The Department of Plant Sciences introduces students to a wide variety of subjects important to understanding and improving plants for human use and enjoyment. This program is for students who are interested in growing plants, exploring how they work, understanding how to improve them or other aspects of the plant world. The Plant Sciences major offers different focus areas or areas emphasis. Students can choose from controlled environment agriculture, crop production, horticultural systems, plant biology, plant microbiology or turfgrass management.

The curriculum provides a strong background in both basic and applied aspects of plant biology. The department has excellent facilities which allow students to pursue a wide range of research problems. These facilities are available to all University researchers and include: macromolecular structure (sequence analysis and synthesis of proteins, peptides, and DNA), cell sorting, light microscopy, electron microscopy, and biomolecular characterization (NMR, mass spectrometry, ORD-CD). The department also has access to state-of-the-art plant growth facilities including greenhouses and growth chambers.

Besides a B.S. degree, M.S. and Ph.D. degrees are also available.