The exact number of credits and specific prerequisites will depend on the quality of high school preparation. As a result of testing, a student might be placed into math courses at higher levels and thus move more rapidly into the plant biology courses. A student planning to enter graduate school to study marine biology will select one set of courses and another planning to work in a biotechnology laboratory will select another. It is very important for the student and adviser to discuss the initial and changing career objectives frequently as the student moves through the program. The GEC is a body of courses designed to ensure that each student becomes acquainted with the basic areas of academic study.
Some majors also require completion of a foreign language requirement.
Having completed these courses and other courses from the arts and sciences GEC and having maintained the minimum C grade average, students are eligible to apply for admission to the major. The plant biology major is currently under revision, underscoring the need for consultation with the departmental adviser as early as possible. With their faculty advisers, students plan a major tailored to their particular background and interests. The plant biology major is composed of a minimum of 40 credit hours in biological sciences at the 200 level or above. A core curriculum is required plus additional plant biology electives for a minimum of 25 plant biology credit hours.