Plant diversity and evolution - a global perspective
The course provides advanced knowledge of the diversity of terrestrial plants, their structure and evolution from a comparative phylogenetic perspective. You will face extant land plant diversity by hands-on studies of living material. You will become an expert in describing plants as well as identifying their proper position in the land plant phylogeny.
Information for admitted students Spring 2021
Congratulations! You have been admitted at Stockholm University and we hope that you will enjoy your studies with us.
In order to ensure that your studies begin as smoothly as possible we have compiled a short checklist for the beginning of the semester.
Follow the instructions on wether you have to reply to your offer or not.
universityadmissions.se
Checklist for admitted students
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Activate your university account
The first step in being able to register and gain access to all the university's IT services.
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Register at your department
Registration can be done in different ways. Read the instructions from your department below.
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Read all the information on this page
Here you will find what you need to know before your course or programme starts.
IMPORTANT
Your seat may be withdrawn if you do not register according to the instructions provided by your department.
Information from the department - courses
Welcome to the Department of Biological Education! We are happy to be part of your student experience and contribute to your future success.
In order to get you off to a good start, we have gathered the important things you need to know here. Read through carefully and if you have any questions, please contact us.
It is your responsibility to ensure that you are registered on the correct course. If you do not register then your place can go to a reserve. In good time before registration, you must check if you are qualified with conditions. If you have conditions you cannot register. If you do not want the place, however, it is important that you submit a rebate as soon as possible, so that someone else can get the chance to go the course.
Updated general information about teaching with regards to the pandemic will be published latest 15 December, at the link below. Course specific information can be found in the schedule published on this page latest one month before the course starts.
Read more about the teaching at BIG in regards to the pandemic
Eligible with conditions
If you did not meet all the eligibility requirements for the course when you applied then you are eligible with conditions. It is stated in your acceptance letter from Universityadmissions.se if you are eligible with conditions. In that case, you cannot register as the department must first assess your eligibility.
Check the requirements under "Eligibility" here on the course page. To qualify, all requirements must be met before the course starts.
As soon as you meet the requirements, send a message to our student office with the following information:
- Subject line: Terms
- Your name
- Which course(s) you are admitted to
If you have questions about your condition, you can contact our student office.
Registration
Our courses generally apply online registration (for internships and research internships, see below). To be able to register online, your student account must be activated and any conditions assessed. In order to maintain your place on the course, you must register within the registration period.
Registration periods in spring 2021:
- Registration for all courses opens 28 December and closes one week before the course starts.
- Degree projects at the advanced level are open for registration throughout the semester.
If you have trouble registering, please contact our student office before the last registration day. Otherwise you will loose your place on the course.
Traineeship and research traineeship
If you have been accepted or placed as a reserve in one of our traineeship or research traineeship courses, you should contact the examiner for the course (see "Course structure" on this page), and you will then receive a template for writing a work plan. Once you have written the work plan and had it approved by the examiner, we will register you on the course (no online registration). Do not forget to check that you meet any conditions (see "Eligible with conditions" above).
Studying with a disability
If you need special pedagogical support, you can apply for support measurs. You should apply as soon as possible after you have been admitted to take advantage of the best possible support.
Once you have your Nais certificate, contact the study counsellor for a meeting where we will go through the recommended support measured. After the meeting, you should contact the course coordinators for the courses you will attend and inform them that you have been granted support, so that they can prepare well.
Declining your place
If you no longer want your place, it is important that you decline your place so that another applicant can get the place. Please note that you can only decline your place at Universityadmissions.se before the registration period begins. After the course has opened for registration and three weeks after the course has started, you can decline in Ladok. Declining the place later than three weeks after the start of the course is counted as having dropped the course.
Declining your place at universityadmissions.se
Reserve place
If you have been given a reserve place you may be admitted if someone declines their place. If there is cause for reserve admission then you will receive notice one to two weeks before the course starts. For traineeships or research traineeships see more information above.
More information about your studies with us
On our website you will find more information about your studies with us.
Welcome activities
Stockholm University organises a series of welcome activities that stretch over a few weeks at the beginning of each semester. The programme is voluntary (attendance is optional) and includes Arrival Service at the airport and an Orientation Day, see more details about these events below.
Your department may also organise activities for welcoming international students. More information will be provided by your specific department.
Find your way on campus
Stockholm University's main campus is in the Frescati area, north of the city centre. While most of our departments and offices are located here, there are also campus areas in other parts of the city.
Read more
For new international students
The basis for the practical studies is the large and diverse collections of living material in our green houses, but we also use plants from the nearby Bergius Botanic Garden. This diversity is not only expressed in morphology and phylogenetic position; our plants also represent a vast span of global geographic distributions and climate zones. Even though modern systematics is based on molecular data there are also fossil taxa with important stories to tell, especially in the light of tree thinking. Ongoing systematic research at our department is presented by the researchers themselves, and this is also done by colleagues at the Bergius Botanic Gardens and the Swedish Museum of Natural History. Mediterranean vegetation and flora are studied through a one-week field trip that most often goes to Greece. Your individual project is shaped like a proper research venture, and it will take you into the world of molecules by means of utilising DNA sequences that you have produced yourself from scratch starting with a plant you have collected. The end-product in your project is presented orally but also in the shape of a shortish scientific paper. The course is a perfect step if you want to continue your studies with a degree project, preferably in plant systematics, but it is useful also within other biology disciplines.
Note that in 2021 the field trip abroad is cancelled. Also, the data for the individual projects will be provided this year to minimize the time spent in group activities.
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Course structure
Teaching format
The education comprises lectures most often mirrored by studies of the corresponding plants after lunch (in a laboratory). There are also presentations about ongoing research, a few study visits, a week long excursion, and an individual project (c. 3 weeks). Everything except lectures and the excursion is compulsory.
Learning outcomes
It is expected that the student after taking the course will be able to 1) show overall understanding of plant diversity and distribution, and how these changed in a geological time scale, 2) identify and describe plant morphology and anatomy from an evolutionary and taxonomic perspective, 3) perform botanical field work and data collection, 4) demonstrate basic knowledge of the taxonomy and nomenclature, 5) plan and carry out a small project and present the results in the form of a scientific text and an oral presentation, 6) critically review and discuss scientific texts, and 7) demonstrate an understanding of terrestrial plants' role in the global and local ecosystem.
Assessment
Measurement of knowledge takes place through written examination.
Examiner
Gitte Petersen
E-mail: gitte.petersen@su.se
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Schedule
The schedule will be available no later than one month before the start of the course. We do not recommend print-outs as changes can occur. At the start of the course, your department will advise where you can find your schedule during the course. -
Course literature
Note that the course literature can be changed up to two months before the start of the course.Blamey et al.: Wild flowers of the Mediterranean 2:nd edition. A & C Black Publishers 2004. ISBN: 9780713670158.
Simpson, GM: Plant systematics. 3:rd edition. Elsevier 2019. ISBN: 9780128126288.
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Contact
Student office- Visiting address
E315, Arrheniuslaboratory
Svante Arrhenius väg 20C
- Contact us for help with:
-registration
-exams
-certificates
-much more
- Irregular office hours
Restricted hours due to Corona
Mon-Fri: 10-12 am
Study counsellor (advanced level)- Ann-Christin Lindås
- ann.christin.lindas@su.se
- 08-16 19 98
- Visiting address
E 315c, Arrheniuslaboratoriet
Svante Arrhenius väg 20 C
- Contact me if you want:
-help choosing courses
-to discuss career paths
-have problems with your studies
- Office hours
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