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Plant Biotechnology

College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences

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What is Plant Biotechnology?

Biotechnology is part of our daily lives. It's used to develop nutritionally enhanced foods, enable sustainable agricultural production, and engineer plants for industrial and medical purposes.

The Plant Biotechnology major provides an interdisciplinary curriculum. It integrates the science and practice of crop production through courses in

  • molecular biology,
  • genetics and genomics,
  • biochemistry,
  • plant protection,
  • and data analysis.

The program also offers many opportunities to take part in research and internships.

This curriculum prepares students for careers in biotechnology or graduate and professional schools. Our students pursue employment in scientific research or biotechnology enterprise fields. These include science policy, patent law, and business development.

Career Options

  • Biotechnology
  • Consulting
  • Crop & food production
  • Medicine
  • Plant breeding & genetics
  • Urban agriculture & horticulture
  • Research
  • Weed sciences

Post-Graduation Success1

Insufficient survey data is available for employment information.

Insufficient survey data is available for grad school attendance.

Insufficient survey data is available for average starting annual income.

Sample employer destinations: Insufficient survey data is available for sample employer destinations.

Sample grad school destinations: Insufficient survey data is available for sample grad school destinations.

Program Resources

College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences Program Webpage Degree Requirements

Review Criteria

First-Year Major-Specific Criteria

  • Strong science and math coursework and performance
  • Calculus and Chemistry preferred (if available at high school)
  • Experiences related to the major

View All Review Criteria

Transfer Criteria

Transfer Guide

Graduation & Retention2

Years to degree: N/A

First-Year retention rate: N/A

Four-year graduation rate: N/A

Six-year graduation rate: N/A

Annual Program Costs3

Illinois Resident

  • Tuition: $14,008
  • Fees: $4,928
  • Expenses: $18,222
  • Total: $37,158

Non-Resident

  • Tuition: $33,128
  • Fees: $4,928
  • Expenses:$18,562
  • Total: $56,618

International

  • Tuition: $34,076
  • Fees: $4,928
  • Expenses: $18,562
  • Total: $57,566

Related Majors

1 Post-graduate data was collected through the Illini Success initiative, which primarily relies on self-reported survey data sources. Statistics are aggregated from the past three years. Please note that total compensation may be greater than annual salary as other forms of compensation (e.g., signing bonus, commission, benefits) are not included. For more information on Illini Success data and methods, please visit the Illini Success website. For average wage or salary information five years after entry into an occupation, visit the Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes Explorer.

2 Graduation and retention data comes from several majors within a similar interest area. Data may not yet be available for newly created programs. Years-to-degree data is only available for programs from which you can earn a degree. Retention and graduation rates are only available for programs that you can apply directly into. Retention rates reflect retention to the university, not necessarily retention within the major.

3 "Expenses" are estimated and include books, supplies, housing, and other living expenses. The exact amount you’ll pay depends on where you decide to live, the meal plan you choose, and your overall lifestyle. To learn more about costs, please visit the Office of Student Financial Aid website. To learn the average monthly student loan payment over a period of 20 years based on estimated cost, visit the Illinois College2Career website.

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