Studies & Degrees in Botany
Botany Study Programs
Botany is the scientific study of plants. In its broad, traditional sense it also takes in algae and fungi: the University of Wisconsin-Madison defines it as the science of plants, algae, fungi and bacteria, "all living organisms except animals". Today the same field is often taught under the names plant biology or plant sciences.
Students learn how plants are built, how they grow, feed and reproduce, how they are classified and how they have evolved, and how they interact with soil, climate, animals and people. The Botanical Society of America lists specialisations that run from plant anatomy, physiology, genetics and molecular biology to ecology, palaeobotany (fossil plants) and ethnobotany (the uses of plants by indigenous peoples). Fieldwork and plant identification are part of most programmes. The subject matters beyond the classroom: green plants and algae supply the photosynthetic energy that fuels other life on earth and drive the global water and carbon cycles.
Qualifications and levels
- Bachelor's degrees named botany. These are most common in the United States and in countries that follow the British tradition. The Botany BS of the University of Wisconsin-Madison requires 120 degree credits. The University of Florida offers a Bachelor of Science in Botany of 120 credits with two specialisations: General Botany, and Botanical Research for students who intend to go on to a graduate degree, which requires research with a member of the faculty.
- Botany inside a biology degree. In Spain and much of continental Europe botany is a subject area within a biology degree. Official bachelor's degrees (grados) in Spain have 240 ECTS credits. In the Grado en Biología of the Universidad de Navarra, for example, the botany block consists of two courses of 6 ECTS credits each, general botany and applied systematic botany.
- Plant science departments. Many universities have merged botany into wider units. Makerere University in Uganda teaches it in its Department of Plant Sciences & Biotechnology.
- Master's degrees and doctorate. Specialisation in areas such as plant biotechnology, plant ecology, taxonomy or crop science comes at master's level; official master's degrees in Spain have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. Research and university teaching require a doctorate.
- Short and vocational courses. Colleges and botanic gardens teach horticulture and plant identification at certificate or diploma level. These are practical qualifications, not degrees in botany; ask the school what recognition they have.
Where to study
SpainExchange lists 98 active schools for botany, spread over many countries. The United States has 17; Algeria, Canada and Argentina have 4 each; the United Kingdom, India and Brazil 3 each; and France, Costa Rica, South Korea, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Honduras 2 each. The list includes the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Florida, Rutgers and Illinois State University in the United States; the University of the Fraser Valley in Canada; the University of Madras in India; Makerere University in Uganda and the University of Namibia; and, in Europe, Avignon Université, the University of Sarajevo and Cornwall College.
The language of instruction is normally that of the country: English in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, India and much of Africa, French in France, Spanish in Argentina, Costa Rica and Honduras, Portuguese in Brazil. Botany depends on fieldwork with the local flora, so it is worth asking which ecosystems, botanic garden, herbarium or field station a programme uses.
Careers
The University of Wisconsin-Madison describes a botany degree as a foundation for careers in environmental studies, conservation biology, ecology, genetics, biotechnology, agriculture and horticulture, with jobs in secondary and college teaching, research and development in industry and medicine, the stewardship of natural areas through private and government programmes, and academic research. Botanists also work in botanic gardens, which Botanic Gardens Conservation International defines as institutions holding documented collections of living plants for scientific research, conservation, display and education, and in seed companies, nurseries and environmental consultancies.
Official statistics rarely count botanists as a group of their own. The closest categories of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics are soil and plant scientists, with about 19,900 jobs in 2025 and projected growth of 7 percent by 2035, and conservation scientists and foresters, for whom it projects growth of 4 percent from 2025 to 2035. The Bureau notes that agricultural and food scientists typically need at least a bachelor's degree in a field such as plant biology, and that employers may prefer or require a master's or doctoral degree. These figures describe the US labour market only.
Frequently asked questions
Is botany the same as plant biology or plant science?
Largely, yes. Botany is the traditional name; many universities now use plant biology or plant sciences for the same field, sometimes together with biotechnology or agriculture. Compare the course lists and not only the title of the degree.
Can I study botany in Spain?
Not as a separate bachelor's degree in the usual case: botany is studied within a Grado en Biología of 240 ECTS credits, as at the Universidad de Navarra, where it is taught in two courses of 6 ECTS credits each. Specialisation follows in a master's degree.
How long does a botany degree take?
The botany degrees of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Florida require 120 US credits, the standard length of a four-year American bachelor's degree. A Spanish grado has 240 ECTS credits and takes four years.
Do I need a postgraduate degree to work as a botanist?
For research, usually. The University of Florida directs students who plan a graduate degree to its Botanical Research specialisation, and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that employers of plant scientists may prefer or require a master's or doctoral degree.