Our graduate education opportunities in soil science will prepare students for careers with public and private organizations in soil and environmental sciences. Our students find employment opportunities with consulting firms, government organizations or academia.
To ensure that all are well founded in the discipline, students are expected to acquire competence through coursework in the following sub-disciplines (four for master’s and all five for Ph.D. programs): soil physics, soil chemistry, soil microbiology, soil genesis and classification, and soil fertility.
Master of Soil Science (MR)
The Master of Soil Science (MR) degree is a non-thesis, course-based professional degree. It is available as an online degree program and can also be completed as an on-campus degree. Students will be assigned a soil science faculty advisor who will assist them in successfully navigating the program. Students will complete a project as part of their program.
- Minimum of 30 semester credit hours
- Completion of the following Soil Science core requirements (17-18 credits)
| Course No. |
Title |
Credits |
| All students are required to take at least four of the following five courses for a total of 13 to 14 credits. |
| SSC 511 |
Soil Physics |
4 |
| SSC 521 |
Soil Chemistry |
3 |
| SSC 532 |
Soil Microbiology |
4 |
| SSC 541 |
Soil Fertility |
3 |
| SSC 551 |
Soil Morphology, Genesis, and Classification |
3 |
| All students are required to take the following courses for a total of at least 4 credits. |
| SSC 601 |
Soil Science Seminar |
1 |
| SSC 675 |
Project in Soil Science |
3 |
| Total Required Core Course Credits |
17-18 |
- Completion of at least 21 credit hours of letter-graded courses
- No more than two 400-level courses outside of SSC may be used
- Completion of an approved Project in Soil Science (SSC 675)
- A field experience course may be required depending on the student’s background
- Students must complete all requirements within six calendar years
Master of Science in Soil Science (MS)
The Master of Science in Soil Science is a research degree that requires the successful completion of a research problem and the submittal of a written thesis that documents the research. Students work directly with a faculty member on a research project that is part of their program.
- Minimum of 30 semester credit hours
- Completion of the following Soil Science core requirements (17-18 credits)
| Course No. |
Title |
Credits |
| All students are required to take at least four of the following five courses for a total of 13 to 14 credits. |
| SSC 511 |
Soil Physics |
4 |
| SSC 521 |
Soil Chemistry |
3 |
| SSC 532 |
Soil Microbiology |
4 |
| SSC 541 |
Soil Fertility |
3 |
| SSC 551 |
Soil Morphology, Genesis, and Classification |
3 |
| All students are required to take at least one credit of SSC 601. |
| SSC 601 |
Soil Science Seminar |
1 |
| Total Required Core Course Credits |
14-15 |
- Completion of at least 18 credit hours of letter-graded courses at the 500 or 700 level
- No more than six credit hours of 400-level courses outside of SSC may be used
- Successful completion of a research project with an approved MS thesis
- A non-credit exit seminar
- Teaching the equivalent of two sections of SSC 201 Soil Science Laboratory
Doctor of Philosophy in Soil Science (PhD)
The PhD degree symbolizes the ability of the student to undertake original research with minimal supervision and demonstrates the student’s ability to write a dissertation reporting the results of this research. Eventual publication in a scholarly, refereed journal is expected of research from the dissertation.
- Minimum of 72 semester credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree
- Up to 18 graduate credit hours from another university may be accepted.
- Completion of the following Soil Science core requirements (17-18 credits)
| Course No. |
Title |
Credits |
| All PhD students are required to take or have graduate credit for the following five courses for a total of 17 credits. |
| SSC 511 |
Soil Physics |
4 |
| SSC 521 |
Soil Chemistry |
3 |
| SSC 532 |
Soil Microbiology |
4 |
| SSC 541 |
Soil Fertility |
3 |
| SSC 551 |
Soil Morphology, Genesis, and Classification |
3 |
| All students are required to take at least one credit of SSC 601. |
| SSC 801 |
Soil Science Seminar |
1 |
| Total Required Core Course Credits |
18 |
- Completion of preliminary written and oral examinations
- Successful completion of an original research program resulting in an approved PhD dissertation
- Success completion of the final oral examination
- Completion of a non-credit exit seminar
- A non-credit exit seminar
- Teaching the equivalent of two sections of SSC 201 Soil Science Laboratory
