Major
Explore the fundamental biochemistry and physiology of plants
About this major
In the Plant Science major, you will build skills and knowledge in plant anatomy, growth and diversity, from the level of genes to organisms to ecosystems and evolution. This fundamental plant biology can be used to evaluate and appraise the critical contribution of plants to the health of society and the planet.
When you study Plant Science, you'll be taught by our leading plant scientists, and you will gain a range of unique skills sought out by employers across many biological fields, such as the environmental and agricultural sciences, biotechnology and conservation, and traditional educational and/or research pathways.
The Plant Science major differs to and is complementary to the Plant Production major or minor, where the learning outcomes are focussed more on plants in agriculture and the interaction of plants with the environment.
Graduate opportunities
The careers available to students with a plant sciences major are plentiful. Much of the Australian economy and the economies of our regional neighbours depends on agricultural and plant breeding industries. Plant scientists may find themselves working with farmers as consultants, managing properties or working in laboratories to develop more robust crops. They also work on crop modelling and climate change. You might find yourself as a plant physiologist investigating the mechanisms of plant growth, or as a plant geneticist, studying the action of plant genes and breeding new varieties of crop and ornamental plants. You might become an ecologist examining the dynamics of diverse populations of plants, or a taxonomist, tracing the evolution of plants. In a career as an agricultural or horticultural scientist, you could work to develop better and sustainable ways to manage plants for production of food, pastures and ornamental purposes.
Career pathways
Courses that offer this major
The course information on this website applies only to future students. Ï㽶ֱ²¥ should refer to faculty handbooks for current or past course information.
To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.
