Although the woods behind a house can be a scary place for a child to wander off, Vaidik Patel instead saw it as an avenue of joy. He witnessed plants emerge, insects creep, and birds chirp after harsh storms at a young age. His observations only heightened his curiosity for the environment, and as he grew older, his search for answers surrounding the science of nature grew too.
It was during his summer trip to his parents’ village in India that his passion for nature fully bloomed, cementing his decision to study the field at university. “I visited many agricultural factories and farms,” he says. “This was my first experience of agriculture at a mass scale and opened my eyes to plant science as a profession. I came back from the trip with a renewed vision of my future at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. No longer did I just look at plants as an interest, but a possible profession.”
The Department of Plant Biology is where his journey towards a fulfilling career will take form. The department offers bachelor’s degrees covering topics such as different aspects of plant biological processes, plant breeding and physiology, agricultural and horticultural production, ethnobotany and plant natural products, to name a few. The programme is divided into three major options you can choose to specialise in: Plant Agriculture and Horticulture, General Research, and Natural Products.
Although these three options focus on different foundations of life sciences, one thing is for certain – experiences are a big part of each. In fact, Experiential Learning is a three-credit requirement that you must complete in order to graduate. You’ll take part in out-of-classroom or extra-curricular activities like working in industry, laboratory, or field research in an area relevant to your discipline of study.
Experiential Learning is a three-credit requirement and a key focus of the Plant Science programme. Source: Rutgers University
“I took over a project that started in the spring to design, plant, and maintain an edible garden outside of Harvest café, an on-campus dining establishment,” student Marian Hollenbeck says.
“I work closely with officials at Rutgers Gardens and with the chefs of the restaurant to construct this forgeable space in a way that will benefit Harvest, as well as students, the land, and the campus, in my own small way. Additionally, inside the restaurant, I manage a hydroponic growing system, which is a modern, soil-less agriculture method that allows me to grow fresh herbs for the restaurant all year round.”
Hollenbeck’s hands-on experience proved useful. She developed her knowledge of plant propagation, garden care, identification, disease mitigation, as well as areas related to plant science, such as food service, communication, education, and professional experiences – all within the span of one project.
Other classes like Introduction to Horticulture, Nursery Crop Production, Weed Science, Plant Breeding, and Plant Propagation let you experiment and engage with the real world further. These classes primarily take place at the Floriculture Teaching Greenhouse, a 15,000 square feet conservatory of protected tropical and sub-tropical environments under glass, which also hosts an outdoor garden for students to work in. This greenhouse comprises two parts: one reserved for production and experiments, and another containing a massive collection of exotic horticultural species from around the world.
There are other associated research institutes, centres, and programmes that you can work at too. Take the Rutgers Clifford E. and Melda C. Snyder Research and Extension farm, for example. Here, you can conduct research applicable to the production of disease resistant hazelnut trees and fruits including apples, peaches, strawberries, and grapes as well as herbs such as basil.
If you want to take your practical skills to the next level, consider an internship. It’s one of the best ways to apply all that you have learned in class to a professional setting – just like student Carson Beck did. “Currently, I just started an internship working for a major flavour and fragrance company where I am focused on sustainable procurement practices for plant products,” he says. “When I started out in Plant Science, I was not even aware of the flavour and fragrance industry and how integral Plant Science is to it. Now, I’m so excited to put my knowledge into practice in this incredibly interesting and important field.”

Experiential Learning classes will primarily take place at the Floriculture Teaching Greenhouse. Source: Rutgers University
Beck scored this internship at Berjé Inc, an independent manufacturer and supplier of flavour and fragrance ingredients, with help from the university’s Career Development Resources. These provide the tools needed to bring your dream job in Plant Biology closer to reality. Handshake, Big Interview, Student Alumni Career Connect, Traitify, and GoinGlobal are just some of the resources available here to forward your career aspirations.
It helps that Rutgers University is located in New Jersey, known as the hub for biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, flavours, fragrance, and personal care industries. Its geographical location spanning urban, suburban, and rural areas is another advantage for Plant Science students.
“We also have a climate that spans very hot to cold to rainy to dry with four distinct seasons and soils that range from very sandy to rocky to deep and fertile, and landscapes that span the coastal plain in the southeast, the unique Pine Barrens ecosystem in the south-central part of the state to the hills and mountains in the northwest,” says Associate Professor Thomas Molnar, a faculty member of the department. “All these variables in a concentrated area make for a powerful backdrop to study many different sides of plant biology.”
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