The Department of Plant Biology offers three graduate programs leading to the Master of Science degrees (the traditional thesis option, the non-thesis option), the non-thesis Plant Biotechnology M.S. with Professional Science Master's (PSM) concentration and a Doctor of Philosophy degree. It also participates in an interdepartmental programs leading to a doctoral degree: the Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology. In addition, students can participate, during their degree programs, in several non-degree granting interdepartmental programs and interest groups, such as the Cell and Molecular Biology Training Program.

The Department teaches and conducts research in basic plant biology. Its focus is integrative:

• biological processes are investigated at multiple levels of organization using molecular
• biochemical
• physiological
• ecological approaches