Course details

Summary

The Master of Science (MSc) is a two-year degree which encompasses both coursework and research. The first year involves mainly coursework and preliminary research preparation. Students will have the opportunity to contribute to existing fields of research, or to begin to develop new areas.

Students who have a Bachelor's degree will complete the MSc by papers and thesis (at least two years of full-time study). Students who have an Honours degree or postgraduate diploma can complete the degree by thesis only (minimum of one year of study).

Botany covers all aspects of the life of plants. It therefore includes their structure and development, physiology and biochemistry, health and disease, relationships with other organisms and the environment (ecology), as well as the traditional aspects of plant identification and classification.

The main emphasis at Otago is on the general biology, ecology and physiology of higher plants and marine algae, although other groups (conifers, ferns, mosses and fungi) are also included in the papers offered.

Papers and Thesis

BTNY 495 Master's Thesis Preparation

Four of:

BTNY 461 Plant Physiology and Biotechnology

BTNY 465 Plant and Environment

BTNY 467 New Zealand Plant Ecology and Evolution

BTNY 470 Special Topics

Note: With the approval of the Head of Department, another 400-level paper may be substituted for one of BTNY 461-470.

Thesis: BTNY 5

Note: The papers are normally taken before undertaking the thesis.

Entry criteria

Admission to the programme shall be subject to the approval of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Sciences).

Every applicant must either: be a graduate with an average grade of at least B for the appropriate 300-level papers, or have alternative qualifications or experience acceptable to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Sciences).

An applicant seeking admission to the thesis-only option of the programme on the basis of the degree of Bachelor of Science with Honours or the Postgraduate Diploma in Science or equivalent must have achieved a grade of at least B+ for the research report, thesis preparation, or dissertation requirement of the qualification concerned.

English Language Requirements

IELTS - Score of 6.5 in the academic module (with no individual band below 6.0); Internet-based TOEFL Score of 95 with a minimum writing score of 22.; Paper-based TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of 587 (TWE 4.5); Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) – Overall score of 176 (with no individual band below 169); Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) – Overall score of 176 (with no individual band below 169); APIEL Advanced Placement International English Language Examination - Grade 4 or higher; Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic - Overall score of 64 with no communicative skills score below 57; University of Otago Foundation Studies Ltd: Completion of 'English for Postgraduate Academic Purposes' with a grade of C or higher.