Plant Biology, MSci (Hons)

Course summary

All the food we eat stems from plants and crops. As the human population grows and our climate changes, we need to improve crop productivity. Plant and crop scientists have a vital role in the future of food.Our integrated masters degree provides an additional year of study to gain valuable research and project management skills.You'll investigate and experiment with plant growth. You'll understand how plants develop, reproduce and how they evolve to respond to their environment.Benefit from our international reputation for research in plant science. You'll be taught by experts across different aspects of plant science. Explore many exciting aspects of modern plant biology, including:

• cell and molecular biology

• genetic engineering

• plant-pathogen interactions

• environmental physiology

• ecology

You will learn how mutant plants can be used to improve crop yield. You'll hear about the latest research from different professors. You'll find out how this research is helping us to understand plant function. Alongside lectures, you'll have practical sessions in our Super Lab and visit farms. Core modules in your first year will help build your foundation science. You'll also study ecology, molecular biology and genetics. In the second year and third years, you have more optional modules. You can choose to study plant evolution and ecology in The Green Planet module. You can work as a team in the Enterprise Management Challenge module. You'll grow your own crop on the University Farm, make key decisions and measure the result. Your third year research project enables you to use your skills to work on a piece of original research. You will design the study, collect and analyse data and prepare a report. You will be supervised by an individual member of academic staff. This additional fourth year enables you to graduate with an integrated masters level qualification. You'll carry out an independent piece of research, and have modules to support this. You'll develop further skills in the co-ordination and communication of research projects.