PROGRAM IN PLANT BIOLOGY AND CONSERVATION

Courses

PBC students have several PBC courses to choose from and can also take courses across the university.  See the Graduate School Course Catalog for more information. Below are upcoming courses offered by the Plant Biology and Conservation (PBC) program. Students often take elective courses in the programs listed below. Only courses at the 300-level or above can be taken for graduate credit. Not all 300-level courses carry graduate credit, so if you are unsure, consult with the PBC program assistant or director.

• Courses in Environmental Policy and Culture
• Courses in Environmental Science
• Courses in Earth and Planetary Science
• Courses in the Institute for Sustainability and Energy and Northwestern

Upcoming PBC Courses

Fall 2024

• PBC 435/BIO 337 Biostatistics
• PBC 451 - Critical Topics in Ecology and Conservation
• PBC 450 - Field and Lab Methods in Plant Biology and Conservation
• PBC 470 Special Topics in PBC - R Data Science
• PBC 470 Special Topics in PBC - TBD

Winter 2025

• PBC 401/BIO 350 Plant Evolution and Diversity
• PBC 402/BIO 349 Plant Population and Community Ecology
• PBC 470 Special Topics in PBC - GIS Level 1 (TBD)
• PBC 470 Special Topics in PBC - R Data Science
• PBC 470 Special Topics in PBC - Analytical Toolkit (TBD)

Spring 2025

• PBC 415/BIO 336 Spring Flora
  • This course takes a field-based approach to learning the process of identifying major components of the local flora in an evolutionary context. Understanding vegetative and reproductive structures of plants, and use of this knowledge to identify plants with taxonomic keys is emphasized. Ecological interactions and related conservation issues are also covered.
• PBC 435 Biostatistics
• PBC 470 Special Topics in PBC – Urban Ecology (TBD)
• PBC 470 Special Topics in PBC - R Data Science (TBD)
• PBC 470 Special Topics in PBC - Data Analysis and Visualization for Scientists
  • Practical data analysis & visualization for ecology, evolution, and conservation.
    This class is designed to be a practical guide to quantitative analysis and data visualization in ecology, evolution, and conservation. We will learn about, use, and practice a wide range of data science methods that are commonly used in these fields. The class is designed to be a hands-on learning experience using the open-source programming language, R. We will begin with the basics of data, including data structures, data manipulation and wrangling, and then move on to common quantitative analyses, their variations, and how best to visualize data. By the end of the class, students will have the skills and confidence to address a wide variety of questions with quantitative methods.