Courses
Once admitted to the program, students will select an advisor from the full-time faculty who will help plan their program. Our Soil Science faculty understands that field skills are indispensable for a complete education in the soil science field. We have designed our program to require two hours of credit in intensive field skills training. To satisfy this need, we are offering classes in soil geomorphology and hydric soils which concentrate this training into four or five day-long classes.
36 credit hours are required, including:
- 12 credit hours of soil science classes (excluding seminar)
- 1 credit hour of soil science seminar
- 6 credit hours of a masters project
- 2 credit hours of field classes to obtain practical skills (these are 4 to 5 days long)
- 3 credit hours of a statistics class (recommended)
- 12 credit hours of elective
Courses for the Master of Soil Science
SSC 511 - Soil Physics
Units: 4
Soil physical properties and theory of selected instrumentation to measure them. Topics including soil solids, soil water, air and heat. Emphasis on transport processes and the energy concept of soil and water.
Offered in Fall Only
SSC 532 - Soil Microbiology
Units: 3
Soil as a medium for microbial growth, the relation of microbes to important mineral transformations in soil, the importance of biological equilibrium and significance of soil microbes to environmental quality.
Offered in Spring Only
SSC 521 - Soil Chemistry
Units: 3
A consideration of the chemical and colloidal properties of clay and soil systems, including ion exchange and retention, soil solution reactions, solvation of clays and electrokinetic properties of clay-water systems.
Offered in Spring Only
SSC 541 - Soil Fertility
Units: 3
Soil conditions affecting plant growth and the chemistry of soil and fertilizer interrelationships. Factors affecting the availability of nutrients. Methods of measuring nutrient availability.
SSC 551 - Soil Morphology, Genesis and Classification
Units: 3
Morphology: Chemical, physical and mineralogical parameters useful in characterizing soil. Genesis: soil-forming factors and processes. Classification: historical development and present concepts of soil taxonomy with particular reference to worldwide distribution of great soil groups as well as discussions of logical bases of soil classification.
SSC 675 - Project in Soil Science
Units: 1 - 6
Credit for required, independent project in soil science for the Master of Soil Science degree program. Project topic and learning contract will be developed with, and approved by, the student's faculty advisor and the Director of Graduate Programs. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours towards the Master of Soil Science degree. May not be taken by Master of Science or PhD students.
Offered in Fall Spring Summer
SSC 601 - Seminar
Units: 1
A maximum of two semester hours allowed toward the master's degree, but any number toward the doctorate. Scientific articles, progress reports in research and special problems of interest to soil scientists reviewed and discussed.
Offered in Fall and Spring