The overall program is divided into two categories: Supporting Science courses (15 credits) and Soil Science courses (15 credits). For courses to qualify as a supporting science course, they must be from the biological, physical, or earth sciences. Those who have earned or are earning a science degree are likely to have already fulfilled the supporting sciences requirement. For a course to qualify as a soil science course, the course must apply principles and concepts of soil science to solve problems within an agricultural, environmental, and/or ecological framework.
Soil Science Certificate Requirements
Supporting Biological, Physical, or Earth Sciences (15 credits)
Preapproved list from the following designators: ABE, AGRON, A ECL, BIOL, CHEM, CE, CRP, ENSCI, ENT, FOR, GEOL, HORT, LA, MTEOR, MICRO, NREM, PHYS. Courses accepted for this requirement are wide-ranging, but there may be new courses or courses taken at other institutions that fulfill the intent of this requirement. A current list of courses known to fit is provided here. If you think another course could work in this category, please contact a Soil Science Certificate adviser).
Soil Science (15 credits)
Complete at least one course from each of the categories below to reach the total credits needed. Nine of those credits need to be at the 3000-level or above.
Foundation:
| Agron 1820 (Introduction to Soil Science) | 3 cr. |
Soil Physical Properties or Soil Water Relationships:
| Agron 2820 (Soil Conservation and Land Use) | 3 cr. | ||
| Agron 3600 (Environmental Soil Science) | 3 cr. | ||
| Agron 4050/5050 (Soil-Plant-Animal-Atmosphere Physics) | 3 cr. | ||
| Agron 4770/5770 (Soil Physics) | 3 cr. | ||
| Agron 5540 (Advanced Soil Management) | 3 cr. | ||
| ABE 4310/5310 (Design and Evaluation of Soil and Water Conservation Systems) | 3 cr. | ||
| TSM 3240 (Soil and Water Conservation Management) | 3 cr. |
Soil Chemistry:
| Agron 2590 (Organic Compounds in Plants and Soils) | 3 cr. |
| Agron 4590/5590 (Environmental Soil and Water Chemistry) | 4 cr. |
Soil Biology:
| Agron 3540 (Soils and Plant Growth) | 3 cr. | |
| Agron 3540L (Soils and Plant Growth Lab) | 1 cr. | |
| Agron 4850/5850 (Soil and Environmental Microbiology) | 3 cr. | |
| NREM 3010 (Natural Resource Ecology and Soils) | 4 cr. |
Soil Morphology and Geography:
| Agron 2500 (Environmental Geography) | 3 cr. |
| Agron 3700 (Field Experience in Soil Description and Interpretation) | 1 cr. |
| Agron 4630/5630 (Soil Formation and Landscape Relationships) | 3 cr. |
| Agron 4820 (Soil of the Tropics) | 3 cr. |