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Courses
Courses
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University Life
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About University of Galway
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Community Engagement
Community Engagement
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Undergraduate Courses
Undergraduate BSc Degree in Botany and Plant Science
Entry to undergraduate courses in Botany and Plant Science by Irish students is through the CAO route into general Science. Students who wish to pursue Botany and Plant Science to General or Honours BSc degree level should select the BSc science degree course (to include First Year Biology) and choose the required number of Botany and Plant Science modules (from second year onwards).
Botany and Plant Science offers dedicated modules within the School of Natural Science and the College of Science. This includes provision of lecture modules and practicals in the following:
1st Year
BPS delivers the Botany and Plant Science component of 1st year Biology
- BO101: First year Biology
2nd Year
Core modules:
Students can progress to 3rd year BPS if they take these 4 modules.
- BO201: Molecular and Cell Biology (5 ECTS)
- BO202: Evolution and the Tree of Life (5 ECTS)
- BPS202: Fundamentals in Aquatic Plant Science (5 ECTS)
- BPS203: Plant Diversity, Physiology and Adaptation (5 ECTS)
All modules are also available as electives, i.e. are open to students pursuing other pathways. Note that many of the 3rd and 4th year modules offered by Botany and Plant Science have prerequisites, typically involving a requirement to have taken a specific BPS module in the preceding year.
IMPORTANT NOTE: all 2nd year students are required to choose modules that add up to 60 ECTS per academic year. Remember that the ‘cross-cutting modules’ may also be part of other pathways: obviously modules are not counted twice and you may need to choose additional modules to make up a total of 60 ECTS for the year.
For more details please contact the BPS office or refer to the 2nd year Advisory Sheet.
3rd Year
Core modules
- BPS3102: Plant Resources and Ecosystems (formerly Plant Ecology and Marine Ecology) (S1) (5 ECTS)
- BPS3103: Plant Function (S2) (5 ECTS)
- BPS3104: Plant Interactions (with fungi, microbes, animals) (S1+2) (5 ECTS)
- BPS3107: Plants, Atmosphere and Environment throughout Earth History (S2) (5 ECTS)
Elective module
- BPS3101: Techniques in Field Ecology and Conservation (5 ECTS)
For more details please contact the BPS office or refer to the 3rd year Advisory Sheet.
4th Year
Core modules
- BPS402: Current Topics in Algal Research (S1) (5 ECTS)
- BPS405: Ecology and Conservation Issues (S2) (5 ECTS)
- BPS4101: Research Project in Botany and Plant Science (S1+2) (20 ECTS)
- BPS4104: Primary Productivity and Global Change (5 ECTS)
- BPS4106: Botany and Plant Science Review & Presentation (S1) (5 ECTS)
- BPS4107: Plant Cell Biology and Biochemistry (S1) (5 ECTS)
Plus elective modules/disciplines to a total of 60 ECTS, e.g. AR347 Palaeoecology - reconstructing past environments
For more details please contact the BPS office or refer to the 4th year Advisory Sheet.
The modules provided by NUI Galway Botany and Plant Science (BPS) form key components of the BSc general science degree. BPS modules are also key features of a number of denominated degree programmes.
Botany and Plant Science academic staff supervise 4th year Hons. research projects within the BSc non-denominated degree and offer final year research projects for students taking denominated degrees such as Marine Science, Biotechnology, and Environmental Science.
There are denominated degree programmes with core Botany and Plant Science components.
Information for Academic Year 2021/22
Botany and Plant Science Information – Academic Year 2021-2022
General information
Botany and Plant Science (BPS) are planning the delivery of lectures and practicals based on current
advice from the Department of Further and Higher Education, Innovation and Science with the
principle of on on-campus teaching by default but with reduced room capacity for large venues.
Students will be allocated to specific groups for lectures and practicals by module coordinators
depending numbers and updated health advice. All allocations will be announced through
Blackboard. Please check the overview by year group for more detail about your course outlined
below.
Semester Dates
The academic year runs from September to May. Full-time students are expected to attend all
lectures, practical labs and other teaching activities during this time. Calendars for all years are
available from the official NUI Galway Academic Dates page.
Blackboard Learning Platform
The activities of all BPS modules are managed via the NUI Galway Blackboard learning management
web server. This is the official source of details about your module requirements, timetables and
arrangements as well as lecture notes and other useful information. Blackboard access to modules is
automatically enabled when you complete registration. Please see the ISS Blackboard page for
support.
Academic Standards
Students are expected to maintain the high standards of NUI Galway, including abiding by the
official Code of Conduct and Plagarism guidelines.
Experiencing difficulties and LENS reports
Students who are facing personal or academic issues are encouraged to speak to a member of
academic staff. Supports are available to assist with academic difficulties and staff can assist students
to access the support services at NUI Galway. Students who have missed course material through
medical or personal reasons are requested to submit Absence forms (available on Blackboard) to the
BPS Administrator.
Students with LENS reports should submit these to the BPS administrator at the beginning of the
year to ensure that the supports are put in place to assist them. Please contact the Disability office if
you need to apply for a LENS assessment.
Timetables of specific modules are available below. Please note that allocations to specific groups
will be made available to students via Blackboard.
Semester 1: Timetable 2021-22
BPS202 Fundamentals in Aquatic Plant Science
Lectures (Wk. 1-6)
Monday 10.00-11.00
Tuesday 10.00-11.00
Thursday 09.00-10.00
Practicals on Mondays 2-4 or 4-6 pm
BPS3101 Techniques in Field Ecology and Conservation
Lectures
Week 5 – Monday 10.00 – 11:00
Other tutorials may be scheduled and students will be informed in advance via
Blackboard.
Field sessions will run during both semester 1 and semester 2.
Field session 1: 3 – 6.30 pm on Thursday 16th September on campus;
Field session 2: an online session released in October (exact date TBA)
Field session 3: will run on a Saturday in November or December (exact date TBA).
Two field sessions will run in semester 2 with dates TBA.
BPS3102 Plant Resources and Ecosystems
Lectures (Wk. 1-6)
Monday 10.00-11.00
Tuesday 11.00-12.00
Wednesday 09.00-10.00
Friday 12.00-13.00
Practicals on Thursdays 2-6 pm
BPS3103 Plant Function
Lectures (Wk. 7-12)
Monday 10.00-11.00
Tuesday 11.00-12.00
Wednesday 09.00-10.00
Friday 12.00-13.00
Practicals on Thursdays 2-6 pm
BPS3106 Project Design and Management in Botany & Plant Science
Lecture Week 2 Monday 14.00-15.00
Tutorials will be scheduled by your tutor and made available via Blackboard when
term starts.
Tutorials may be run online via MS Teams.
Semester 2 timetable will be released via Blackboard later in the year.
BPS4103 Plant Cell
Lectures (Wk. 1-6)
Monday 12.00-13.00
Monday 16.00-17.00
Tuesday 12.00-13.00
Tuesday 15.00-16.00
BPS4105 Research Skills for Natural Sciences
Sem 1 (Wk. 1-12)*
Tuesdays 13.00-14.00
BPS402 Current Topics in Algal Research
Lectures (Wk 7-12)
Monday 12.00-13.00
Tuesday 15.00-16.00
Wednesday 09.00-10.00
Wednesday 11.00-12.00
* not all slots will be used and all classes will be announced specifically
Semester 2: Timetable 2021-22
BPS203 Plant Diversity, Physiology and Adaptation
Lectures (Wk. 7-12)
Monday 10.00-11.00
Tuesday 10.00-11.00
Thursday 09.00-10.00
Practicals on Mondays 2-4 and 4-6 pm
BPS3104 Plant Interactions
Lectures (Wk. 1-12)
Thursday 11.00-13.00
No Practicals but there are lab assignments.
BPS3105 Plant Natural Products
Lectures (Wk. 1-6)
Monday 10.00-11.00
Tuesday 11.00-12.00
Wednesday 09.00-10.00
Friday 12.00-13.00
Practicals on Thursdays 2-6 pm
BPS4105 Research Skills for Natural Sciences
Sem 2 (Wk. 1-12)
Wednesday 13.00-14.00
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
BPS4104 Primary Productivity and Global Change
Lectures (Wk 1-6)
Tuesday 09.00-10.00
Wednesday 12.00-13.00
Wednesday 16.00-17.00
Friday 13.00-14.00
________________________________________________________________________________________________
BPS405 Ecology and Conservation
Lectures (Wk. 7-12)
Monday 12.00-13.00
Tuesday 09.00-10.00
Wednesday 10.00-11.00
Wednesday 12.00-13.00
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
* not all slots will be used and all classes will be announced specifically
