About PhD in Botany Admission

PhD in Botany full form is Doctor of Philosophy in Botany. It is an advanced research course that focuses on the development of methods, techniques, schemes and theories in the field of botanical science. The subject matter is delved into research work to find, formulate, and devise new ideas and theories in botany with an introduction to new methods and techniques along with renovation to the old methods. PhD in Botany course is the study of science life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist, or phytologist is a scientist who specializes in this field. PhD in Botany duration is 3 years.

Eligibility Criteria for PhD in Botany

Candidates who want to be admitted in PhD. must have a post-graduate degree in Botany or related science with at least 55% marks from a recognized university and must have passed the national-level entrance examination or university-level entrance examination. National-level entrance exams like UGC NET / UGC CSIR NET / GATE / SLET or University entrance exams consist of written tests and personal interviews.

The Benefits of PhD in Botany

Graduate studies in botany require a broad understanding of plant life and the relationships between plants and other animals. Students should be interested in species and evolutionary trends, as well as the role plants, play in human society. The Ph.D. in Botany prepares students for research, teaching, and publication in their field. In addition, it helps them develop critical thinking and analytical skills, as well as promotes professional ethics.

A Ph.D. in Botany can lead to a career in agriculture, food production, government agencies, and more. Those with a Ph.D. in botany are often hired in universities as professors to teach students the scientific aspects of their chosen field. There are many universities and colleges around the world that offer the program, and some of these offer online classes, allowing working professionals to complete the degree on their own.

A Ph.D. in Botany can lead to a variety of rewarding careers. A botanist with a Ph.D. can become an adviser for the United Nations or work in agricultural development. These researchers can help increase crop yields and fight the pests that reduce agricultural products. Another possibility is to be a plant scientist, helping to understand the complex relationship between plants and their environments. If you'd like to pursue a career in botanical science, consider applying for a Ph.D. in the field.

PhD in Botany Who should opt?

Ideal candidates for the course would possess:

data-handling skills such as recording, collating, and analyzing data using appropriate techniques and equipment.

written communication skills

presentation and oral communication skills such as presenting research findings and make presentations in a clear, succinct way.

project management skills, such as organizing and undertaking research projects, experiments, etc. (including budgeting, contingency planning, and time management).

good understanding of information technology

and ability to work both independently and as part of a team.

Who Should Pursue a PhD in Botany Course?

Students who had a keen interest in research in botanical science should opt for this course. Students who had quality presentation and oral communication skills such as presenting research findings and making presentations in a clear, succinct way.

When To Do PhD in Botany Course?

Usually, aspirants can pursue this course after completing their post-graduation degree with a minimum of 55% marks in aggregate. Students need to give the entrance exams and also meet eligibility requirements.

How To Get Admission for PhD in Botany?

PhD in Botany admission is based on the post-graduation marks that students need to score well for admission. Students should carry all the documents including the results during the admission process. All the institutes will focus on the post-graduation results first after that they will look at the interview round for qualification criteria. PhD admission in Botany had a long format that students need to look at before applying for this doctorate course.

PhD in Botany How to Apply?

Students can apply for this course in two ways: either they search for the university's official websites or they can visit the university campus office for the admission process. Students should carry their ID proofs during the time of admission.

Selection Process For PhD in Botany Course

Students need to focus on the post-graduation exam as well as the entrance exam as both the marks obtained from it are taken into consideration for the selection process. Deserving students are allocated seats. The admission process depends on the chosen institution, and students need to look into the procedure to receive the admit card.

Types of PhD in Botany Courses

PhD in Botany course is categorized into three types one is full-time part-time and distance mode. Given below are the types of PhD in Botany courses.

Full-Time PhD. in Botany

PhD in Botany is a 3 years doctorate degree program. In the full-time learning mode, students have to attend regular classroom-based learning. They also need to submit all the assignments and projects and they need to appear for their exams on their institute campus. 

Students can learn from their peers and also can solve issues with the faculties which is the best thing in this mode of learning.

Part-Time PhD in Botany

A part-time course is designed for professionals who do not have the time to dedicate to a full-time course. Since it is a practical course, there is no Part-time option available.

Distance PhD in Botany

A distance learning course is designed for students who do not have the time and proper financial background to pursue a full-time course. Since it is a practical course, there is no distance learning option available.

Popular Entrance Exams for PhD in Botany

1. CSIR NET- which is conducted twice a year. Qualifying candidates can apply for government-funded scholarships to pursue the course.
2. DBT- which is a national-level entrance examination conducted to support shortlisted candidates in pursuing advanced research work in the discipline.
3. UGC NET- also conducted to support shortlisted candidates in pursuing advanced research work in the discipline.

Top Institutes offering PhD in Botany

• Loyola College, Chennai
• Christ University
• Presidency College, Chennai
• Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda College, Chennai
• Jadavpur University, Kolkata
• Indian Institute of Technology - [IIT], Kanpur
• The Northcap University - [NCU], Gurgaon
• Shiv Nadar University - [SNU], Greater Noida
• Birla Institute Of Technology - [Bit Mesra], Ranchi
• Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur
• Periyar Maniammai University - [PMU], Thanjavur
• Central University of Jharkhand - [CUJ], Ranchi
• Cochin University of Science and Technology - [CUSAT], Kochi
• Centurion University of Technology and Management - [CUTM], Bhubaneswar
• Manav Rachna International University - [MRIU], Faridabad
• IFTM University, Moradabad
• Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith - [MGKV], Varanasi
• GLA University, Mathura
• Khalsa College, Amritsar
• Banaras Hindu University - [BHU], Varanasi
• KR Mangalam University, Gurgaon
• Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University - [RTMNU], Nagpur

Preparation Tips for PhD in Botany Course

There are many tips that students must note when deciding to pursue a Diploma in Mechatronics degree. Some important preparation tips are listed below to ensure that the students crack the course and pass the exams without any hurdles. 

Improve Vocabulary: Students need to communicate efficiently such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing which will help them to prosper in every work they do. Steady progress will help them reach their desired goals in their career.

Read and Practice More: Students should do more research work to indulge in this course more deeply and they should try different experiments in botanical science.

Have Intrinsic Knowledge and Interest in Subjects: Having intrinsic knowledge about the subject and having the same interest will keep the student motivated to learn more than what's in the syllabus.

Think about your career in this field and how you can make it big and make sure you are prepared for any sort of challenges

PhD in Botany Syllabus

Paper-I Research Methodology

PhD in Botany Unit-I

1. Research Problem – Its importance, aims and objectives, literature collection,

Methodology (Experimental design / Field data collection). Data presentation and

interpretation. Drawing conclusions.

2. Scientific paper writing – Manuscript preparation and presentation

3. Research Journals, Impact Factor and paper citation index

4. Statistical methods in Biology: Mean, Variance, Standard deviation, Standard error, Chi-square and ‘t’–test

PhD in Botany Unit-II

5. Culture of Algae: Media and isolation of pure cultures

6. Culture and preservation of Fungi

7. Plant tissue culture methods. Genetic transformation methods (Agrobacterium-mediated

and microprojectile / Biolistic methods).

8. Herbarium techniques

PhD in Botany Unit-III

9. Plant Microtechnique – Fixatives and staining (single and double). Fixation for

histological and histochemical study. Microtomy.

10. Histochemical methods in Pharmacognosy and Forensic Botany. Organoleptic evaluation

of market drugs.

11. Preparation of Cytological slides for the study of Mitosis and Meiosis

12. Principles of Microscopy (Light microscope, phase contrast, Electron Microscope (SEM

& TEM) and Fluorescence microscope).

PhD in Botany Unit-IV

13. Methods of expressing concentration: Physical and chemical methods.

14. Soxhlet extraction, Column chromatography, TLC, High-pressure liquid Chromatography

(HPLC), Electrophoresis and ELISA.

15. Principles of Fluorescence, UV, Visible, NMR and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy and

Autoradiography.

16. Basic concepts of Recombinant DNA technology. Gene cloning, DNA fingerprinting

technique, Polymerase Chain Reaction and Southern blotting.

Paper-II: Current Topics in Plant Science

PhD in Botany Unit-I

1. Microbial Biotechnology

i) Bioremediation

ii) Biofertilizers (Cyanobacteria, Bacteria and Mycorrhizae)

iii) Phycotoxins and Mycotoxins

iv) Role of soil microbes in the degradation of pesticides and polycyclic aromatic

hydrocarbons (PAHs)

2. Plant pathology–Principles of plant disease development, disease control (chemical, biological

and integrated disease management) and role of biotechnology in plant disease control.

3. Molecular Plant Pathology – Host-pathogen interactions; Recognition; Defense

Elicitors, phytoalexins, Plant Immunization.

PhD in Botany Unit-II:

4. Signal perception and transduction. Introduction, Receptors, G proteins, Phospholipid

signaling, Cyclic nucleotides, Calcium calmodulin, protein kinases

5. Heavy metal stress: Availability, the physiological basis for toxicity – water relation,

photosynthesis, oxidative damage, membrane perturbations, tolerance mechanism –

phytochelatins, phytoremediation – hemofiltration, phytoextraction, Phytostabilization,

prospects and limitations

6. Isolation and characterization of certain enzymes (Rubisco, PEP Carboxylase, GS and

GOGAT)

7. Regulation of photorespiration and its significance in crop, productivity

8. In vitro production of secondary metabolites. Significance of Hairy Roots

PhD in Botany Unit-III

9. The origin and early evolution of angiosperms, with reference to recent findings on fossil

pollen, flowers and leaf remains.

10. Identification of Gymnosperms and Dicot wood based on anatomical characters of wood.

11. Concept of ICBN and salient features of Botanical nomenclature.

i.Typificationii.Rules of priority iii. Effective and valid publication iv. Authors citations

12. Cultivation, harvest, drying, grading, packing, storage and marketing of medicinal plants

13. Pharmacognostic study of different types of plant drugs with special reference to

Aromatic plants–Lemongrass and Palmarosa: Medicinal plants i) Aloe vera ii)Glory lily

14. Indigenous traditional drugs of India and their market Adulteration

PhD in Botany Unit-IV

15. Conventional plant breeding, mutation breeding, QTL mapping and Marker-assisted

selection for crop improvement.

16. Tissue culture of plants: Callus culture, plantlet regeneration, micropropagation,

somaclonal variation and synthetic seeds.

17. Principles of genetic engineering and status of transgenic plants.

18. Molecular characterization of Elite medicinal plants and endangered plants and

development of molecular markers (RAPD, SSR and AFLP).

19. Biodiversity-Types, hot spots, threats to Biodiversity and conservation.

Career Prospects After Completed PhD in Botany 

• For successful Botanies, career opportunities abound in the discipline, in capacities such as Soil and Plant Scientist, Biophysicist and Biochemist, Biological Technician, Environmental Scientist and Specialist, Mycologist, Plant Breeder, and Horticulturist.
• Botany involves the observation and also management of fossils, living plants, and their relationship with nature. Specializations in the discipline include Taxonomy, Physiology, and anatomy of plants and their life processes.
• Some of the popular professional avenues open to such postgraduates are listed below with the corresponding job descriptions and salaries offered for the respective positions.

Job Position After Completed PhD in Botany Course

• Taxonomist
• Agronomist
• Ecologist
• Mycologist
• Plant Breeder