CO U R S E S & C A REERS
What you will be studying
Botany may not be among the top choices of students.
Some people may not have heard about it because it is
not as popular as courses like accounting, engineering,
medicine and public relations. But, don’t assume that
something doesn’t exist just because you have not
heard or read about it. Botany is also an important
scientific field.
Since it is not a popular choice, only a few colleges and
universities worldwide offer botany courses, and the
focus of the courses are also quite limited. Of the areas
listed on previous page, only horticulture and agriculture
courses are available. Botany courses of degree and
master’s levels are offered by some universities.
Here are some of the subjects you will study when
you enrol in botanical science courses:
• Life science
• Analytical and research techniques
• Crop protection
• Plant biotic interactions
• Plant protection technology
• Applied plant sciences
• Ethnobotany
• Environmental plant physiology
• Biodiversity and evolution
• Evolutionary biology
• Plant-soil relationships
• Licheus and Bryophytes
• Seeds and germination
• Metabolism and environmental stress
• Ecology
• Science communication
• Weed biology and control
• Flowering plants of the world
• Plant breeding
• Micropropagation
• Genetic manipulation
• Plant survival
• Soil science
• Organismal biology
• Marine algae
• Environmental pollution
• Microbial diversity
• Fungal biology
• Photobiochemistry
• Habitats and ecosystems
• Vegetative and floral development
• Plant ecophysiology
• Landscape studies and conservation
• Photosynthesis
• Biostatistics
Of course, you need to examine the course structure
carefully to find out which are the subjects you’re going
to study. This list just gives you a general idea of what
subjects to expect as you proceed from one semester to
another. You get to study some of them but not all. It all
depends on the duration and course structure.
THERE ARE MANY INDUSTRIES
THAT BOTANISTS CAN ENTER,
SUCH AS FORESTRY, FOOD
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY,
AND HORTICULTURE
Career prospects
Botanists normally work outdoors. As they are in constant
contact with plants, botanists need to be in places where
they are surrounded with plants. Greenhouses and forests are
two such places. Some botanists carry out their research in
laboratories. The outcomes of their research would definitely
help improve our daily lives. There are many industries that
botanists can enter, such as forestry, food science and
technology, and horticulture.
Botanists can work as food scientists. As food science is
one of the vital areas of study in botany, many companies in
the food industry definitely need a lot of food scientists to
help them research and develop food. There’s no shortage of
opportunities.
People who obtain a degree in botany can also become
landscape designers. Landscape designers use their
knowledge, expertise and creativity to design beautiful
gardens and recreational parks. City councils and land
developers will hire landscape designers to help them develop
of land plots and properties.
easyuni Guide 2014
Issue 2
29