Plant Biology and Conservation MS
Program director
Program description
Conservation demonstrates a growing need for botanists and conservation biologists in academic institutions, government agencies and nongovernmental organizations.
The MS program in plant biology and conservation provides students with advanced training in plant ecology, evolution and floristics as well as in theory and practice of conservation biology. Students have the opportunity to work with faculty and researchers from ASU and the Desert Botanical Garden, located in Phoenix near ASU's Tempe campus.
This master's degree program is offered in collaboration with the Desert Botanical Garden.
The current degree requirements are below. Remember you are required to fulfill the requirements from the academic year you were admitted. Please refer to the handbook from your year of admission as needed.
30 credit hours and a thesis
Required Core (3 credit hours)
PLB 502 Perspectives in Plant Biology (3)
Other Requirements (1 credit hour)
BIO/PLB 591 Botany (1)
Electives and Research (20 credit hours)
Research
PLB 592 Research (3 minimum credit hours required)
The department and the student's advisor determine additional elective courses in conjunction with the student. Some examples include the following (not an exhaustive list):
PLB 592 Research (additional)
BIO 514 Statistical Models for Biology
BIO 522 Populations: Evolutionary Ecology
BIO 521 Landscape Ecology
BIO 526 Sustainability Science: Interactions Between Human and Environmental Systems
BIO 527 Environmental Ethics and Policy Goals
BIO 530 Scientific Teaching
BIO 533 K-12 STEM Education & Outreach
BIO 539 Computing for Research
BIO 543 Molecular Genetics and Genomics
BIO 591 Grasses of Arizona
BIO 591 Drylands in a Changing Earth
BIO 591 Communication for Scientists
BIO 598 Marine Plankton
EVO 601 Principles of Evolution
Culminating Experience (6 credit hours)
PLB 599 Thesis (*6 credits)
*Note: It is very important you do exactly 6 thesis credit hours. These 6 can be divided and taken over multiple semesters, but they must sum 6 credits exactly (no more, no less) to avoid issues when graduating. If you need to enroll in thesis or equivalent hours after meeting your 6 total, please take PLB 592 Research hours instead, which has no maximum limit.
Course Offerings Sheet
If you are an MS Plant Biology and Conservation student, you may use the spreadsheet linked below to see a live update of which courses are being offered in which term.