Plant Sciences B.S.

Information and Policies

Introduction

The University of California, Santa Cruz, has a strong program in the plant sciences (sometimes called botany). Resources that support the plant sciences major include state-of-the-art greenhouse facilities, natural ecosystems on the campus from coastal wetlands to redwood forests, the collections of the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum, and the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (including the UC Santa Cruz Farm and Garden). A hallmark of the major is the many field courses that introduce students to a diversity of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and the skills to conduct field research. See the Ecology & Evolutionary Biology undergraduate webpage for more information on these courses.

The plant sciences major is designed for students with an interest in plant biology and its associated curricular fields such as plant ecology and evolution, plant physiology, plant pathology, plant genetics, soils, and applied plant sciences. After completion of the core courses, students can proceed in one of several directions depending on their interests. For example, a more in-depth study of physiology and evolution courses can serve as preparation for work in biotechnology or plant breeding; further studies in plant ecology, tropical ecology, or restoration ecology can lead to careers in resource ecology and management or biodiversity exploration; upper-division training in agroecology can lead to careers in agriculture or food systems. There are many opportunities for internships both on the UC Santa Cruz campus and in the greater community.

Program Learning Outcomes

The undergraduate curriculum offered by the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) is designed to ensure that all students declared in any EEB-sponsored major will achieve the following seven program learning outcomes:

1. Students will demonstrate broad-based knowledge of the fundamentals of ecology, behavior, evolution and physiology and the relationships among these disciplines.
2. Students will demonstrate skills in the observation and experimental study of organisms, using both field-based and laboratory-based approaches.
3. Students will demonstrate skills in identifying, accessing, comprehending and synthesizing scientific information, including interpretation of the primary scientific literature. This includes understanding key questions and hypotheses, interpreting results and conclusions, and evaluating quality through critique.
4. Students will demonstrate the ability to conceive and execute independent scientific research, including developing their own questions and hypotheses, designing an appropriate theoretical or empirical/experimental approach, executing that approach, and analyzing and interpreting data.
5. Students will demonstrate an ability to understand and apply fundamental quantitative skills, including models and statistical analyses, so as to properly interpret published research and apply such skills in their own research.
6. Students will demonstrate the ability to communicate scientific work, such as a scientific paper, proposal, essay, or notebook, in written, oral or poster format.
7. Students will exhibit strong teamwork and problem solving skills. They will demonstrate the ability to make arguments from evidence and work together to find optimal solutions.

Academic Advising for the Program

Academic advising is available at the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) undergraduate advising office located in the Coastal Biology Building on the UC Santa Cruz Coastal Science Campus, and via email at eebadvising@ucsc.edu. The undergraduate webpages contain advice and information pertinent to students’ most frequently voiced questions. Each student should review the information posted on the website; for further assistance, contact an EEB undergraduate advisor at eebadvising@ucsc.edu. Transfer students should also review the Transfer Information and Policy Section.

Getting Started in the Major: Frosh

Prerequisites

The introductory biology sequence is prerequisite to virtually all upper-division biology courses. BIOL 20A (offered by the Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology Department) has a prerequisite of CHEM 3A or 4A. Therefore, it is essential for students to start chemistry as soon as possible. Students who have not taken CHEM 3A or 4A may begin the introductory sequence with BIOE 20C. The entire introductory biology sequence should be taken the first and second year, concurrently with or following the general chemistry sequence. We also strongly recommend completing the lower-division physics requirements early in your academic career.

An online mathematics placement is required to enroll in a mathematics course. Students are expected to take this examination and are encouraged to work in the learning modules until they place into calculus. For more information see the mathematics placement website.

Advanced placement (AP) course equivalencies can be used to fulfill prerequisites.

Transfer Information and Policy

Transfer Admission Screening Policy

The following courses or their equivalents are required prior to transfer, by the end of the spring term for students planning to enter in the fall.

Plus, one of the following calculus courses:

In addition, the following courses are recommended prior to transfer to ensure timely graduation.

These courses

Or these courses

Or these courses

Plus one of the following calculus courses:

Plus the following physics courses:

Plus the following statistics course(s):

More information on qualifying for the major as a transfer applicant is here. Additional transfer preparation information is here.

Getting Started in the Major: Transfer Students

Transfer students who satisfy the major screening requirements may declare the major at any time after matriculation only after their official transcripts have been posted to their MyUCSC student portal by the UC Santa Cruz Office of Admissions. 

Beginning in late June and early July (for fall transfer students) EEB advising will review admitted students' reported transfer course work and determine how it applies to their major's requirements.
EEB advising will contact admitted students via email. The email will include information on how students' transfer coursework fulfills major requirements.  We will suggest courses for students' fall enrollment, and invite you to make an appointment to talk with EEB undergraduate advising or direct questions to eebadvising@ucsc.edu. Transfer students may also expect to receive regular email messages from EEB advising in June, July, and August with additional information about the major.

Major Qualification Policy and Declaration Process

Major Qualification

All courses must be taken for a letter grade. The following qualification courses, or their equivalents, must be completed with a grade of C (2.0) or better:

All of the following courses:

And one of the following courses:

Students with one grade of NP, C-, D+, D, D-, or F in one of the qualification courses are eligible to declare after successfully repeating the same or an equivalent course with a grade of C (2.0) or better.

Students with two or more grades of NP, C-, D+, D, D-, or F in the qualification courses are not eligible to declare. Mathematics courses will not be included in this calculation.

Students with AP credit for any of the qualification course(s) are eligible to declare after successfully completing the remaining qualification courses.

Consult with an EEB undergraduate advisor when requesting to declare the major after the campus declaration deadline. Transfer students should also review the Transfer Information and Policy Section.

For information on qualifying for the Environmental Studies/Biology combined major, please see Environmental Studies in this catalog.

Appeal Process

Students who are not eligible to declare the major may appeal this decision after they have successfully completed the qualification courses by submitting an appeal letter to EEB undergraduate advising. Within 15 business days of receipt of the appeal, the department will notify the student and college of the decision. For more information about the appeal process, see the appeal process website.

How to Declare a Major

Students may log into MyUCSC and submit the Petition for Major/Minor via MyUCSC as soon as they have completed the EEB major qualification requirements and/or reached their declaration deadline quarter, whichever comes first.  The department will declare the student's major, deny the student admission to the major, or set conditions for admission (provided the conditions may be met within no more than one quarter of enrollment) based on the student's qualification to declare at the time the major declaration petition is received. Information on major declaration can be found here. Additional questions may be directed to eebadvising@ucsc.edu.

Letter Grade Policy

All courses used to satisfy any major requirement must be taken for a letter grade.

Course Substitution Policy

To discuss the process for a course substitution, contact an EEB undergraduate advisor.

At least half of the upper-division courses (numbered BIOE 100–BIOE 179) required for each major must be taken in EEB at UC Santa Cruz not as transfer credits from another department or institution.

Transfer students are advised to contact an EEB undergraduate advisor before enrolling in numerous upper-division courses at other institutions. For more information on transferring courses to UC Santa Cruz, please consult the Transfer Coursework website. Additional information for transfer students is provided above in the “Transfer Students” section.

Only one upper-division course requirement may be met with a research-based independent study or graduate-level UC Santa Cruz biology course.

Double Majors and Major/Minor Combinations Policy

Students interested in pursuing multiple majors within the biological sciences may NOT declare the following combination of majors:

• Biology B.A. and any other major or minor sponsored by EEB and MCD Biology.

• Any combination of two EEB majors:  Ecology & Evolution B.S., Marine Biology B.S., and Plant Sciences B.S., or the Environmental Studies/Biology combined B.A.

Should a student choose to double major, they must qualify for and complete the disciplinary communication and comprehensive requirements for each of the majors.

Students pursuing an EEB-sponsored major may not declare a biology minor.

Study Abroad

The UC Education Abroad Program (UCEAP) offers qualified students unique opportunities to broaden their educational horizons. The EEB Department encourages interested students to participate. It is possible to satisfy major requirements abroad and graduate on time; consult with an EEB undergraduate advisor early in the planning process.

Many programs are in English-speaking countries or use English for advanced courses. Many programs offer small classes, extensive laboratories, and/or field research experience.

There are excellent programs in Costa Rica, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Germany, among others. The Costa Rica Tropical Biology Program is of note to students interested in tropical biology and ecology. Held spring and fall quarters at the Monteverde research station, this program gives students experience with hands-on field research and offers a homestay program. The University of Queensland (Australia) offers an intensive, full-semester marine science program, which includes stays at research stations on the Great Barrier Reef and in sheltered mangrove and seagrass habitats near Brisbane.

Students interested in study abroad need to get an early start on their introductory requirements, including chemistry, mathematics, and biology and must declare their major prior to going abroad. Visit the UCEAP office as soon as possible to begin planning and seek advice and approval for your UCEAP plan from an EEB undergraduate advisor prior to participation in UCEAP.

Honors

Honors in the biological sciences majors are awarded to graduating students whose academic performance demonstrates excellence at a grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or above. Highest honors are awarded to those students whose performance demonstrates the highest level of excellence and results in a GPA of 3.8 or above.

Requirements and Planners

Course Requirements

Lower-Division Courses

Introductory Biology:

General Chemistry:

Calculus:

Choose one of the following options:

Biostatistics:

Physics:

Upper-Division Courses

A total of 11 upper-division courses, including relevant electives; two must include laboratory or fieldwork; two must apply to the Disciplinary Communication requirement. Courses appearing in more than one category can fulfill only one requirement.

Two core courses:

One Ecology Course

One plant physiology course from the following:

Note: Lecture/lab combinations count as one course

One botany course from the following:

Note: Lecture/lab combinations count as one course

Electives

Three topical electives chosen from the following:

Note: Lecture and 2-credit lab combinations count as one course.

Biological Sciences-EEB

Biological Sciences-MCDB

Environmental Studies (enrollment by permission of instructor)

Science Communication

Three general electives chosen from the following:

Note: Lecture/lab combinations count as one course.

Biological Sciences-EEB

Any upper-division BIOE course numbered BIOE 100-BIOE 179 of 5 or more credits

Biological Sciences-MCDB

Earth and Planetary Sciences

Economics

Environmental Studies (enrollment by permission of instructor)

Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology

Ocean Sciences

Psychology

One of the following may also be used as an upper-division general elective:

Biological Sciences-EEB

Any 5 credits of undergraduate research

or

Environmental Studies

Disciplinary Communication (DC) Requirement

Students of every major must satisfy that major's upper-division disciplinary communication (DC) requirement. The DC requirement in plant sciences is satisfied by completing two of the following ecology and evolutionary biology courses:

Note: Lecture and 2-credit lab combinations count as a single course.

Comprehensive Requirement

All majors in the biological sciences require completion of a comprehensive requirement. This requirement can be satisfied in one of the following ways:

• Receiving a passing grade in an independent research course, or field/laboratory course listed below.
• Completing a senior thesis.
• Achieving a graduate record examination (GRE) score at or above the 50th percentile on the biology subject test or the biochemistry, cell, and molecular biology subject test. Reports of GRE scores must be submitted to the EEB undergraduate advising office before the last day of the graduating quarter.
• Obtaining a medical college admission test (MCAT) score at or above the 50th percentile on the biological sciences section. Reports of MCAT scores must be submitted to the EEB undergraduate advising office before the last day of the graduating quarter.

Comprehensive courses offered by Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Note: Lab courses may have associated prerequisite or corequisite lecture courses.

Comprehensive courses offered by Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology

Comprehensive courses offered in other departments

Planners

The tables below are for informational purposes and do not reflect all university, general education, and credit requirements. See Undergraduate Graduation Requirements for more information.

In addition to the specific courses shown in these planners, a student must complete courses satisfying the IM,  TA, PE, PR, CC, ER and C campus general education requirements.

Sample Frosh Planner

*PLNT = Plant Sciences BS

** WRIT 2 should be taken in or before spring quarter of the second year.

Electives must be chosen to satisfy the Disciplinary Communication and Comprehensive requirements.

Additional Frosh sample planners may be found on the EEB website.

Sample Transfer Planner

For students who transferred in after completing the transfer screening courses and:

• MATH 11B
• CHEM 3C and 3CL
• PHYS 6A & PHYS 6L, and PHYS 6B & PHYS 6M

*PLNT = Plant Sciences B.S.

Electives must be chosen to satisfy the Disciplinary Communication and Comprehensive requirements.

Additional sample Transfer student sample planners may be found on the EEB website.