Program Overview

Program Overview

The Integrated Agriculture Technologies Major is a Bachelor of Science in Plant Science program offered by the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences at Virginia Tech. This program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of agricultural technologies and their applications in the field.

Program Curriculum

The program curriculum includes a range of courses that cover the principles of biology, chemistry, and environmental science, as well as specialized courses in agricultural technologies, such as precision agriculture, soil science, and plant pathology.

• Degree Core Requirements:
  • ALS 1234: CALS First Year Seminar
  • or SPES 1004: First Year Seminar
  • ALCE 3634: Communicating Ag and Life Sciences in Speaking
  • or ALCE 3624: Communicating Ag and Life Sciences in Writing
  • BIOL 1105: Principles of Biology
  • BIOL 1106: Principles of Biology
  • ENSC 1015: Foundations of Environmental Science
  • or ENSC 1016: Foundations of Environmental Science
  • HORT/BIOL 2304: Plant Biology
  • PPWS 2104: Plants, Genes, and People
  • PPWS 4104: Plant Pathology
• Major Requirements:
  • CSES 2444: Agronomic Crops
  • or HORT 2234: Environmental Factors in Horticulture
  • or CSES 2564: Turfgrass Management
  • CSES 3114: Soils
  • CSES 3124: Soils Laboratory
  • CSES 2224: Foundations of Precision Agriculture
  • CSES 4224: Applied Concepts in Precision Agriculture
  • CSES 4234: Agro Data Integration
  • CSES 4524: Drone Applications in Ag Systems
  • CSES 4534: Internet of Things (IoT) for Smart Farming
  • GEOG 2084: Principles of Geographic Information Systems
• Professional Development Requirements:
  • SPES 2014: Professional Development Skills
  • SPES 3900: Bridge Experience
  • SPES 4014: Career Development and Planning
• Restricted Electives:
  • Select an approved minor or a minimum of 18 credits from the following courses:
    • AAEC 2104: Personal Financial Planning
    • AAEC 2434: Foundations of Agribusiness
    • 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
    • CS 1044: Introduction to Programming in C
    • CS 1054: Introduction to Programming in Java
    • CS 1064: Introduction to Programming in Python
    • CS 1114: Introduction to Software Design
    • CSES 2244: Agriculture, Global Food Security and Health
    • CSES 2434: Crop Evaluation
    • CSES 3144: Soil Description and Interpretation
    • CSES 3614: Soil Physical and Hydrological Properties
    • CSES 4134: Soil Genesis and Classification
    • CSES 4144: Plant Breeding and Genetics
    • CSES 4214: Soil Fertility and Management
    • 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 4734: Environmental Soil Chemistry
    • ENSC 4764: Bioremediation
    • ENSC 4774: Reclamation of Drastically Disturbed Lands
    • ENT 4254: Insect Pest Management
    • ENT/PPWS 4264: Pesticide Usage
    • GEOG 4354: Introduction to Remote Sensing
    • HORT 2184: Plants, Places, and Cultures in a Global Context
    • HORT 2234: Environmental Factors in Horticulture
    • HORT 4334: Greenhouse and Controlled Environment Agriculture Management
    • PHYS 2205: General Physics
    • or PHYS 2305: Foundations of Physics
    • PHYS 2206: General Physics
    • 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 4114: Topics: StudyAway: Production, Culture and Social Aspects US Agriculture
    • Up to 3 credit hours can be selected from the following courses:
      • SPES 3954: Study Abroad (1-3)
      • SPES 4964: Field Study (1-3)
      • SPES 4974: Independent Study (1-3)
      • SPES 4994: Undergraduate Research (1-3)
• Free Electives:
  • Select remaining credit hours of free electives to fulfill the 120 credit hour minimum.

Pathways to General Education

The program also includes a range of general education courses that cover the principles of discourse, critical thinking, and quantitative and computational thinking.

• Pathways Concept 1 - Discourse:
  • ENGL 1105: First-Year Writing (1F)
  • ENGL 1106: First-Year Writing (1F)
  • Select three credits in Pathway 1a
• Pathways Concept 2 - Critical Thinking in the Humanities:
  • Select six credits in Pathway 2
  • AAEC 1005: Economics of the Food and Fiber System
  • or ECON 2005: Principles of Economics
• Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences:
  • Select 3 credits in Pathways Concept 3
• Pathways Concept 4 - Reasoning in the Natural Sciences:
  • CHEM 1035: General Chemistry
  • CHEM 1036: General Chemistry
  • CHEM 1045: General Chemistry Laboratory
  • CHEM 1046: General Chemistry Laboratory
• Pathways Concept 5 - Quantitative and Computational Thinking:
  • CS 1014: Introduction to Computational Thinking
  • MATH 1025: Elementary Calculus
  • or MATH 1225: Calculus of a Single Variable
  • Select three credits in Pathway 5a
• Pathways Concept 6 - Critique and Practice in Design and the Arts:
  • Select three credits in Pathway 6d
  • Select three credits of Pathway 6a
• Pathways Concept 7 - Critical Analysis of Identity and Equity in the United States:
  • Select three credits of Pathway 7 (may be double-counted with another Pathways concept)

Satisfactory Progress

To make satisfactory progress toward a BS PLSC degree, students must pass the following courses:

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

Graduation Requirements

To graduate, students must complete a minimum of 120 credit hours, with a minimum overall GPA of 2.0 and an in-major GPA of 2.0.

• Total Credit Hours Required: Minimum of 120
• GPA Requirements:
  • Overall GPA: 2.0 (each semester in order to be in good academic standing)
  • In-major GPA: 2.0 (by the time the student graduates)
    • Includes classes in: CSES, ENSC, HORT, and PPWS
• Prerequisites: Some courses listed may have pre-/co-requisites; please consult the University Catalog or check with your advisor.

Acceptable Substitutions

The following substitutions are acceptable:

• 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 courses that students should take each semester to complete the program in four years.

• First Year:
  • Fall Semester:
    • BIOL 1105: Principles of Biology
    • CHEM 1035: General Chemistry
    • CHEM 1045: General Chemistry Laboratory
    • ENGL 1105: First-Year Writing
    • MATH 1025: Elementary Calculus
    • or MATH 1225: Calculus of a Single Variable
    • SPES 1004: First Year Seminar
    • or ALS 1234: CALS First Year Seminar
  • Spring Semester:
    • BIOL 1106: Principles of Biology
    • CHEM 1046: General Chemistry Laboratory
    • CHEM 1036: General Chemistry
    • CS 1014: Introduction to Computational Thinking
    • ENGL 1106: First-Year Writing
    • SPES 2014: Professional Development Skills
• Second Year:
  • Fall Semester:
    • CSES 2224: Foundations of Precision Agriculture
    • ENSC 1015: Foundations of Environmental Science
    • or ENSC 1016: Foundations of Environmental Science
    • HORT 2224: Horticulture Science and Industry
    • or CSES 2444: Agronomic Crops
    • or CSES 2564: Turfgrass Management
    • Pathways Concept 1 - Discourse
    • Pathways Concept 6 - Critique and Practice in Design and the Arts
  • Spring Semester:
    • AAEC 1005: Economics of the Food and Fiber System
    • or ECON 2005: Principles of Economics
    • GEOG 2084: Principles of Geographic Information Systems
    • HORT 2304: Plant Biology
    • PPWS 2104: Plants, Genes, and People
    • Pathways Concept 5 - Quantitative and Computational Thinking
• Third Year:
  • Fall Semester:
    • ALCE 3634: Communicating Ag and Life Sciences in Speaking
    • or ALCE 3624: Communicating Ag and Life Sciences in Writing
    • CSES 3114: Soils
    • CSES 3124: Soils Laboratory
    • CSES 4234: Agro Data Integration
    • CSES 4224: Applied Concepts in Precision Agriculture
    • Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences
  • Spring Semester:
    • PPWS 4104: Plant Pathology
    • Restricted Elective or Approved Minor Course
    • Pathways Concept 2 - Critical Thinking in the Humanities
    • Pathways Concept 6 - Critique and Practice in Design and the Arts
    • Free Electives
    • SPES 3900: Bridge Experience
• Fourth Year:
  • Fall Semester:
    • CSES 4524: Drone Applications in Ag Systems
    • CSES 4534: Internet of Things (IoT) for Smart Farming
    • Restricted Elective or Approved Minor Course
    • Restricted Elective or Approved Minor Course
    • Pathways Concept 2 - Critical Thinking in the Humanities
    • SPES 4014: Career Development and Planning
  • Spring Semester:
    • Restricted Elective or Approved Minor Course
    • Restricted Elective or Approved Minor Course
    • Restricted Elective or Approved Minor Course
    • Pathways Concept 7 - Critical Analysis of Identity and Equity in the United States
    • Free Electives

Approved Minors

The following minors are approved for the Integrated Agriculture Technologies Major:

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