The field of plant biology, which encompasses botany and plant pathology, involves the study of plants at levels of organization ranging from the molecular to the global ecosystem. 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.

work primarily outdoors, in forests, parklands, or fields. Others work in laboratories, museums, in botanical gardens, or in industry.