Botany is a great major for those interested in academia, working in museums and institutions, US Parks or even owning a landscaping company. It’s not a tremendously popular major, which is to the applicant’s benefit. Here is our list of the top schools offering excellent Botany programs.
UC Berkeley
UC, Berkeley’s Plant & Microbial Biology program tops our list as #1. It’s research-focused with programs in Plant Biology and Microbiology. Coursework includes Plants, Agriculture, and Society, Fungi, History, and Society, Microbial Friends and Foes, Biology of Algae, and far more, including those with lab emphases.
University of Florida
University of Florida’s School of Liberal Arts and Sciences is home to its Botany major. The program also focuses on research and partners with the Florida Museum of Natural History, among other regional institutions. Courses include Plant Diversity, Practical Plant Taxonomy, Plants in Human Affairs, Plant Geography, Plant Anatomy, and many more.
University of Wisconsin—Madison
The University of Wisconsin—Madison’s College of Letters and Science is home to its Department of Botany. The program includes a Botany major, a Conservation Biology major, and additional courses in Botany such as Plants, Parasites, and People, Plant Anatomy, Fungi, Grassland Ecology, Vascular Flora of Wisconsin, and many more. There are also research opportunities in Ecology and Systematics and Evolution.
UC Davis
UC Davis’ Plant Biology Program also emphasizes research opportunities and impacting society. There is a Plant Biology major and minor. The school offers coursework in Botany & Physiology of Cultivated Plants, Plant Science, Plant Pathology, and From Natural History to the History of Nature. This is a great program for those interested in pursuing careers as plant biologists, molecular and cellular biologists, geneticists, and more.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Department of Plant Biology is well over 100 years old. It boasts strengths in plant physiology and has a USDA ARS Global Change and Photosynthesis Research group on campus. The school also has an herbarium housed at the Illinois Natural History Survey. The major for undergraduates is Integrative Biology with coursework in Plant Biology.
University of Georgia
UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences is home to its Department of Plant Biology. The major focuses on plant and fungal biology with an emphasis on current environmental and societal changes. It also offers emphases in Plant Ecology & Environment, Plant Biotechnology & Bioinformatics, and Plants & Microbes. Classes include Natural History of Georgia Plants, Fungi: Friends and Foes, Herbs, Spices, and Medicinal Plants, Plant Ecology, and more. There are also internship opportunities, including at the Museum of Natural History.
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
The University of Minnesota’s College of Biological Sciences is home to its Plant and Microbial Biology department. The college also runs a conservatory with more than 1,200 species that comprise the most diverse collection of plants in the region. All majors are guaranteed experience in a research lab.
Ohio State
The Ohio State University’s Department of Horticulture and Crop Science offers majors in Sustainable Agriculture, Professional Golf Management, and Sustainable Plant Systems with focus options in Agroecology, Agronomy, Horticulture, Plant Biosciences, and Turfgrass Science. There are also a slew of minors, including Landscape Design. The school also places an emphasis on study abroad opportunities.
University of Washington
University of Washington’s Department of Biology offers a major option in Plant Biology. Core requirements and electives include Landscape Plant Recognition, Advanced Plant Physiology & Development, Trends in Land Plant Evolution, Soil Ecology, Landscape Ecology, and more. The Department of Biology also offers opportunities for undergraduate research.
Michigan State
Michigan State’s College of Natural Science houses the Department of Plant Biology. The two degrees are a BS in Plant Biology and a BS in Environmental Biology/Plant Biology. This program emphasizes undergraduate research, as well as internship opportunities. There is also a Plant Biology club for interested students.
When applying to schools, it’s important to really hone in on a specific program or major that connects to a particular area of expertise you’ve been developing throughout high school. Colleges want to build classes of freshmen who are experts in niche areas. If you’re someone who loves plants and has focused on Botany throughout high school, it’s a good idea to do a deep dive in to the programs we list here to learn more about applying.
Need help matching with a specific program? Call us. We’re great at helping students get into the best school for them.