Soil Science
Soil Science is a field-oriented discipline that defines, investigates, and utilizes one of the most important of our natural resources. All terrestrial life depends upon the soil for food and clean water. Knowledge of soil science is critical to address environmental problems, such as wetland protection, habitat restoration, and waste disposal, and it is vital to ensure sustainability of agricultural and forest products. Soil expertise is also essential in the emerging fields of urban and sustainable agriculture. Soils are complex and constantly evolving natural systems, hence the curriculum accentuates physical, biological, and earth sciences. A soil science degree prepares a student with the training to enter careers in both traditional agriculture and the environmental sectors, including: environmental consulting, soil conservation and resource management, production agriculture, and state and federal research and regulatory agencies.
Major Requirements
Major: Soil Science
Degree Type: B.S.
Required Degree Credits to Graduate: 128
General Education Requirements for Baccalaureate Degree
- A list of approved general education courses is available here .
- General education courses may be used to satisfy requirements for both general education and the major, minor, and program emphases, where applicable. Students should carefully review the major, minor, and program emphases requirements for minimum grade restrictions, should they apply.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Communication (C) | 12 | |
| College Composition I | ||
| College Composition II | ||
| Fundamentals of Public Speaking | ||
Upper Division Writing † | ||
| Quantitative Reasoning (R) † | 3 | |
| Science and Technology (S) † | 10 | |
| Humanities and Fine Arts (A) † | 6 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (B) † | 6 | |
| Wellness (W) † | 2 | |
| Cultural Diversity (D) *† | ||
| Global Perspectives (G) *† | ||
| Total Credits | 39 | |
| * | May be satisfied by completing courses in another General Education category. |
| † | May be satisfied with courses required in the major. Review major requirements to determine if a specific upper division writing course is required. |
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses for Soil Science | ||
| AGRI 150 | Agriculture Orientation (Students transferring in 24 or more credits do not need to take AGRI 150.) | 1 |
| AGRI 189 | Skills for Academic Success 1 | 1 |
| GEOG 455 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | 4 |
| or RNG 452 | Geographic Information Systems in Range Survey | |
| PLSC 110 | World Food Crops (May satisfy general education category S and G) | 3 |
| PLSC 225 | Principles of Crop Production | 3 |
| or RNG 136 | Introduction to Range Management | |
| SOIL 210 | Introduction to Soil Science | 3 |
| SOIL 217 | Introduction to Meteorology & Climatology | 3 |
| SOIL 264 | Natural Resource Management Systems | 3 |
| SOIL 322 | Soil Fertility and Fertilizers | 3 |
| SOIL 351 | Soil Ecology | 3 |
| SOIL 410 | Soils and Land Use | 3 |
| SOIL 433 | Soil Physics | 3 |
| SOIL 444 | Soil Genesis and Survey | 3 |
| SOIL 462 | Natural Resource and Rangeland Planning | 3 |
| Supporting Courses | ||
| BIOL 150 & 150L | General Biology I and General Biology I Laboratory | 4 |
| BIOL 151 & 151L | General Biology II and General Biology II Laboratory | 4 |
| or PHYS 212 & 212L | College Physics II and College Physics II Laboratory | |
| BOT 380 | Plant Physiology | 3 |
| CHEM 121 & 121L | General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory (May satisfy general education category S) | 4 |
| CHEM 122 & 122L | General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Laboratory (May satisfy general education category S) | 4 |
| Select one from the following: (May satisfy general education category C) | ||
| Writing in the Technical Professions | ||
| Writing in the Sciences | ||
| Researching and Writing Grants and Proposal | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-5 | |
| Elements of Biochemistry | ||
| Survey of Organic Chemistry | ||
| Organic Chemistry I | ||
| Analytical Chemistry I and Analytical Chemistry I Laboratory | ||
| Introductory Microbiology and Introductory Microbiology Lab | ||
| General Microbiology and General Microbiology Lab | ||
| GEOL 105 & 105L | Physical Geology and Physical Geology Lab (May satisfy general education category S) | 4 |
| MATH 103 | College Algebra | 3 |
| MATH 105 | Trigonometry | 3 |
| MATH 146 | Applied Calculus I (May satisfy general education category R) | 4 |
| or MATH 165 | Calculus I | |
| PHYS 211 & 211L | College Physics I and College Physics I Laboratory (May satisfy general education category S) | 4 |
| STAT 330 | Introductory Statistics (May satisfy general education category R) | 3 |
| Agriculture Electives: Select 9 credits of agriculture electives | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 92 | |
| 1 | AGRI189 is only required for first-time, first-year students--A first-time, first-year student is defined as a student who has not yet completed a college course as a college student. Students that are not first-time, first-year students that either transfer into the university or change their major are not required to take AGRI 189. |
Minor Requirements
Soil Science Minor
Minor Requirements
Required Credits: 18
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| SOIL 210 | Introduction to Soil Science | 3 |
| SOIL 322 | Soil Fertility and Fertilizers | 3 |
| SOIL 444 | Soil Genesis and Survey | 3 |
| Elective Courses | ||
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
| Natural Resource Management Systems | ||
| Soil Ecology | ||
| Soils and Land Use | ||
| Soil Physics | ||
| Microclimatology | ||
| Wetland Resources Management | ||
| Soil And Plant Analysis | ||
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Minor Requirements and Notes:
- A minimum of 8 credits must be taken at NDSU.
- Students must earn a minimum 2.00 GPA for the minor requirements.
