Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences

SOIL SCIENCE SPECIALIZATION

B.S. IN SOIL, WATER,AND ECOSYSTEM SCIENCES

The Soil Science Specialization within the Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences major provides training to undergraduate students interested in managing our land resources in a wide range of ecosystems including agricultural, forested, range, urban, and wetlands. This specialization is designed to give the student a strong background in soil science with a core of courses such as Wetlands, Hydric Soils, Land and Life, Environmental Pedology, Soil and Public Health and Soil, Water, and Land Use as well as the sciences such as Soil and Water Chemistry, Soil Physics, and Soil Microbial Ecology. Each student must be complete a capstone experience to better prepare them for a career in soil science.

Contacts
- James Bonczek, Undergraduate Coordinator for Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences: soils-advising@ifas.ufl.edu
- Michael Sisk, Academic Advisor III – Undergraduate Programs, 352-294-3152, soils-advising@ifas.ufl.edu

Career Opportunities
A degree in Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences opens career opportunities in many environmental fields, such as:
- Soil Scientist
- Soil Conservationist
- Policy Analyst
- Resource Conservationist

Undergraduate Catalog

Course Requirements

Lower Division Requirements:

Biological Sciences: BSC 2010 with BSC 2010L
Communications: AEC 3030C or SPC 2608 & AEC 3033C or ENC 2210
Economics: AEB 2014 or ECO 2013 or ECO 2023
Humanities: HUM 2305
Mathematics: MAC 2311
Physical Sciences: CHM 2045 with CHM 2045L, CHM 2046 with CHM 2046L, & PHY 2004 with PHY 2004L

Core Curriculum Requirements

Course No.	Course Title	Credits
MCB 2000 & MCB 2000L	Microbiology	4
CHM 2200/L OR	Organic Chemistry & Lab OR	4
CHM 3120/L	Introduction to Analytical Chemistry & Lab	4
SWS 3022 & SWS 3022L	Introduction to Soils in the Environment & Lab	4
SWS 4231C	Soil, Water, and Land Use	3
SWS 4244	Wetlands	3
SWS 4303C	Soil Microbial Ecology	3
SWS 4451	Soil & Water Chemistry	3
SWS 4602C	Soil Physics	3
SWS 4715C	Environmental Pedology	4
SWS 4941 OR	Practical Work Experience OR	3
SWS 4905	Individual Work	3

Students can select from a wide range of electives to suit their academic and professional goals. A partial list of officially approved electives is shown below; however, these electives may be customized at the discretion of the student and advisor. Relevant subjects may include, but are not limited to the environmental, biological, hydrologic, physical, and engineering sciences as well as policy, planning, mathematics, statistics, geology, and geography.

Approved Electives

Course No.	Course Title	Credits
ALS 3133	Agriculture and Environmental Quality	3
SWS 2007	SWS 2007 World of Water	3
SWS 2008	SWS 2008 Land and Life	3
SWS 3023L	SWS 3023L Soil Judging	2
SWS 4116	SWS 4116 Environmental Nutrient Management	3
SWS 4223	SWS 4223 Environmental Biogeochemistry	3
SWS 4233	SWS 4233 Soil and Water Conservation	3
SWS 4245	SWS 4245 Water Resource Sustainability	3
SWS 4307	SWS 4307 Ecology of Waterborne Pathogens	3
SWS 4550	SWS 4550 Soils, Water, and Public Health	3
SWS 4720C	SWS 4720C GIS in Soil and Water Science	3
SWS 4932	SWS 4932 Special Topics (Varies)	1-3

Options for Minors
While we offer a minor in Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences, we understand you may want to broaden your academic experience outside of the soil, water, and ecosystem sciences. UF offers many minors, but the following list gives you an idea of what can complement your major in Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences:
- Agricultural Communication
- Agricultural and Natural Resource Ethics and Policy
- Agricultural and Natural Resource Law
- Environmental Science
- Extension Education
- Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
- Forest Resources and Conservation
- Geography
- Environmental Horticulture
- Horticultural Science
- Landscape Architecture
- Military Science and Leadership (ROTC students only)
- Organic and Sustainable Crop Production
- Plant Science
- Sustainability Studies
- Sustainability and the Built Environment
- Urban and Regional Planning
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
These are just some of the many UF minors available. See the full list of undergraduate minors here.