Minor in Plant Science (18–19 credits)

The Plant Science Minor is intended to help students majoring in something other than Plant Science demonstrate an understanding and specialty in the production, function, and utilization of plants. Students minoring in Plant Science take coursework that provides hands-on experience propagating and growing plants, aids understanding of plant response to stressors, and helps students interpret the many ways that humans interact with plants.

This minor complements the SEBS majors: Landscape Architecture, Etymology, Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Environmental and Business Economics, and Animal Science, as these fields often overlap with plant-based industries.

Learning goals for the Plant Science Minor align closely with program goals for the Plant Science undergraduate program (technical proficiency, context, communication, and critical thinking). Students completing program requirements will be able to:

• Technical proficiency: Describe basic knowledge about plant structure and function, fundamentals of plant growth and physiology, principles of horticulture.
• Context: Summarize broadly the extent of plant-human interactions in agriculture, society, and the environment.
• Communication: Communicate, in written and oral forms, Plant Science knowledge to peers and others in society.
• Critical Thinking: Critically formulate hypotheses, interpret data, and apply basic principles and practices of Plant Science to solve fundamental and practical problems.

Notice to students seeking to enroll in Plant Biology Minors
A new policy enacted by the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences on February 27, 2021 provides the following guidance on completion of minors. The policy states, “Minors are intended to expand or supplement an educational experience beyond a students’ declared major.” In the spirit of this guidance, students seeking enrollment in one of the Plant Biology Minors, will not be permitted to apply more than 50% of course credits used to fulfill a major, nor will students seeking to declare a second minor be permitted to apply more than 50% of course credits used to fulfill a first minor requirement.
**Students enrolled in minor programs prior to February 27, 2021, will be permitted to complete the program even if it does not comply with this course overlap policy.
[Contact Dr. Patel (npatel@sebs.rutgers.edu) for clarification and/or questions].

Required Courses (6 credits)

11:776:211 Introduction to Horticulture (3)
11:776:242 Plant Science (3)

Electives (12–13)

Any four of the following courses for which prerequisites have been fulfilled:

11:550:233 Landscape Plants I (3) or 11:550:234 Landscape Plants II (3)
11:550:239 Planning and Planting the Residential Environment (3)
11:776:202 Applied Physiology of Horticultural Crops (3)
11:776:221 Principles of Organic Crop Production (3)
11:776:302 General Plant Pathology (3)
11:776:305 Plant Genetics (4)
11:776:310 Plant Propagation (3)
11:776:312 Medicinal Plants (3)
11:776:321 Greenhouse Systems Management (3)
11:776:341 Fruit Production (3)
11:776:406 Plant Breeding (3)
11:776:439 Nursery Crop Production (3)
11:776:452 Plant Tissue Culture (3)

or other advisor-approved electives

Minor Advisor

Dr. Nrupali Patel
Foran Hall, Rm 372
848-932-6392
Email: npatel@sebs.rutgers.edu

Martin Hall, Suite 109
848-932-3516