Plant and Environmental Soil Science - BS, Soil and Water Emphasis
Curriculum in Plant and Environmental Soil Science is administered by the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences. Students following this curriculum develop and utilize basic scientific knowledge to understand the most fundamental resources—plants, soils, and water—and the interaction of these resources in different environmental settings. The required courses provide an essential foundation in several disciplines, while the elective courses can be selected to meet the interests, needs and objectives of individual students.
Based on professional goals and objectives, students majoring in Plant and Environmental Soil Science will select an emphasis in crops or soil and water. In the soil and water emphasis, students will study the nature, properties, management, conservation, and use of soils and water. The graduate in Plant and Environmental Soil and Science with a soil and water emphasis may choose a career in: soil and water resource management such as soil surveying, land appraisal, land use planning, conservation and pollution abatement, or watershed management, or in environmental areas such as pollution control and environmental protection as affected by plant-soil-water interactions.
Flexible curricula are provided so that each student, in consultation with their academic advisor, can design a degree program that best serves the student’s career objectives.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Semester Credit Hours | |
| SCSC 205 | Problem Solving in Plant and Soil Systems | 3 |
| American history 1 | 3 | |
| Communication 1 | 3 | |
| Government/Political science 1 | 3 | |
| Mathematics 2 | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| AGEC 105 | Introduction to Agricultural Economics | 3 |
| COMM 203 | Public Speaking | 3 |
| American history 1 | 3 | |
| Government/Political science 1 | 3 | |
| Mathematics 2 | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| CHEM 119 | Fundamentals of Chemistry I | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| General Entomology | ||
| Principles of Integrated Pest Management | ||
| Plant Pathology | ||
| Weed Management and Ecology | ||
| Language, philosophy and culture 1 | 3 | |
| Directed elective 3 | 3 | |
| General elective | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| CHEM 222 | Elements of Organic and Biological Chemistry | 3 |
| HORT 201 | Horticultural Science and Practices | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Botany | ||
| Introductory Biology I | ||
| Fundamentals of Chemistry II | ||
| Principles of Geology and Principles of Geology Laboratory | ||
| College Physics | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| General Entomology | ||
| Principles of Integrated Pest Management | ||
| Plant Pathology | ||
| Weed Management and Ecology | ||
| Creative arts 1 | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| SCSC 301 | Soil Science | 4 |
| SCSC 307 | Crop Biology and Physiology | 4 |
| Select one of the following: 4 | 3 | |
| Vegetation Sampling Methods and Designs in Ecosystems | ||
| Elementary Statistical Inference | ||
| Statistical Methods | ||
| General elective | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| RENR 205 or SCSC 444 | Fundamentals of Ecology or Forage Ecology and Management | 3 |
| SCSC 309 | Water in Soils and Plants | 4 |
| SCSC 310 | Soil Morphology and Interpretations | 2 |
| Directed elective 3 | 3 | |
| General elective | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| SCSC 405 | Soil and Water Microbiology | 3 |
| SCSC 406 | Soil and Water Microbiology Laboratory | 1 |
| SCSC 422 | Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrient Management | 3 |
| SCSC 432 | Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrient Management Laboratory | 1 |
| Select one of the following: 5 | 3 | |
| Brazilian Agriculture and Food Production Systems | ||
| International Agricultural Research Centers - Mexico | ||
| Internship | ||
| Research | ||
| General elective | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| GEOG 390 | Principles of Geographic Information Systems or Geographic Information Systems for Resource Management | 4 |
| SCSC 455 | Environmental Soil and Water Science | 3 |
| SCSC 458 | Watershed, Water and Soil Quality Management | 3 |
| SCSC 481 | Senior Seminar | 2 |
| General elective | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 120 | |
| 1 | Graduation requirements include a requirement for 3 hours of International and Cultural Diversity courses and 3 hours of Cultural Discourse courses. A course satisfying a Core category, a college/department requirement, or a free elective can be used to satisfy this requirement. Select in consultation with an academic advisor. |
| 2 | Choose from core curriculum courses with a MATH prefix. |
| 3 | To be selected from SCSC 201 and SCSC 300-499 courses not already required on the degree plan and selected in consultation with an academic advisor. |
| 4 | Statistics course to be selected in consultation with academic advisor. |
| 5 | Students will complete an internship, study abroad or independent research experience. |