Plants and society



Overview

Plants are all around us, yet we are mostly blind to their important roles on earth. Ecosystems, viewed as a society, include diverse, interconnected life forms. This course will help understand the challenges of the stationary life of plants, as well as their interactions with organisms, including other plants, animals, and microbes. Rules and choices made by plants to communicate with organisms, to thrive, and to defend themselves will be covered, in order to understand what it takes to live in a society. We will also explore how plants care for us through providing food and medicine, and understand how humans have influenced plants.

This course will be of interest to those who have a curiosity about plant life and their purpose on earth.

Programme details

Course starts: 26 May 2026

Week 1: Challenges of being a plant

Week 2: Plants and animals in the ecosystem

Week 3: Plants and microbes society

Week 4: Plants for nutrition and medicine

Week 5: Human-plant interactions

Certification

Digital badge

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be issued with an official digital badge from the Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford. After the course, you will receive an email with a link and instructions on how to download your digital badge. You will be able to add your badge to your email signature and share it on social media if you choose to do so. In order to be issued with your badge, you will need to have attended at least 80% of the course.

Fees

Description Costs
Course fee £180.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutor

Dr Radhika Desikan

Dr Desikan is a plant scientist who has taught plant science for several years and researched and published on the behaviour of plants facing various abiotic and biotic stresses.

Course aims

The aim of this course is to understand how plants form part of a complex ecosystem, and their involvement in our lives. 

The course will enable students to:

  1. Grasp the importance of plants and how their active lifestyle positions them in the ecosystem
  2. Learn the different interactions between plants and other organisms
  3. Identify that plants and humans need each other

Teaching methods

The course will consist of lectures supplemented with discussions, quizzes, and videos. The environment will be informal and interactive, allowing students to engage and ask questions.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students should:

  1. Gain knowledge on how plants fit in an ecosystem and how humans and plants impact each other
  2. Reflect on the different roles that plants have to play in society
  3. Understand how scientific advances help humanity

Assessment methods

This course is non-accredited, so there are no assessments.

Application

Please use the 'Book now' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an Enrolment form for short courses | Oxford University Department for Continuing Education

Level and demands

The Department's Weekly Classes are taught at first year undergraduate level.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support