Major in Soil and Crop Sciences

Want to develop the science, practices, and technology of feeding the world while minimizing the environmental impact of agriculture?

The Major in Soil and Crop Sciences provides hands-on training and expert instruction that will equip students to solve current global challenges in soil, plant, and environmental sciences.

The demand for students with a fundamental understanding of soil and crop sciences combined with technical and data skills has never been greater. Our graduates go on to exciting careers in industry, government, entrepreneurship, and academia, with 84% employed within 6 months of graduation.

We offer six concentrations that enable each student to align their coursework with their specific interests.

Concentrations

• Agronomic Production Management Concentration
• Applied Information Technology Concentration
• International Soil and Crop Sciences Concentration
• Plant Biotechnology, Genetics, and Breeding Concentration
• Soil Ecology Concentration
• Soil Restoration and Conservation Concentration

Students do not have to choose a concentration, but are given the flexibility to tailor the curriculum to their individual interests. 

Minors

• Minor in Soil Resources and Conservation
• Minor in Soil Science
• Organic Agriculture Interdisciplinary Minor

Learning Outcomes

Successful students will achieve:

• Technical competencies, including knowledge and understanding of soil and crop science principles, the ability to apply these principles to specific issues, and the ability to synthesize information (both technical and non-technical) to meet identified needs.
• Problem solving skills, such as identifying a problem, collecting data, summarizing information, and drawing conclusions.
• Professional interpersonal and communication skills, such as presenting a topic with logical development, technical understanding, mechanical and technique correctness, and accurate documentation of sources.

Potential Occupations

The demand for students with training in soil and crop sciences has never been greater. The agricultural sector is undergoing rapid change as we enter the era of big data and embrace new technologies. 

Effective Fall 2020

1	Select a course in AUCC Category 3C with the AREC or ECON subject code.
2	Select a course in AUCC Category 3A with the BZ subject code (or LIFE 102) after consultation with advisor. BZ 110, BZ 120, or LIFE 102 are strongly recommended to fulfill Biology Elective requirements.
3	Select from the Colleges of Agricultural Sciences, Business, Engineering, Natural Resources, Natural Sciences, and/or Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in consultation with advisor.
4	Select course(s) with the SOCR subject code.
5	Select a course with the STAT subject code.
6	Select enough elective credits to bring the program total to a minimum of 120 credits, of which at least 42 must be upper-division (300- to 400-level).