The Master program Plant Science imparts theoretical and practical training. The graduates acquire an in-depth knowledge of this subdiscipline of biology and demonstrate their ability to plan their own research project independently and to present the results in oral and written forms.

The Master program Plant Science includes the Master thesis, the Master examination and an in-depth study course. The program can be started in the fall or spring semester and usually takes three semesters in full-time study.

Offering organizational unit:
Department of Environmental Sciences

Specialties:

• Physiological plant ecology: How do plants and ecosystems function in the context of their environment?
• Plants in a changing climate: How do plants react to atmospheric and climatic change?
• Stable isotopes: Which processes can these modern tools of plant and ecosystem sciences reveal?
• Physiological ecology of alpine plants: How do plants function in alpine environments?
• Phylogeny and systematics: How are plants related and how have different plant lineages evolved?
• Plant Microbe Interactions: How do root exudates function in the communication of plants and their microbes? How do plants recognize and discriminate different soil microbiomes?
• Plant microbiomes: Which functions of the root microbiome support plant growth and health? How do soil microbial feedbacks drive plant performance?
• Capitalizing on plant microbes: How can we make use of beneficial plant microbes for sustainable Ag?
• Biocontrol of plant disease: How do beneficial plant microbes function in biocontrol? How do compost bacteria suppress soil-borne plant diseases?

Responsibility:
Prof. Dr. Ansgar Kahmen, Group Physiological Plant Ecology Send email
Prof. Dr. Klaus Schlaeppi, Group Plant Microbe Interactions Send email

Detailed information about the studies can be found in the Guidelines for the Master's Degree Programs in Biology of the Department of Environmental Sciences: Animal Biology, Ecology, Plant Science (only German version available), see Regulations.