Program Overview

Crop and Soil Sciences Major

The Crop and Soil Sciences Major is a Bachelor of Science in Plant Science degree program that focuses on the principles of crop and soil science, as well as the application of these principles in agricultural and environmental contexts.

Program Curriculum

The program curriculum includes a combination of core requirements, major requirements, professional development requirements, restricted electives, free electives, and pathways to general education.

• Degree Core Requirements:
  • ALS 1234: CALS First Year Seminar (1 credit)
  • or SPES 1004: First Year Seminar (1 credit)
  • ALCE 3634: Communicating Ag and Life Sciences in Speaking (3 credits)
  • or ALCE 3624: Communicating Ag and Life Sciences in Writing (3 credits)
  • BIOL 1105: Principles of Biology (3 credits)
  • BIOL 1106: Principles of Biology (3 credits)
  • ENSC 1015: Foundations of Environmental Science (3 credits)
  • or ENSC 1016: Foundations of Environmental Science (3 credits)
  • HORT/BIOL 2304: Plant Biology (3 credits)
  • PPWS 2104: Plants, Genes, and People (3 credits)
  • PPWS 4104: Plant Pathology (4 credits)
• Crop and Soil Sciences Major Requirements:
  • AAEC 2434: Foundations of Agribusiness (3 credits)
  • CHEM 1045: General Chemistry Laboratory (1 credit)
  • CHEM 1046: General Chemistry Laboratory (1 credit)
  • CSES 2444: Agronomic Crops (3 credits)
  • CSES 3114/GEOS 3614: Soils (3 credits)
  • CSES 3124/GEOS 3624: Soils Laboratory (1 credit)
  • CSES 4144: Plant Breeding and Genetics (3 credits)
  • CSES 4214: Soil Fertility and Management (3 credits)
  • ENT 4254: Insect Pest Management (3 credits)
• Professional Development Requirements:
  • SPES 2014: Professional Development Skills (1 credit)
  • SPES 3900: Bridge Experience (0 credits)
  • SPES 4014: Career Development and Planning (1 credit)
• Restricted Electives:
  • Select an approved minor or a minimum of 18 credits from the following courses:
    • AAEC 2104: Personal Financial Planning
    • AAEC 3004: Agricultural Production and Consumption Economics
    • AAEC 3314: Environmental Law
    • AAEC 3504: Marketing Agricultural Products
    • AAEC 3604: Agricultural Law
    • ALS 3404: Ecological Agriculture: Theory and Practice
    • BIOL 2804: Ecology
    • CHEM 2535: Organic Chemistry
    • CHEM 2536: Organic Chemistry
    • CHEM 2545: Organic Chemistry Laboratory
    • CHEM 2546: Organic Chemistry Laboratory
    • CSES 2224: Foundations of Precision Agriculture
    • CSES 2244: Agriculture, Global Food Security and Health
    • CSES 2434: Crop Evaluation
    • CSES 2564: Turfgrass Management
    • CSES 3144: Soil Description and Interpretation
    • CSES 3614: Soil Physical and Hydrological Properties
    • CSES 4064: Soil Microbiology
    • CSES 4134: Soil Genesis and Classification
    • CSES 4224: Applied Concepts in Precision Agriculture
    • CSES/FREC 4334: Principles and Practice of Agroforestry
    • CSES 4344: Crop Physiology and Ecology
    • CSES 4544: Forage Crop Ecology
    • CSES 4854: Wetland Soils and Mitigation
    • ENSC 3644: Plant Materials for Environmental Restoration
    • ENSC 4244: Ecological Restoration
    • ENSC/CHEM 4734: Environmental Soil Chemistry
    • ENSC 4774: Reclamation of Drastically Disturbed Lands
    • ENT 2004: Insects and Human Society
    • ENT/PPWS 4264: Pesticide Usage
    • HORT 2184: Plants, Places, and Cultures in a Global Context
    • HORT 2234: Environmental Factors in Horticulture
    • HORT 4334: Greenhouse and Controlled Environment Agriculture Management
    • HORT 4344: Production of Food Crops in Controlled Environment Agriculture
    • PPWS 2754: Weeds That Shape Our World
    • PPWS 4114: Microbial Forensics and Biosecurity
    • PPWS 4154: Plant Problem Diagnosis
    • PPWS 4604: Biological Invasions
    • SPES 2004: Cannabis - Science, Industry, and Culture
    • SPES 2244: World Crops: Food and Culture
    • SPES 4114: Topics: StudyAway: Production, Culture and Social Aspects US Agriculture
• Free Electives:
  • Select 11 credit hours of free electives or number to reach 120 credit hours
• Pathways to General Education:
  • Pathways Concept 1 - Discourse: ENGL 1105: First-Year Writing (3 credits)
  • Pathways Concept 2 - Critical Thinking in the Humanities: Select six credits
  • Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences: AAEC 1005: Economics of the Food and Fiber System (3 credits)
  • Pathways Concept 4 - Reasoning in the Natural Sciences: CHEM 1035: General Chemistry (3 credits)
  • Pathways Concept 5 - Quantitative and Computational Thinking: MATH 1014: Precalculus with Transcendental Functions (3 credits)
  • Pathways Concept 6 - Critique and Practice in Design and the Arts: Select three credits
  • Pathways Concept 7 - Critical Analysis of Identity and Equity in the United States: Select three credits

Satisfactory Progress

Upon having attempted 60 credits, "satisfactory progress" toward a BS PLSC degree will include passing the following:

• At least 24 credits that apply to the Pathways to General Education
• CHEM 1035 General Chemistry and CHEM 1036 General Chemistry
• ALS 1234 CALS First Year Seminar or SPES 1004 First Year Seminar, CSES 3114 Soils and CSES 3124 Soils Laboratory
• 6 credits of Math

Graduation Requirements

• Total Hours Required: Minimum of 120
• GPA Requirements:
  • Overall GPA: 2.0
  • In-major GPA: 2.0
    • Includes classes in: CSES, HORT, and PPWS
• Prerequisites: Some courses listed may have pre/co-requisites; please consult the University Catalog or check with your advisor.

Acceptable Substitutions

1. SPES 1004 First Year Seminar: Any University approved First Year Experience (FYE) Course

Foreign Language Requirement

A sequence of two foreign language courses (Classical or ASL) is required unless two years of the same high school foreign language or 6 transfer credits of the same foreign language are completed. These credits do not count toward graduation requirements.

Plan of Study Grid

The plan of study grid outlines the recommended course sequence for each semester.

First Year

• Fall Semester:
  • BIOL 1105: Principles of Biology (3 credits)
  • CHEM 1035: General Chemistry (3 credits)
  • CHEM 1045: General Chemistry Laboratory (1 credit)
  • ENGL 1105: First-Year Writing (3 credits)
  • MATH 1014: Precalculus with Transcendental Functions (3 credits)
  • or MATH 1025: Elementary Calculus (3 credits)
  • SPES 1004: First Year Seminar (1 credit)
  • or ALS 1234: CALS First Year Seminar (1 credit)
• Spring Semester:
  • BIOL 1106: Principles of Biology (3 credits)
  • CHEM 1036: General Chemistry (3 credits)
  • CHEM 1046: General Chemistry Laboratory (1 credit)
  • ENGL 1106: First-Year Writing (3 credits)
  • Pathways Concept 5 - Quantitative and Computational Thinking (3 credits)
  • SPES 2014: Professional Development Skills (1 credit)

Second Year

• Fall Semester:
  • AAEC 1005: Economics of the Food and Fiber System (3 credits)
  • or ECON 2005: Principles of Economics (3 credits)
  • ENSC 1015: Foundations of Environmental Science (3 credits)
  • or ENSC 1016: Foundations of Environmental Science (3 credits)
  • CSES 2444: Agronomic Crops (3 credits)
  • CSES 3114: Soils (3 credits)
  • CSES 3124: Soils Laboratory (1 credit)
  • Pathways Concept 5 - Quantitative and Computational Thinking (3 credits)
• Spring Semester:
  • AAEC 2434: Foundations of Agribusiness (3 credits)
  • BIOL 2304: Plant Biology (3 credits)
  • PPWS 2104: Plants, Genes, and People (3 credits)
  • Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences (3 credits)
  • Restricted Elective or Approved Minor Course (3 credits)

Third Year

• Fall Semester:
  • ALCE 3624: Communicating Ag and Life Sciences in Writing (3 credits)
  • or ALCE 3634: Communicating Ag and Life Sciences in Speaking (3 credits)
  • CSES 4214: Soil Fertility and Management (3 credits)
  • Restricted Elective or Approved Minor Course (3 credits)
  • Restricted Elective or Approved Minor Course (3 credits)
  • Pathways Concept 2 - Critical Thinking in the Humanities (3 credits)
• Spring Semester:
  • CSES 4144: Plant Breeding and Genetics (3 credits)
  • ENT 4254: Insect Pest Management (3 credits)
  • Restricted Elective or Approved Minor Course (3 credits)
  • Pathways Concept 1 - Discourse (3 credits)
  • Pathways Concept 2 - Critical Thinking in the Humanities (3 credits)
  • SPES 3900: Bridge Experience (0 credits)

Fourth Year

• Fall Semester:
  • Restricted Elective or Approved Minor (3 credits)
  • Restricted Elective or Approved Minor (3 credits)
  • Free Electives (3 credits)
  • Pathways Concept 6 - Critique and Practice in Design and the Arts (3 credits)
  • Pathways Concept 7 - Critical Analysis of Identity and Equity in the United States (3 credits)
• Spring Semester:
  • PPWS 4104: Plant Pathology (4 credits)
  • Free Electives (3 credits)
  • Free Electives (3 credits)
  • Free Electives (2 credits)
  • Pathways Concept 6 - Critique and Practice in Design and the Arts (3 credits)
  • SPES 4014: Career Development and Planning (1 credit)

Approved Minors

The following minors are approved for the Crop and Soil Sciences Major:

• Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship
• Agricultural and Applied Economics
• Animal and Poultry Sciences
• Civic Agriculture and Food Systems
• Dairy Science
• Development and International Trade
• Entomology
• Environmental Economics
• Environmental Science
• Food Science & Technology
• Global Food Security and Health
• Horticulture
• Leadership & Social Change
• Plant Health Sciences
• Teaching and Learning in Agriculture
• Turfgrass Management
• Wetland Science

Total Credits: 120