Syllabi: Undergraduate Courses (Major)

Frostburg State University

Web Link: Economic Botany (Biol 328)

Study of plants and the link between plant structure and human’s use of plants. Students will gain an understanding of the form and function of the plant body; plant nomenclature; history of plant use; origins of economically important plants; use of flowers and fruits for food and other purposes; use of roots, stems and leaves for food and other purposes.

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University of South Carolina

Web Link: Ethnobotany: Plants and Peoples (Anth 213)

The course goals are to learn about the myriad relationships between plants and peoples; share the excitement and fun of studying ethnobotanical subjects; advance ethnographic skills in gathering and analyzing data; advance inquiry-type skills in formulating, researching, writing, speaking, and presentation skills.

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Web Link: Ethnoecology (Anth525)

Ethnoecology is the way in which people understand and participate in human-plant-animal-natural interactions. People acquire Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and, in successful systems, pass on knowledge and cultural means of coping with ecological concerns. In this course we examine ethnoecological issues and case studies under five broad frameworks: native viewpoints, ecoliteracy, folk taxonomy, cultural and biological diversity, and ecosystem management.

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University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Web Link: Medical Botany (Biol 4399)

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University of Hawai`i at Manoa

Web Link: Advanced Ethnobotany (Botany 440)

Advanced studies of plant uses in cultural contexts focusing upon impacts of plant-culture interactions in development of cultures, cultivars, medicinals, ethnoecologies, ethics, and intellectual property.

The purpose of this course is to provide you with advanced training in the range of topics explored by ethnobotanists. You will learn basic tools for gathering data and are expected to document and learn about ethnobotanical knowledge in a variety of ways that follow the ethical guidelines of the major Ethnobotany scientific organizations.

You will not become a functional ethnobotanist by taking this course, but you will become aware of the range of research that ethnobotanists do and the kinds of skills that ethnobotanists need to bring to bear to address a range of modern scientific hypotheses about human interactions with plants.
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Web Link: Medical Ethnobotany (Botany 442)
Medical Ethnobotany is a subject of study that rests at the intersection of several different social, biological and physical science disciplines. As such there are many different ways to consider it. In this course we will attempt to develop holistic perspectives of human interactions with environments that are focused on health care through three major paradigms/views: 1) Molecular view (how does a molecule see things?), 2) Botanical view (how do plants see things?), and 3) Cultural view (how do people see things?). Each of these is multifaceted.
This course employs a "problem-based learning" strategy for developing skills, learning new materials and concepts, and discussing the discipline of medical ethnobotany. For students who are accustomed to memorizing their way to examinations this may be an unexpected and difficult change of pace. However, for students planning to attend medical school or to work within a research environment, this is an opportunity to practice the skills that will be needed in the future.

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Web Link: Introductory Ethnobotany (Botany 105)