Completing an option and engaging in an experiential learning activity allows students to fulfill their individual education goals and prepare for career aspirations.

Botany and plant pathology are concerned with the study of plants at all levels of biological organization, from molecular and cellular processes to the global ecosystem. This breadth of field reflects the wide range of issues and problems that confront plant biologists. In addition to addressing fundamental questions in plant biology, plant scientists in the 21st century will be called upon to provide information useful for producing food, fiber, and medicine for an increasing population, and for increasing our understanding of the diversity of plant and ecological systems and their interactions with humans. Students studying botany and plant pathology at OSU receive the basic science background necessary for such contributions, and may choose to focus in a particular area within plant science.