Program Information
The Plant Biology Graduate Group (PBGG) at the University of California, Davis, is comprised of faculty members whose research interests focus on plant biology and who are dedicated to teaching graduate students. Their specific research interests embrace a wide variety of subjects ranging from cellular to population levels of organization, and fall into one of four general subject areas:
- Cell & Developmental Biology
- Molecular Biology, Biochemistry & Genomics
- Systematics & Evolutionary Biology
- Environmental & Integrative Biology
The PBGG at Davis has over 98 faculty members from over 14 departments or sections directing the research of more than 90 students.
Faculty members in the Graduate Group include those whose primary interests are quite fundamental as well as those who have an interest in the more practical aspects of agriculture. This affords students that choose graduate study at Davis an excellent opportunity for interdisciplinary research.
Designated Emphasis
The Plant Biology Graduate Group also has a designated emphasis in Biotechnology. For information regarding this emphasis, please contact Dr. Judith Kjelstrom.
At UC Davis, the Plant Biology graduate program is organized as a Graduate Group, a self governing organization of faculty members which sponsor a graduate degree program. The graduate group concept has many advantages, including student access to faculty from many different departments and flexibility for development of interdisciplinary programs. The Plant Biology Graduate Group offers both a Master of Science Degree and a Doctor of Philosophy Degree.
The Plant Biology Graduate Group has four areas of specialization: Cell and Developmental Biology; Systematics and Evolutionary Biology; Environmental and Integrative Biology; and Molecular Biology, Biochemistry and Genomics. Common to all of these specialization are courses designed to provide a breadth of training in plant biology. In addition, each specialization has its own set of courses that are designed to develop a student's depth of knowledge in a particular area. In addition to the courses listed for each specialization, other courses may be substituted or added based on consultation with one's academic adviser and thesis adviser.
Graduate Preparation
Both Ph.D. and M.S. students are required to take the following courses. All required courses for which a letter grade is offered must be taken for a grade and not Pass/Fail or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory.
- Students should be conversant with major concepts in all areas of specialization in the graduate group, i.e., Cell and Developmental Biology, Environmental and Integrative Biology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, and Genomics, and Systematics and Evolutionary Biology. The undergraduate course prerequisites provide a foundation for the student's breadth of knowledge in plant biology. For additional breadth, students are required to take the core courses for the Plant Biology Graduate Group PBI 200A-Fall, 200B-Winter, and 200C-Spring. These comprise three 5 unit courses taught at the graduate level that survey areas of specialization in the group. Students are expected to complete the core courses during their first year. If the student and his/her Guidance Committee feel that additional background is called for, they should select additional courses from the specialty area lists.
- During their first year, students are required to enroll in Plant Biology 292, the Plant Biology Graduate Group Journal Club, each quarter that it is offered. In this course, students will read and discuss research articles covering a breadth of topics in plant biology. Students will also receive training in reading and analyzing the primary literature. In addition, students will be exposed to topics that they will likely encounter during their graduate career such as authorship, grantsmanship, teaching, and the qualifying examination.
- Students are required to take Plant Biology 290B (Seminar) each quarter during their first two years in the program or until they pass the Qualifying Examination or graduate. PBI 290B is a 1 unit course in which student listen to research seminars presented by scientists usually from other universities and institutes. Attendance at the seminars is mandatory.
- Students are required to take the seminar discussion course accompanying Plant Biology 290B (tentatively designated Plant Biology 290A) each quarter during their second year or until they pass the Qualifying Examination or graduate. The course provides students with the opportunity to discuss the research of the invited seminar speaker in the accompanying PBI 290B course and to meet with the speaker.
Advising
An entering student will confer with his/her Graduate Adviser prior to the first quarter in the program to design an initial course of study. On the basis of this meeting, the Graduate Adviser, in consultation with the Master Adviser, will establish a Guidance Committee for the student that will consist of the Graduate Adviser and one other faculty member in the Group in the student's area of specialization. Once identified, the faculty who will become the major professor will also become a member of this Committee. A third Committee member will be appointed for students who enter the M.S. program under Plan II. The Guidance Committee will meet during the student's first, third, and fourth quarters in the program to advise the student on a course of study that will rectify deficiencies in preparation, include courses to fulfill the requirements of the Group, and provide a coherent preparation for the dissertation research or comprehensive examination. The study plan must be approved at each meeting by signature of each member of the Guidance Committee.