Botany

B.S.
Online You can complete all or nearly all requirements of this program online.*
delivery
$384 Based on current tuition rates. No additional charge for nonresident students. Does not include course materials and associated fees and expenses.
per credit
4
start terms/year

Join other plant scientists and mycologists who are being called upon to develop 21st century innovations in producing food, fiber and medicine for the rising global population. Earning Oregon State University’s botany bachelor’s degree online will give you foundational expertise in plant biology that can lead you down numerous promising academic and career paths.

The botany program — the first online degree of its kind in the nation — provides a robust understanding of plant biology, biodiversity and ecology. You’ll gain the skills to address the environmental impacts of human behavior on managed and natural ecosystems, and you’ll develop a deeper understanding of the diversity of plant and ecological systems.

Skills you’ll gain in OSU’s online botany degree program

As a student in Oregon State’s online botany degree program, you’ll gain the in-demand skills you need to stand out in the job market and level up your career. You’ll learn from expert Oregon State faculty who have real-world experience in the field.

  • Plant genetics
  • Mycology
  • Plant ecology
  • Lichenology
  • Plant pathology
  • Bryology
  • Cell and molecular biology

Program details

Study the fundamental biology of plants and fungi — from molecular and cellular levels to their function in a global ecosystem — through classes in plant structure, biochemistry, genetics, ecology and physiology. You’ll learn to apply your knowledge to current issues in food production, conservation and healthy ecosystems.

The online botany bachelor’s program is offered by Oregon State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

Degree requirements

A minimum of 180 quarter credits — at least 60 of which must be upper-division credits — are required to graduate with your degree in botany, including:

Close-up of a green leaf showing detailed veins and water droplets, illuminated to highlight its intricate texture

Additional program features

Botany careers

The knowledge you acquire in Oregon State’s online botany degree program will help you fill in-demand jobs in the global marketplace. As a leader in this area, you’ll enter the workforce ready to provide insights in fields that need experts in botany, plant biology, plant pathology, plant sciences and related life sciences.

Potential careers include:

  • Botanist
  • Ethnobotanist
  • Horticulturist
  • Plant pathologist
  • Naturalist
  • Biotechnologist
  • Plant geneticist
  • Field botanist
  • Plant scientist