Offering Colleges
Tribhuvan University has been running an M.Sc Botany program in its Central Department of Botany and other constituents/affiliated colleges. The university has already produced about 2500 M.Sc. botany graduates.
The two-year M. Sc. program is divided into four semesters, each of six-month duration, with the final examination at the end of each semester. In each semester, the students have to appear in two internal assessments.
The two-year M.Sc. course encompasses both coursework and research. Every student has to write a dissertation in the fourth semester.
Eligibility
The eligibility criterion for admission in M.Sc in Botany is B.Sc. Botany or equivalent degree from recognized universities. Enrollment of the students will be based on the merit list and which is calculated as:
- Marks secured on the entrance examination (80%)
- Aggregate marks in their B.Sc. (20%).
M.Sc Botany Entrance Examination
- The weightage of the entrance examination will be 100 full marks, and the duration will be 2 hours. Questions are asked according to the B.Sc Botany syllabus prescribed by the committee.
- The questions will be Objective or Multiple choice questions (MCQs). Each question will carry 1 (one) weightage.
- 35% marks must be obtained to pass the entrance examination.
You can visit this link to practice Model Questions for M.Sc Botany Entrance Exam
Curricular Structure
M.Sc. Botany encompasses both coursework and research (in the form of a dissertation). The first and second semesters mainly involve coursework (theory), laboratory work (practical), and basic fieldwork.
The third semester consists of a component of research methodology, dissertation proposal writing, and seminar presentation for the preliminary research ( 3 ) preparation in addition to the special coursework (theory, lab, and fieldwork).
The fourth semester is entirely devoted to dissertation work. In the fourth semester, students will have the opportunity to contribute to existing research fields. The complete course accounts for 62 credit hours and 1550 aggregate marks.
Semester I (Credit hrs.17, FM 425; Theory + Practical)
The courses include:
- Diversity and Evolution ofMicrobes and Fungi,
- Non-vascular Plants (Algae and Bryophytes),
- Vascular Plants I (Pteridophytes and Gymnosperms); and
- Vascular Plants II (Angiosperms).
In addition, a Field Work and Seminar course is offered to each student to learn specimen collection, preservation, and curation techniques.
Semester II (Credit hrs 19, FM 475: Theory + Practical)
The courses include:
- Ecology,
- Cytology and Genetics,
- Plant Physiology,
- Plant Systematics, and
A course on Field Work where the students learn about techniques of ecological sampling, vegetation and floristic study and giving seminar presentation.
Semester III (Credit hrs 18, FM 450: Theory + Practical)
Three categories of courses are offered in this semester: compulsory, special and applied.
The compulsory course include
- Research Methodology and Biological Data Analysis (theory and lab work), and
- Dissertation Proposal and Seminar; both are mandatory for each student.
There are four special papers each including two courses. Students have the choice of selecting any one of the special paper out of four:
- Ecology (functional plant ecology, and landscape and global change ecology);
- Plant Systematics (applied systematics, and biodiversity and biogeography);
- Plant Biotechnology and genetic engineering (plant biotechnology, genetic engineering); and
- Applied Mycology and Plant Pathology (applied mycology and advanced plant pathology).
The applied paper includes four courses of which student will have a choice of selecting any one out of four:
- Natural Resources Management,
- Plant Conservation Biology,
- Molecular Biology in Plant Science, and
- Food Security and Food Safety.
Semester IV (Credit hrs 8, FM 200: Theory + Practical)
The courses include case study/seminar and dissertation work