Plant Biology

The Plant Biology Graduate Program (PB Program) provides graduate and undergraduate training and fosters faculty research and collaboration in all aspects of the biology of plants. Unlike traditional departmental graduate programs, PB allows students to select their faculty advisor from four departments on campus: 

• Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Biology
• Environmental Conservation
• Stockbridge School of Agriculture 

PB faculty members from the Five Colleges: 
Amherst; Hampshire; Mount Holyoke; Smith; UMass Amherst. 

Research Areas:

• Cell & Developmental Biology
• Evolution & Ecology
• Genomics & Genetics
• Plant Environment Interactions

The diverse areas of focus in Cell and Developmental Biology, Evolution and Ecology, Genomics and Genetics, and Plant Environment Interactions permit PB students and faculty to work on any level of biological organization from molecules to landscapes, and to choose basic or applied topics. The common interest of PB members in plants is a bridge for work across disciplines.