Students may also take advantage of close ties to other departments at the University, such as Genetics, Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Zoology, as well as the Friday Harbor Marine Laboratories on San Juan Island, the College of Forest Resources, the Center for Quantitative Sciences, the College of Ocean and Fishery Sciences, the Center for Quaternary Research, and the Center for Urban Horticulture. Students are required to rotate through different research laboratories in their first year to compare laboratories in their area of interest and to learn new techniques that may prove helpful in their research program. Most students are guaranteed five years of support. Teaching assistantships, research assistantships, fellowships, and traineeships are available. Some summer support is also available through teaching and research assistantships.
Limited funding is available for field studies and travel to scientific meetings.
Assistantship stipends are sufficient to cover basic costs of living in Seattle. Low-cost family student housing and day care are available for those who show financial need. The Department of Botany enrolls approximately 40 graduate students who come from diverse educational institutions and geographic regions. Students receiving the M.S. who do not continue for a Ph.D. find jobs in fields from plant biotechnology to rare plant monitoring. Those who complete the Ph.D. are consistently placed in post-doctoral positions or join the faculty at high quality institutions.