Botanist Training

Undergraduate

At the very least, a botanist should hold a bachelor's degree in botany or a similar degree field, such as zoology or ecology. Other degree fields that offer proper education for a botanist include life science majors such as agriculture, horticulture, agronomy, crop science and plant sciences. Many botany degree programs start with a solid foundation in biology, before moving onto specific botany courses. Along with earning a degree, botany students should also gain practical experience through research projects, internships and extracurricular activities related to botany.

Graduate

Most employers require a botanist to have an advanced postgraduate degree, especially for research and teaching positions. While not all advanced programs require the student to have an undergraduate degree in botany, they do require a solid scientific foundation in related courses. Some master's and Ph.D. degree programs in botany allow the student to pursue one or more specializations, such as plant biology, applied plant sciences and organismal specialties like bryology and lichenology. Most botany graduate degree programs provide the student with classroom and hands-on experience and offer state-of-the-art laboratories, greenhouses, plant growth chambers and other equipment. As with other advanced degree programs, advanced botany degrees require the student to submit thesis and dissertation projects.

Certification

Along with formal training and education, some botanists opt for certification to give themselves additional legitimacy in the field. Not typically required for a career in botany, certification does provide the botanist with a professional designation proving she has completed additional training. Certification comes from professional associations such as the California Native Plant Society and can include several levels, from associate botanist to senior botanist. Earning certification requires the botanist to possess a botany-related degree along with a minimum number of years of professional experience.

Amateur and Hobbyist

For the botanist pursuing the study of plants as an amateur or hobbyist, several organizations offer workshops, seminars and training classes. The Institute of Botanical Training offers three- and four-day workshops in which both professional and amateur botanists can learn botany concepts such as advanced field botany, Midwestern flora, tree identification and wetland flora. These training classes typically consist of both classroom and hands-on training, and many include membership in the organization offering the courses.