27-29 | |
Semester Plan
Below is a sample plan of study, semester by semester. A student's actual plan may vary based on course choices where options are available.
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| BIO_SC 1200 | 5 | ENGLSH 1000 | 3 | ||
| PLNT_SCI 1120 | 1 | CHEM 1400 | 3 | ||
| MATH 1100 | 3 | CHEM 1401 | 1 | ||
| ABM 1041 | 3 | AGSC_COM 2220 | 3 | ||
| Humanities | 3 | State Requirement | 3 | ||
| Elective | 3 | ||||
| 15 | 16 | ||||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| PLNT_SCI 3213 | 3 | SOIL 2100 | 3 | ||
| PLNT_SCI 2135 | 4 | PLNT_SCI 2125 | 4 | ||
| Writing Intensive | 3 | STAT 1200 | 3 | ||
| Behavioral or Social Sciences | 3 | Professional Development | 3 | ||
| Professional Development | 3 | Elective | 3 | ||
| 16 | 16 | ||||
| Third Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| PLNT_SCI 3225 | 3 | PLNT_SCI 4325 | 3 | Capstone: Internship or Research Experience | |
| PLNT_SCI 3210W | 4 | PLNT_SCI 4550 | 4 | ||
| Select 2 Course | 3 | Select 2 Course | 3 | ||
| Elective | 6 | Elective | 3 | ||
| 16 | 13 | 0 | |||
| Fourth Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| PLNT_SCI 4500 | 4 | PLNT_SCI 4315 | 3 | ||
| PLNT_SCI 4940 or 4950 | 3 | PLNT_SCI 3710 | 3 | ||
| Elective | 9 | Elective | 6 | ||
| 16 | 12 | ||||
| Total Credits: 120 | |||||
Degree Audit
The degree audit is an automated report reflecting a student’s academic progress toward the completion of a degree.
MU students can request a degree audit by logging in to myDegreePlanner. Students may also access myDegreePlanner via myZou, in the Student Center, click on the Academic Progress Tile, then select Request Degree Audit. The audit automatically pulls in the student’s MU course work, transfer courses and courses in progress. This is available to current students, admitted students, and those who last attended less than three terms ago.
Past MU students can request a degree audit by contacting the Academic Advising Unit of the division in which they were last enrolled at MU. For contact information, go to https://advising.missouri.edu/contact/.
Prospective students, can access a preliminary MU degree audit via https://www.transferology.com. Information on the college credits already earned will have to be manually entered before it can be evaluated against current degree requirements.
For additional details on degree audits, go to https://registrar.missouri.edu/degrees-audits/degree-audits/.
Major and Career Exploration
The University of Missouri has many resources to assist you in exploring majors and career possibilities. For guidance, visit the Majors and Careers website or view specific resources below.
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If you are considering a change of major or are exploring multiple majors, schedule an appointment with an advisor in the Discovery Center by calling (573)884-9700 or through MU Connect Discovery Center service in you success network.
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If you have decided on a major, visit an academic advisor in the School or College that you are interested in to discuss the process of declaring the major.
- If you would like to learn more about your career interests, abilities, values and talents, visit the MU Career Center. No Appointment is necessary to explore career options with one of our staff members.
- If you would like information about MU majors and degree programs, visit:
- the Degrees, Majors (Degree Programs), Emphasis Areas, Minors and Certificates page in the catalog,
- the MU Majors website.
For additional major and career exploration resources, visit Major & Career Exploration in the catalog.