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. Students may also review the TGS Academic Calendar for important registration dates.

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

PBC Courses

Please see course descriptions below:

Fall 2025

• PBC 450 - Field and Lab Methods in Plant Biology and Conservation (2 Units)
• PBC 451 - Critical Topics in Ecology and Conservation
• PBC 470 Special Topics in PBC - R Data Science
• PBC 470 Special Topics in PBC - GIS Level 1

Winter 2026

• PBC 401/BIO 350 Plant Evolution and Diversity - Dr. Pat Herendeen
  • This course is an introduction to the diversity and evolutionary history of land plants for advanced undergraduates and graduate students. It will introduce principles of plant morphology, classification, phylogeny, and paleontology. Morphological, anatomical, molecular and fossil evidence for the evolutionary history and relationships of each group will be presented. Laboratories will focus on diversity and structural characteristics of each group and their fossils. Graduate students will prepare a research paper on a topic of their choosing (subject to approval by instructor).
• PBC 402/BIO 349 Plant Population and Community Ecology - Dr. Amy Iler
  • Community ecology investigates the dynamics of populations and how those scale up to affect the composition and dynamics of ecological communities. Readings, discussions, lectures, and activities will address the forms and drivers of population dynamics, how communities are organized, how they interact with their biotic and abiotic environments, how they are studied, and how they are influenced by anthropogenic impacts like climate change, invasive species, and habitat loss.
• PBC 470-0-1 Special Topics in PBC - Geographical Information Systems - GIS Level 1 - Dr. Bo Zhang
  • Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is an analytical tool for organizing, visualizing, creating, and analyzing geospatial and temporal data. Students with no prior GIS experience will learn core skills with lectures and labs, and also formulate hypotheses they will test using GIS to address real problems. This introductory course covers the theory and application of GIS. Topics include components of a GIS, the characteristics of spatial data, database models, vector operations, raster operations, and GIS applications. The course uses ESRI ArcGIS Pro.
• PBC 470-0-7 Special Topics in PBC - Data Analysis & Visualization for Scientists - Dr. Paul CaraDonna
  • 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.

Spring TBD

• 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/BIO 337 Biostatistics (TBD)
• PBC 470 Special Topics in PBC - Applications of Genomics
• PC 470 Special Topics in PBC/BIO 333 - Plant Animal Interactions
• PBC 470 Special Topics in PBC - GIS - Vector Focused
  • Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a powerful analytical tool for spatial datasets with a very wide range of interdisciplinary applications. This is a first course for students with no or little knowledge in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial theory. We will apply GIS methods and tools by working with vector data types, that represent the real-world objects as point, lines and polygons. This class will provide students with both theoretical and technical GIS skills through hands on learning and lab assignments, with a final real-world problem-solving mini project and a lot of fun.

• PBC 470 Special Topics in PBC - GIS - Raster & Remote Sensing
  • We will focus on the raster GIS environment, which is the core analytical GIS data structure used for natural resource modeling and environmental analysis. Students will learn the raster structure and its advantages and limitations; will learn tools and techniques used to display, process, and analyze remotely sensed data, including appropriate raster data management and procedures; raster surface modeling and image interpretation; map-algebra concepts using ArcGIS Spatial Analyst; proximity and dispersion modeling. Student will be assessed on in-class exercises, homework assignments, weekly labs, a final exam, and a final project in which students will demonstrate their ability to apply new skills to a real-world situation of academic interest by preparing and presenting a research poster.