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Community Food Systems

  • Home
  • Undergraduate Catalog
  • Colleges and Schools
  • Agricultural and Life Sciences, College of 
  • Plant Science
  • Community Food Systems

Plant scientists sustain and improve our current and future world as they work with foods, fibers, fuel, flowers, pharmaceuticals, urban forests, soil health, plant pests, and our natural environs. Plant Science students study biology, plant morphology and physiology, chemistry, entomology, physics, soil and water sciences, plant identification, plant pathology, plant propagation, and environmental horticulture.

Undergraduate Catalog
  • Community Food Systems
  • General Plant Science
  • Greenhouse and Landscape Industries
  • Native Plant Conservation
  • Plant Breeding and Genetics
  • Plant Health and Protection
  • Soil Management and Plant Productivity
  • Sustainable Crop Production
  • Turfgrass Science

About this Program

  • College: Agricultural and Life Sciences
  • Degrees: Bachelor of Arts | Bachelor of Science
  • Specializations: Community Food Systems | General Plant Science | Greenhouse and Landscape Industries | Native Plant Conservation | Plant Breeding and Genetics | Plant Health and Protection | Soil Management and Plant Productivity | Sustainable Crop Production | Turfgrass Science
  • Credits for Degree: 120
  • More Info

To graduate with this major, students must complete all university, college, and major requirements.

Related Programs 

  • Combination Degrees
  • Environmental Horticulture Management Certificate
  • Environmental Horticulture Minor
  • Golf and Sports Turf Management Minor
  • Overview
  • Critical Tracking
  • Model Semester Plan
  • Academic Learning Compact

The plant science degree offers diverse specializations that provide a wide range of professional opportunities. The specializations provide students with an interdisciplinary perspective of these areas and pursue coursework that tracks them into a variety of job opportunities.

The University of Florida offers some of the specializations in this major to transfer students who have the appropriate credentials through the statewide programs at the Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center in Ft. Lauderdale, the Mid-Florida Research and Education Center in Apopka, or the West Florida Research and Education Center in Milton.

Course Requirements

Bachelor of Science

Designed for students with different professional objectives. All students, regardless of degree or specialization, are required to take an introductory plant science course, an introductory statistics course, an economics course, a technical writing course, a speech course, a soil science course, a plant physiology course, a plant pathology course, a professional development course, and a capstone experience course. All students must also complete an internship related to their area of interest.

Bachelor of Arts

Designed for students who want to learn about contemporary food systems from an interdisciplinary perspective. All students are required to take an introductory plant science course, a capstone experience course, and must complete an internship related to their area of interest.

Each specialization has a specific set of required core courses and a number of upper-division electives to choose from that represent important interdisciplinary topic areas. Core courses provide students with the knowledge and fundamental concepts essential to the specialization. Upper-division electives are designed to build knowledge, competency and skills applicable to professional development.

Students should meet with an advisor as early as possible in their academic careers to choose their specialization and to plan their course of study.

Bachelor of Arts | Community Food Systems

This specialization is for students who want to learn about contemporary food systems from an interdisciplinary perspective. Students will learn about different food production systems and their ecological and environmental impacts and services, including consideration of political, economic, ethical, social and cultural aspects of food systems. Graduates could work in community or government food-based programs, urban agriculture and the food industry.

Critical Tracking records each student’s progress in courses that are required for progress toward each major. Please note the critical-tracking requirements below on a per-semester basis.

Equivalent critical-tracking courses as determined by the State of Florida Common Course Prerequisites may be used for transfer students.

Semester 1

  • Complete 2 of 5 critical-tracking courses, excluding labs: AEB 2014 or ECO 2013 or ECO 2023; BOT 2010C or BSC 2010/BSC 2010L; BOT 2011C or BSC 2011/BSC 2011L; CHM 1030; MAC 1147
  • 2.0 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
  • 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 2

  • Complete 1 additional critical-tracking course, excluding labs
  • 2.0 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
  • 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 3

  • Complete 2 additional critical-tracking courses, excluding labs
  • 2.0 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
  • 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 4

  • Complete all critical-tracking courses, excluding labs
  • 2.0 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
  • 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 5

  • Complete all critical-tracking courses, including labs
  • 2.0 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
  • 2.0 upper division GPA required
  • 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 6

  • Complete SWS 3022 and Business and Organizational elective
  • 2.0 upper division GPA required
  • 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 7

  • Complete URP 4000 and an Approved Elective
  • 2.0 upper division GPA required
  • 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 8

  • Complete PLS 4950 and URP 4273
  • 2.0 upper division GPA required
  • 2.0 UF GPA required

To remain on track, students must complete the appropriate critical-tracking courses, which appear in bold. These courses must be completed by the terms as listed above in the Critical Tracking criteria.

This semester plan represents an example progression through the major. Actual courses and course order may be different depending on the student's academic record and scheduling availability of courses. Prerequisites still apply.

Plan of Study Grid
Semester OneCredits
Select one: 3-4
BOT 2010C
Introductory Botany (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Biological Sciences and Physical Sciences)  
BSC 2010
& 2010L
Integrated Principles of Biology 1
and Integrated Principles of Biology Laboratory 1 (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Biological Sciences and Physical Sciences)
 
MAC 1147 Precalculus Algebra and Trigonometry (Critical Tracking; State Core Gen Ed Mathematics) 4
State Core Gen Ed Composition; Writing Requirement 3
State Core Gen Ed Biological or Physical Sciences 2
State Core Gen Ed Humanities 3
 Credits15-16
Semester Two
Select one: 4
BOT 2011C
Plant Diversity (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Biological Sciences and Physical Sciences)  
BSC 2011
& 2011L
Integrated Principles of Biology 2
and Integrated Principles of Biology Laboratory 2 (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Biological Sciences and Physical Sciences)
 
STA 2023 Introduction to Statistics 1 (Gen Ed Mathematics) 3
Select one: 3
ESC 1000
Introduction to Earth Science (Gen Ed Physical Sciences)  
GEO 2200
Physical Geography (Gen Ed Physical Sciences)  
PHY 2004
Applied Physics 1 (Gen Ed Physical Sciences)  
PHY 2020
Introduction to Principles of Physics (Gen Ed Physical Sciences)  
SWS 2007
The World of Water (Gen Ed Physical Sciences)  
Quest 1 (Gen Ed Humanities) 3
State Core Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences 3
 Credits16
Semester Three
Select one: 3-4
AEB 2014
Economic Issues, Food and You (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences)  
ECO 2013
Principles of Macroeconomics (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences)  
ECO 2023
Principles of Microeconomics (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences)  
AEC 3033C Research and Business Writing in Agricultural and Life Sciences (Writing Requirement) 3
CHM 1030 Basic Chemistry Concepts and Applications 1 (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Physical Sciences) 3
HUN 2201 Fundamentals of Human Nutrition 3
Select one: 3
Gen Ed Humanities
 
Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences
 
 Credits15-16
Semester Four
AEC 3030C
or SPC 2608
Effective Oral Communication
or Introduction to Public Speaking
3
CHM 1031 Basic Chemistry Concepts and Applications 2 (Gen Ed Biological and Physical Sciences) 3
Select one (Gen Ed Physical Sciences): 3
ESC 1000
Introduction to Earth Science  
GEO 2200
Physical Geography  
PHY 2004
Applied Physics 1  
PHY 2020
Introduction to Principles of Physics  
SWS 2007
The World of Water  
Gen Ed Composition; Writing Requirement 3
Elective 2
 Credits14
Semester Five
FYC 3001 Principles of Family, Youth and Community Sciences 3
PLS 3004C Principles of Plant Science 3
Cultural and social issues elective 3
Ecology and the environment elective 3
Ethics elective 3
 Credits15
Semester Six
SWS 3022 Introduction to Soils in the Environment (Critical Tracking) 3
Business and organizational management elective (Critical Tracking) 3
Ecology and the environment elective 3
Economic issues elective 3
Production issues elective 3
 Credits15
Summer After Semester Six
PLS 4941 Practical Work Experience 3
 Credits3
Semester Seven
URP 4000 Preview of Urban and Regional Planning (Critical Tracking) 3
Approved elective (Critical Tracking) 3
Business and organizational management elective 3
Cultural and social issues elective 3
Economic issues elective 3
 Credits15
Semester Eight
PLS 4950 Plant Science Capstone (Critical Tracking) 3
URP 4273 Survey of Planning Information Systems (Critical Tracking) 3
Approved elective 3
Production issues elective 3
 Credits12
 Total Credits120

Approved Electives | Minimum 39 Credits

Choose courses from each focus area; minimum credits for each area listed below. Students must consult with their advisor for assistance in selecting the designated listed electives in order to take applicable and appropriate courses for the students’ job and career aspirations. Consult an advisor for other options, which may include study abroad courses.

Ethics | Minimum 3 Credits

Course List
Code Title Credits
AEB 4126Agricultural and Natural Resource Ethics3
REL 3171Ethics in America3

Ecology and the Environment | Minimum 6 Credits

Course List
Code Title Credits
AGG 3501Environment, Food and Society3
AGR 4212Alternative Cropping Systems3
ALS 3133Agricultural and Environmental Quality3
AOM 2520Global Sustainable Energy: Past, Present and Future3
GEO 3372Conservation of Resources3
IPM 3022Fundamentals of Pest Management3

Cultural and Social Issues | Minimum 6 Credits

Course List
Code Title Credits
EES 4103Applied Ecology (Food and Culture)2
FYC 3401Introduction to Social and Economic Perspectives on the Community3
FYC 4126Urban and Rural America in Transition3
GEA 1000Geography for a Changing World3
GEO 2410Social Geography3
GEO 2420Introduction to Human Geography3
SYD 4020Population3
URP 3001Cities of the World3

Production Issues | Minimum 6 Credits

Course List
Code Title Credits
AGR 4214CApplied Field Crop Production3
AGR 4932Agronomy Topics (Tropical Cropping Systems)3
GEO 3315Geography of Crop Plants3
HOS 3281COrganic and Sustainable Crop Production3
PLS 2003CPlants That Feed the World3
VEC 2100World Herbs and Vegetables3

Economic Issues | Minimum 6 Credits

Course List
Code Title Credits
AEB 3450Introduction to Natural Resource and Environmental Economics3
AEB 3671Comparative World Agriculture3
AEB 4123Agricultural and Natural Resource Law3
AEB 4283International Development Policy3
GEO 2500Global and Regional Economies3
GEO 3502Economic Geography3

Business and Organizational Management | Minimum 6 Credits

Course List
Code Title Credits
AEC 3413Working with People: Interpersonal Leadership Skills3
AEC 3414Leadership Development3
FYC 4408Organizational Leadership for Nonprofits3
FYC 4409Working with Nonprofit Organizations in Community Settings3
FYC 4410Fund Raising for Community Nonprofit Organizations3
FYC 4426Risk Management in Nonprofit Organizations3
PUR 3000Principles of Public Relations3

The plant science major, offered jointly by the departments of Agronomy and Plant Pathology, enables students to apply principles associated with production and improvement of agronomic crops. Students will acquire knowledge about the scientific fundamentals of plant growth of field and forage crops. They will acquire knowledge about fungi, bacteria and viruses, as well as environmental factors that cause plant disease. This program prepares students to work in the lab and field settings and to develop applied skills for research and extension.

Before Graduating Students Must

  • Complete a research paper and an oral presentation with satisfactory faculty evaluation.
  • Achieve minimum grades of C in AEC 3030C and AEC 3033C. These courses are graded using rubrics developed by a faculty team.
  • Complete requirements for the baccalaureate degree, as determined by faculty.

Students in the Major Will Learn to

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

Content

  1. Describe plant growth and development in terms of plant morphology and physiology and evaluate the abiotic and biotic factors that impact plant growth and management.
  2. Recommend practices that growers and managers can implement to address the abiotic and biotic components of their cropping system.

Critical Thinking

  1. Analyze and apply science-based data to solve problems in plant production, distribution and/or utilization.
  2. Design and evaluate a project that addresses a problem or challenge related to their area of interest.

Communication

  1. Create, interpret and analyze written text and multimedia presentations.
  2. Communicate effectively through oral and multimedia presentations.

Curriculum Map

I = Introduced; R = Reinforced; A = Assessed

Academic Learning Compact 6
Courses SLO 1 SLO 2 SLO 3 SLO 4 SLO 5 SLO 6
AEC 3030C I, R, A
AEC 3033C I, R, A
PLS 3004C I I I I
PLS 4932 A A A A A A
PLS 4941 R R R R R R

Assessment Types

  • Standardized post-test
  • Capstone and individual projects
  • Final grades
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