Why study botany at La Trobe?
A broad spectrum of undergraduate training and experience is offered by the Department of Botany at La Trobe University in plant ecology, plant pathology, mycology, the ecological physiology of plants, plant biochemistry, plant molecular biology, genetic engineering of plants, and the taxonomy, evolution and biogeography of flowering plants.
In addition to basic knowledge, students obtain training and experience in the principles of project design, data collection, data analysis and the preparation of reports, all of which are useful in almost any professional position in science and business.
It is possible to complement three years of training in botany with subjects from any of the other biological sciences at La Trobe University (see below). It also possible to complement three years of botany with subjects outside of biological sciences (e.g. Geology, Chemistry, Statistics) and for some students enrolled in faculties other than Science,Technology and Engineering to take subjects in Botany beyond first year.
Botany is one of five biological sciences Departments at La Trobe University; the others are Biochemistry, Genetics, Microbiology, and Zoology. The undergraduate course structure at La Trobe University allows students to combine Botany with various subjects from other biological sciences to provide a firm, tailored foundation in biology. At first-year level, biology students enroled in the Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering take 50% of their subjects in biology, and at second and third-year levels, all subjects can be taken in the biological sciences.
The academic staff of the Department of Botany have strong national and international reputations in many of the areas in which they undertake research. This translates into providing you with an education at the cutting edge of knowledge.
Examples of recent achievements are:
- Publication of the first complete key to Australian tropical rainforest trees;
- Development of management techniques to control the spread of fungal disease in our eucalypt forests;
- Protection of plants from waterlogging damage;
- Discovery of genes controlling various aspects of plant development;
- Novel insights into the regulation of stomatal opening and closing;
- Preparation of action statements for some of Victoria's most threatened plants.
The Department of Botany takes great pride in providing a friendly and supportive environment. We choose our first-year demonstrators carefully and train them well since they (usually postgraduate students) are the people with whom you interact most at the personal level during your first year in biological science, and they provide an important link between you and the Botany Department.
We have a variety of interactions with employers (often via past students) which will help you in your subsequent choice of career.
Finally, the Biological Sciences Degree at La Trobe University is structured to facilitate many combinations of botany subjects with those of other disciplines, thereby broadening your career opportunities.