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SOIL SCIENCE SPECIALIZATION

B.S. IN SOIL AND WATER SCIENCES

The Soil Science Specialization within the Soil and Water 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.

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  • Career Opportunities

    A degree in Soil and Water Sciences opens career opportunities in many environmental fields, such as:

    • Soil Scientist
    • Soil Conservationist
    • Policy Analyst
    • Resource Conservationist
  • Undergraduate Catalog

    Soil and Water Sciences Major - Soil Science Specialization

  • 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 TitleCredits
    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 TitleCredits
    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