Crop and Weed Science
Major Requirements
Major: Crop & Weed Sciences
Degree Type: B.S.
Minimum Degree Credits to Graduate: 120
University Degree Requirements
- Satisfactory completion of all requirements of the curriculum in which one is enrolled.
- Earn a minimum total of 120 credits in approved coursework. Some academic programs exceed this minimum.
- Satisfactory completion of the general education requirements as specified by the university.
- A minimum institutional GPA of 2.00 based on work taken at NDSU.
- At least 30 credits must be NDSU resident credits. Resident credits include credits registered and paid for at NDSU.
- At least 36 credits presented for graduation must be in courses numbered 300 or higher.
- Students presenting transfer credit must meet the NDSU residence credits and the minimum upper level credit. Of the 30 credits earned in residence, a minimum of 15 semester credits must be in courses numbered 300 or above, and 15 semester credits must be in the student’s curricula for their declared major.
For complete information, please refer to the Degree and Graduation Requirements section of this Bulletin.
University General Education Requirements
| 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.
- †
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 major requirements to determine if specific courses can also satisfy these general education categories.
- A list of university approved general education courses and administrative policies are available here.
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses for Crop & Weed Sciences | ||
| PLSC 189 | Skills for Academic Success | 1 |
| BIOL 150 & 150L | General Biology I and General Biology I Laboratory | 4 |
| BIOL 151 & 151L | General Biology II and General Biology II Laboratory | 4 |
| 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 |
| ECON 201 | Principles of Microeconomics (May satisfy general education category B and G) | 3 |
| ENT 350 | General Entomology | 3 |
| PLSC 110 | World Food Crops (May satisfy general education category S) | 3 |
| PLSC 215 | Weed Identification | 1 |
| PLSC 225 | Principles of Crop Production | 3 |
| PLSC 312 | Expanding the Boundaries of Learning with Service | 1 |
| PLSC 315 & 315L | Genetics and Genetics Laboratory (May satisfy general education category S) | 4 |
| PLSC 320 | Principles of Forage Production | 3 |
| PLSC 323 | Principles of Weed Science | 3 |
| PLSC 444 | Applied Plant Breeding and Research Methods | 3 |
| PLSC 455 | Cropping Systems:An Integrated Approach | 3 |
| PLSC 491 | Seminar | 1 |
| PPTH 324 | Introductory Plant Pathology | 3 |
| SOIL 210 | Introduction to Soil Science | 3 |
| STAT 330 | Introductory Statistics (May satisfy general education category R) | 3 |
| Options: Select one of four options listed below. | 19-30 | |
| The standard option for this major is Agronomy. Students who wish to declare a specific option must officially declare that option with the Office of Registration and Records. | ||
| Total Credits | 76 | |
- 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.
Agronomy Option - 19-20 Credits
For students interested in production agriculture; this option provides the most flexibility in course selection.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MICR 202 & 202L | Introductory Microbiology and Introductory Microbiology Lab | 3 |
| PLSC 380 | Principles of Plant Physiology | 3 |
| CHEM 240 | Survey of Organic Chemistry | 3-4 |
| or BIOC 260 | Elements of Biochemistry | |
| or BIOL 461 | Plant Ecology | |
| MATH 103 | College Algebra (or higher) | 3 |
| PLSC 300-400 | (no more than 2 credits of co-op) | 4 |
| SOIL 322 | Soil Fertility and Fertilizers | 3 |
| Total Credits | 19-20 | |
Biotechnology Option - 19-21 Credits
For students who wish to work in the biotechnology industry or pursue graduate study in crop biotechnology.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOC 460 | Foundations of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I | 3 |
| PLSC 380 | Principles of Plant Physiology | 3 |
| MATH 105 | Trigonometry | 3-4 |
| or MATH 146 | Applied Calculus I | |
| MICR 350 & 350L | General Microbiology and General Microbiology Lab | 5 |
| PLSC 453 | Advanced Weed Science | 2-3 |
| or PLSC 431 | Intermediate Genetics | |
| PLSC 484 | Plant Tissue Culture and Biotechnology | 3 |
| Total Credits | 19-21 | |
Science Option - 30 Credits
For students interested in advanced study and want more foundation studies.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MICR 202 & 202L | Introductory Microbiology and Introductory Microbiology Lab | 3 |
| PLSC 380 | Principles of Plant Physiology | 3 |
| CHEM 341 & 341L | Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry I Laboratory | 4 |
| MATH 146 | Applied Calculus I | 4 |
| PLSC 300-400 | (No more than 2 credits of co-op may be used) | 4 |
| Science and Math Electives | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Weed Science Option - 27-28 Credits
For students interested in crop consulting, weed science, and plant protection areas.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MICR 202 & 202L | Introductory Microbiology and Introductory Microbiology Lab | 3 |
| PLSC 380 | Principles of Plant Physiology | 3 |
| CHEM 240 | Survey of Organic Chemistry | 3-4 |
| or BIOC 260 | Elements of Biochemistry | |
| MATH 103 | College Algebra (or higher level) | 3 |
| PLSC 433 | Weed Biology and Ecology | 2 |
| PLSC 453 | Advanced Weed Science | 2 |
| ENT 431 | Principles of Insect Pest Management | 3 |
| PPTH 454 | Diseases Of Field and Forage Crops | 3 |
| SOIL 322 | Soil Fertility and Fertilizers | 3 |
| Total Credits | 25-26 | |
Degree Requirements and Notes
- The program of study allows no more than 6 credits of cooperative education (co-op) to be counted toward degree requirements.
Minor Requirements
Minor: Crop & Weed Science
Minimum Required Credits: 18
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required | ||
| PLSC 110 | World Food Crops | 3 |
| PLSC 225 | Principles of Crop Production | 3 |
| Elective Courses: Select two of the following: | 6-7 | |
| Genetics and Genetics Laboratory (both must be taken to count as one selection) | ||
| Principles of Forage Production | ||
| Principles of Weed Science | ||
| Elective Courses: | 5-6 | |
| Other courses approved by the department: | ||
| Weed Identification | ||
| Introduction to Soil Science | ||
| General Entomology | ||
| Introductory Plant Pathology | ||
PLSC 300-400 | Level Course | |
| Total Credits | 18-19 | |
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.