The Department of Botany was established in 1906 as a charter department of the University of Manitoba under the guidance of Professor A. H. R. Buller. It offers programs of study for graduates of the Life Sciences leading to M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Botany. Graduates of these programs will be equipped to embark on a career in botany or related fields, such as environmental science, natural resource management, agriculture or forestry. They will be eligible for positions in research, teaching or consulting in an academic, industrial or governmental setting.

Click here for more information on the Masters of Science Program (Botany)
Click here for more information on the Doctor of Philosophy Program (Botany)

Admission

The normal requirement for admission is an Honours B.Sc. degree in Botany or its equivalent. Students seeking admission with other degrees may be required to complete a Pre-Master's year in which courses will be prescribed on an individual basis to provide the necessary background for graduate work in botany.

Financial support

Students typically receive support through external scholarships (NSERC, Millenium Scholarships), University of Manitoba Fellowships, Faculty of Science Studentships, bursaries, teaching assistantship positions, or from supervisors’ grants.  Scholarships, fellowships and studentships are awarded based on academic merit.  Bursaries are awarded based on financial need.  The Department must have assurance that adequate financial arrangements exist before a student is accepted into the program.  Students may apply for NSERC, University of Manitoba Fellowships, and bursaries before submitting an application to the department.

Click here for more information on graduate funding

Course and general requirements

Minimum course requirements are those of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Courses for individual students' programs will be arranged in consultation with their advisors. Language tests may also be required. Advanced degrees are earned mainly on the basis of demonstrated ability to design and conduct research. Those students whose programs involve the preparation of a thesis must present a Thesis Proposal Seminar, submit a Thesis and defend it orally. Ph.D. candidates must also take a Candidacy Examination at least one year prior to graduation. All graduate students are expected to participate in the departmental seminar program and demonstrate in undergraduate laboratories. Completion of the program will normally require a minimum of two years for the M.Sc. and three years for the Ph.D. degree.

Research Facilities

A variety of research facilities are available to graduate students. Some of these include herbaria, greenhouses, growthchambers, imaging (TEM, SEM,cryo-electron microscopy, ApoTome 3D fluorescence microscopy) and tissue/cell culturing.

The University Field Station (Delta Marsh) provides year-round research facilities and accommodation for biological research in the 22,000 hectare Delta Marsh on the southern shore of Lake Manitoba. Two laboratories and staff accommodation have recently been added. Field station facilities are also available at Star Lake (Whiteshell), Taiga Biological Station (Wallace Lake), and Churchill Northern Studies Centre.

This information is provided as a supplement to the booklet 'Information for prospective Graduate Students' issued by the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Further information may be obtained from the office of the Department of Botany. Our mailing address is as follows:

Department of Botany
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3T 2N2
Telephone: (204) 474-8132 or 474-9813