Our academic guidelines (pdf) describe the expectations for all of our graduate students, regardless of degree program.
Our graduate flier (pdf) provides a synopsis of OSU, Botany faculty's research areas, and our program.
Graduate programs are tailored to meet students' individual interests and needs, whether your career goals are teaching, research, industry, government agencies or non-governmental organizations. Areas of study include plant physiology, taxonomy, ecology, developmental genetics, and cellular biology. Numerous related programs on campus: Natural Resources Ecology & Management (NREM), Zoology, Entomology & Plant Pathology, Environmental Sciences, Plant & Soil Sciences, Horticulture, Microbiology & Molecular Genetics contribute to a thorough graduate experience at OSU.
The Botany Department administers the M.S. in Botany. We also mentor graduate students through the interdisciplinary Plant Science Ph.D. and Environmental Science M.S. and Ph.D. programs. Application for graduate programs can be done online through the Graduate College. The Botany Department will consider admissions for either the fall or spring semester.
Which degree to seek depends on your career goals and prior degrees and experience. If you wish to teach and/or conduct research at the college or university level, a Ph.D. will almost certainly be required. If you want to teach science at a secondary school and some community colleges, a M.S. is sufficient. Degree requirements vary widely for science positions in industry, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations, but pay scales are higher, and responsibilities and advancement opportunities greater with a Ph.D.
Some of our recent M.S. recipients are employed in high school teaching, non-governmental organizations, and government agencies, and some have continued in Ph.D. programs at other institutions. Recent Ph.D. recipients hold college teaching or postdoctoral research positions.
Normally, all admitted graduate students are supported with either a Teaching Assistantship (TA) and/or Research Assistantship (RA). (For current stipend levels, contact Paula Shryock). TA positions are normally for nine months (two semesters) per year, and are nominally for half-time (excluding time devoted to taking classes and, for TAs, conducting your research). RA positions may be for one year or multiple years; some may be summer and/or one semester only, others year-round. RAs are usually provided by a grant awarded to the major advisor, not the department per se.
All RAs and TAs receive a waiver of tuition up to 6 graduate credit hours per semester. Options for tuition and fees support for graduate assistants change periodically, so please inquire for the latest information.
Students whose research involves collaboration with the S.R. Noble Research Foundation in Ardmore, OK may apply for S.R. Noble Graduate Student Fellowships. The Plant BioNet also sometimes offers one-year RAs to new students in the cellular/molecular plant sciences.
Graduate students can apply for modest funding for research and travel to conferences from the Plant BioNet (for cellular/molecular work) or the James K. McPherson Memorial Fund (for field work), which are administered by the Department of Botany.
*Before applying, you should directly correspond with one or two members of our faculty whose research most closely match your own interests. You should explain as specifically as possible your research interests: "I'm interested in Botany" is NOT specific enough! You should at least know whether you are more interested in field research as opposed to laboratory research. Ask prospective advisors for some preliminary ideas for thesis/dissertation topics and see if any sound interesting to you. Initial contact ideally should be at least 6 months prior to the semester of admission. To insure full consideration for admission for the fall semesters, application materials should be submitted by the last working day in February. To insure full consideration for admission for spring semesters, application materials should be submitted by the last working day in September of the preceding year. Later applications may be considered in special circumstances.
Submit directly to the Graduate College:
*NOTE: If you are applying for either the Plant Science Ph.D. or the Environmental Science M.S./Ph.D. program, the Graduate College will initially send your completed application to those programs, NOT Botany. You must prominently indicate your intent to work with a particular faculty member in Botany to ensure that we receive your file. However, coordinators of those programs make the final decision on admission based largely on our recommendation.
Submit directly to the Botany Graduate Coordinator, Dr. Yang (email or hardcopy):
Admission decisions are based on many factors, including (in no particular order):
Botany undergraduate and graduate students (and anyone interested in plants) participate in OSUBS. Activities include: