Ph.D. in Plant Biology

Program Overview

The Ph.D. in Plant Biology provides interdisciplinary training to the next generation of plant biologists, preparing them to tackle global research challenges in biotechnology and plant improvement, sustainable food systems, climate change, and biodiversity conservation. Our world-renowned faculty employ cutting edge techniques to train Ph.D. students to become independent and confident scientists ready to pursue careers across the spectrum of the plant sciences -- from academia to industry to the private sector.

Our Ph.D. program is characterized by dedicated mentoring and extensive collaboration across our close-knit community of faculty, students, and staff. The program thrives on its interdisciplinary training opportunities, which incoming 1st-year Ph.D. students first encounter during their semester-long research rotations in fall and spring semesters. Graduate-level coursework complements these early research experiences and exposes students to the latest ideas, theories, and approaches deployed by plant biology researchers, emphasizing critical thinking, foundational knowledge, and computational tools. Through close collaboration with their primary advisor and faculty on their dissertation studies committee, Ph.D. students conduct primary research towards their dissertation and are supported to present their findings at national and international conferences and meetings.

Graduates from our Ph.D. program are well-prepared for a research career in the plant sciences. Graduates from our program go on to pursue postdoctoral fellowships, faculty positions, and professional research positions with governmental and non-governmental organizations.

Curriculum

The Graduate Program in Plant Biology

Overview of the Department and its Programs

The Department of Plant Biology has a strong and diversified research presence, with programs in two areas basic to plant science: 1) ecology, evolution, and systematics, and 2) biochemistry and cell, molecular, and developmental biology. Information on specific faculty research programs may be found on the the Plant Biology Department's Web Page.

• Ph.D. in Plant Biology

Doctor of Philosophy

Program Description:

The research-oriented program provides training in basic scientific research in diverse aspects of plant biology. Broadly, these include developmental genetics, molecular regulation of gene expression, cell biology, plant-microbe interactions, ecological genomics, systematics and biogeography, and ecology of plant population and community dynamics.

The Plant Biology Department unites faculty with a broad array of research specialties. At the molecular level, researchers explore the biochemistry, molecular physiology, and development of plants. At the cell and organ levels, faculty are engaged in understanding the physiology of plant processes with special attention to their chemistry and biophysics. At the organismal, community, and landscape levels, department members develop insights into the diversity and interactions both between plants and their abiotic environment and between plants and other members of their communities.

The Department maintains such diversity in approaches to basic plant biology because integration of plant-centered scientists into a single community brings together an extraordinary array of perceptions of plants. This breadth of insight provides a deep understanding of the plant world that is simply not possible when plant biologists are isolated in units with research agendas driven by specialty disciplines. Most students in the Plant Biology graduate program earn a Ph.D., though exceptional candidates seeking a M.S. are also accepted. Students in this program conduct original research with the guidance of a faculty mentor, and the program culminates with a written dissertation or thesis and both public and private oral defenses.

Minimum Degree Requirements:
All students must successfully complete a total of 75 credits, including a minimum of 30 credits of program-related course work and 20 credits of dissertation research. First-year students participate in at least two rotations in research laboratories before committing to one laboratory for completion of dissertation research. Satisfactory completion of the written and oral components of a comprehensive examination are required for advancement to candidacy. A student’s Ph.D. degree is culminated by satisfactory completion of a dissertation, a public seminar, and a private defense with their studies committee. In addition to research, all students must participate in a minimum of two courses of supervised teaching.

For more details regarding our department, programs, and getting started - check out our Department of Biology Graduate Student Handbook!

Admissions

Requirements for Admission:

• The equivalent of a UVM major in a natural or physical science;
• Evidence of previous research experience

Interested in joining our program?  You can find full instructions on how to apply at the UVM Graduate College website. We also encourage you to reach out to individual faculty whose research complements your interests. Feel free to reach out to us plantbio@uvm.edu. if you have questions at any point -- we look forward to hearing from you!

(December 1st deadline. If remaining spots are available, we will consider applications that arrive before December 31st)

Outcomes

PHD Outcomes:

1. Design, conduct, analyze, write up, and defend a research project addressing a previously unanswered question
2. Compose a grant proposal
3. Identify and apply for sources of funding for research or travel
4. Critically evaluate and interpret scientific papers from the primary literature
5. Communicate effectively to diverse audiences, both lay and scientific, through teaching, writing, mentoring, and scientific presentation

Costs and Funding

Graduate students in our Ph.D. program are supported with a stipend (currently $33,280 per year) in the form of graduate research assistantships (GRAs) or graduate teaching assistantships (GTAs). In addition to the stipend, Ph.D. students receive a tuition waiver good for up to 9 credits of graduate coursework per semester. We also support our graduates students to attend scientific conferences each year, by matching travel awards from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Graduate Student Senate.

More

See what UVM's PBIO Ph.D. students are up to! Follow the links below to learn more about out current students and visit our socials to hear updates on their activities!

PBIO Graduate Student Page

PBIO Graduate Student Handbook

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Marvin Seminar Series

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