Program Overview

Plant Biology: Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, BS

Degree Requirements

The Plant Biology: Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics program requires a minimum of 120 hours to complete. The degree requirements include:

• Minimum Overall Grade Point Average: 2.00
• Total Hours: 120

Course List

The following courses are required for the program:

• General Education Requirements:
  • English Composition
    • ENGL 1113: Composition I
    • or ENGL 1313: Critical Analysis and Writing I
  • American History & Government
    • HIST 1103: Survey of American History
    • or HIST 1483: American History to 1865 (H)
    • or HIST 1493: American History Since 1865 (DH)
    • POLS 1113: American Government
  • Quantitative Thought & Logical Reasoning (Q)
    • MATH 1813: Preparation for Calculus (Q) (or higher)
    • or MATH 1613: Trigonometry (Q)
    • STAT 4013: Statistical Methods I (Q)
    • or STAT 2013: Elementary Statistics (Q)
  • Understanding Humanities-Human Heritage & Cultures (H)
    • Courses designated (H)
  • Reasoning in the Natural Sciences (N)
    • Must include one Laboratory-Based Inquiry (L) course
    • Select four hours from the following:
      • BIOL 1113 & BIOL 1111: Introductory Biology (N) and Introductory Biology Laboratory (LN)
      • BIOL 1114: Introductory Biology (LN)
      • PHYS 1114: College Physics I (LN)
  • Exploring Society & Human Behavior (S)
    • Courses designated (S)
  • Diversity (D)
    • Courses designated (D)
  • Global Cultural Competency (G)
    • Courses designated (G)
• College/Departmental Requirements:
  • UNIV 1111: First Year Seminar (or other approved first-year seminar course)
  • Arts & Humanities
    • See note 2.a.
  • Natural & Mathematical Sciences
    • CHEM 1314: Chemistry I (LN)
    • CHEM 1515: Chemistry II (LN)
  • Foreign Language
    • See note 3
  • Upper-Division General Education
    • Select 6 hours outside major department
    • See note 2.c.
• Major Requirements:
  • Core Courses
    • BIOL 3023: General Genetics
    • BIOL 4133: Evolution
    • PBIO 1404: Plant Biology (LN)
    • PBIO 2403: Introduction to Plant Molecular Biology
    • PBIO 4233: Plant Anatomy
    • PBIO 4400: Undergraduate Research
    • PBIO 4463: Plant Physiology
    • PBIO 4654: Plant Secondary Metabolism
    • 7 additional hours of PBIO courses
  • Select one of the following:
    • CHEM 3013 & CHEM 3012: Survey of Organic Chemistry and Survey of Organic Chemistry Laboratory
    • or
    • CHEM 3053 & CHEM 3112 & CHEM 3153: Organic Chemistry I, Organic Chemistry Laboratory, and Organic Chemistry II
  • MICR 2123: Introduction to Microbiology
  • or MICR 3033: Cell and Molecular Biology
  • Related Courses
    • Minimum of 10-13 hours of upper-division coursework (no more than 3 hours of general education courses) from the following:
      • BIOC; BIOL; CHEM; CS; ENTO; ENVR; GEOG; GEOL; HORT; MATH; MICR; NREM; PBIO; PHYS; PLNT; PLP; SOIL; or STAT
• Electives
  • Select 14 hours
  • May need to include 6 hours of a foreign language (see note 3)
  • May need to include 6 hours upper-division general education outside major department (see note 2.c.)

Other Requirements

• See the College of Arts and Sciences Requirements.
• Minimum GPA of 2.00 in all PBIO courses.
• Upper-Division Credit: Total hours must include at least 40 hours in courses numbered 3000 or above.

College of Arts and Sciences Requirements

1. Hours in One Department: For B.A. and B.S. degrees, no more than 54 hours in one department may be required to meet degree requirements.
2. A &S College/Departmental Requirements
   1. Arts and Humanities are defined as any course carrying an (H) designation or courses from AMST, ART, DANC, ENGL (except ENGL 3323 Technical Writing) HIST, MUSI, PHIL (except PHIL 1313 Logic and Critical Thinking (Q), PHIL 3003 Symbolic Logic (Q) and PHIL 4003 Mathematical Logic and Computability), REL, TH, and foreign languages.
   2. Natural and Mathematical Sciences are defined as any course from the following prefixes: ASTR, BIOC, BIOL, CHEM, CS (except CS 4883 Social Issues in Computing), GEOL, MATH, MICR, PBIO, PHYS, and STAT; or courses from other departments that carry an (Q) or (N) general education designation.
   3. Six upper-division hours are required from General Education or any CAS courses outside the student's major department.
   4. Non-Western Studies Requirement for B.A. and B.F.A.; One course in Non-Western Studies (N.W.).
   5. The College of Arts & Sciences requires a minimum 2.0 GPA in all major requirements and a minimum 2.0 GPA in all major-prefix courses applied to the degree.
3. Foreign Language Proficiency
   1. The foreign language requirement for the B.A. may be satisfied by 9 hours college credit in the same language, which must include 3 hours at the 2000-level, or equivalent proficiency.
   2. The foreign language requirement for the B.S., B.M. and B.F.A. may be satisfied by presenting a high school transcript which demonstrates two years of study of a single foreign language (passing grades at second-year level of study).

Additional State/OSU Requirements

• At least: 60 hours at a four-year institution; 30 hours completed at OSU; 15 of the final 30 or 50% of the upper-division hours in the major field completed at OSU.
• Limit of: one-half of major course requirements as transfer work; one-fourth of hours earned by correspondence; 8 transfer correspondence hours.
• Students will be held responsible for degree requirements in effect at the time of matriculation and any changes that are made, so long as these changes do not result in semester credit hours being added or do not delay graduation.
• Degrees that follow this plan must be completed by the end of Summer 2031.

Finish in Four Plan of Study

The plan below is an example of how students can successfully complete degree requirements in four years.

Freshman

• Fall:
  • First Year Seminar
  • Plant Biology (LN)
  • Preparation for Calculus (Q) (or higher)
  • General Education or Elective courses
• Spring:
  • Introductory Biology (N) and Introductory Biology Laboratory (LN)
  • Chemistry I (LN)
  • General Education or Elective courses

Sophomore

• Fall:
  • Chemistry II (LN)
  • Introduction to Microbiology
  • General Education, College, or Elective courses
• Spring:
  • Organic Chemistry I or Survey of Organic Chemistry
  • Introduction to Plant Molecular Biology
  • College Physics I (LN)
  • General Education, Major, or Elective courses

Junior

• Fall:
  • General Genetics
  • Organic Chemistry II (if student took Organic Chemistry I)
  • Organic Chemistry Laboratory or Survey of Organic Chemistry Laboratory
  • Plant Anatomy
  • College, Major, and Elective courses
• Spring:
  • Undergraduate Research
  • Plant Physiology
  • College, Major, or Elective courses

Senior

• Fall:
  • Evolution
  • Major or Elective courses
• Spring:
  • Plant Secondary Metabolism
  • Major or Elective courses

Total Hours: 120