Program Overview

Soil Science Option

The Soil Science Option is offered within the Crop and Soil Science undergraduate major (BS, HBS) at the College of Agricultural Sciences. This option is also available at LaGrande and via Ecampus.

Overview

The study of soil as a science provides students with a basic understanding of the physical, chemical, and biological properties of this essential natural resource. Soil is the fundamental substrate for life in terrestrial systems, and our understanding of soils is critical in various fields, including agriculture, ecology, and construction.

Requirements

The Soil Science Option requires a minimum of 46-64 total credits. The course list includes:

• ENT 311: Introduction to Insect Pest Management (4 credits)
• SOIL 205 and SOIL 206: Soil Science and Soil Science Laboratory for SOIL 205 (4 credits)
• Alternatively, CSS 205: Soil Science
• BOT 331: Plant Physiology (3-4 credits)
• Alternatively, CROP 200: Crop Ecology and Morphology or HORT 301: Growth and Development of Horticultural Crops
• HORT 316: Plant Nutrition (4 credits)
• Alternatively, SOIL 316: Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems

Option Tracks

Students must select one of the following tracks:

Soils Research Track

• GEO 201: Physical Geology
• Alternatively, GEO 202: Earth Systems Science, GEO 203: Evolution of Planet Earth, GEO 221: Environmental Geology, or GEO 101: The Solid Earth
• MTH 251: Differential Calculus
• PH 201 and PH 202: General Physics
• SOIL 435: Environmental Soil Physics
• SOIL 445: Environmental Soil Chemistry
• SOIL 455: Biology of Soil Ecosystems
• SOIL 466: Soil Morphology and Classification
• ST 351: Introduction to Statistical Methods

General Soils Track

• GEO 201: Physical Geology
• Alternatively, GEO 202: Earth Systems Science, GEO 203: Evolution of Planet Earth, GEO 221: Environmental Geology, or GEO 101: The Solid Earth
• MTH 112: Elementary Functions
• Alternatively, MTH 241: Calculus for Management and Social Science or MTH 245: Mathematics for Management, Life, and Social Sciences
• SOIL 466: Soil Morphology and Classification
• ST 351: Introduction to Statistical Methods
• SOIL 366: Ecosystems of Wildland Soils
• Alternatively, SOIL 435: Environmental Soil Physics, SOIL 445: Environmental Soil Chemistry, or SOIL 455: Biology of Soil Ecosystems

Soil Science Electives

Students must select a minimum of 12 credits from the following categories:

Nutrient Cycling

• AEC 211: Agricultural and Food Management
• AEC 250: Introduction to Environmental Economics and Policy
• BOT 331: Plant Physiology
• BOT 547: Nutrient Cycling
• CH 130: General Chemistry of Living Systems
• CROP 199: Special Studies: Issues in Sustainable Agriculture
• FES 365: Issues in Natural Resources Conservation
• FES 435/TOX 435: Genes and Chemicals in Agriculture: Value and Risk
• HORT 316: Plant Nutrition
• RNG 341: Rangeland Ecology and Management
• SOIL 388: Soil Systems and Plant Growth
• SOIL 395: World Soil Resources
• SOIL 525: Mineral-Organic Matter Interactions
• TOX 430: Chemical Behavior in the Environment

Soil Biology/Ecology

• ATS 564: Interactions of Vegetation and Atmosphere
• BB 314: Cell and Molecular Biology
• BI 311: Genetics
• BI 370: Ecology
• BOT 331: Plant Physiology
• BOT 332: Laboratory Techniques in Plant Biology
• BOT 341: Plant Ecology
• CH 331: Organic Chemistry
• CH 332: Organic Chemistry
• FES 341: Forest Ecology
• FES 435/TOX 435: Genes and Chemicals in Agriculture: Value and Risk
• MB 302: General Microbiology
• MB 303: General Microbiology Laboratory
• MB 448: Microbial Ecology
• SOIL 366: Ecosystems of Wildland Soils

Soil Hydrology

• CE 412: Hydrology
• CE 413: GIS in Water Resources
• FE 430: Watershed Processes
• FE 434: Forest Watershed Management
• GEO 487: Hydrogeology
• GEOG 340: Introduction to Water Science and Policy
• GEOG 360: GIScience I: Geographic Information Systems and Theory
• GEOG 441: The World's Water
• MTH 251: Differential Calculus
• MTH 252: Integral Calculus
• PH 202: General Physics

Spatial Analysis/Land Use

• AEC 250: Introduction to Environmental Economics and Policy
• FE 434: Forest Watershed Management
• FES 365: Issues in Natural Resources Conservation
• GEO 432: Applied Geomorphology
• GEOG 201: Foundations of Geospatial Science and GIS
• GEOG 340: Introduction to Water Science and Policy
• GEOG 360: GIScience I: Geographic Information Systems and Theory
• GEOG 450: Land Use in the American West
• HORT 414/CROP 414: Precision Agriculture
• PH 201: General Physics
• PH 202: General Physics
• RNG 341: Rangeland Ecology and Management
• SOIL 366: Ecosystems of Wildland Soils

Sustainable Systems

• AEC 250: Introduction to Environmental Economics and Policy
• BI 301: Human Impacts on Ecosystems
• BOT 350: Introductory Plant Pathology
• CROP 199: Special Studies: Issues in Sustainable Agriculture
• CROP 280: Introduction to the Complexity of Oregon Cropping Systems
• CROP 300: Crop Production in Pacific Northwest Agroecosystems
• CROP 310: Forage Production
• CROP 330: World Food Crops
• CROP 355: Organic Certification
• CROP 420: Seed Science and Technology
• CROP 440: Weed Management
• CROP 460: Seed Production
• CROP 480: Case Studies in Cropping Systems Management
• GEOG 300: Sustainability for the Common Good
• HORT 260: Organic Farming and Gardening
• SOIL 360: Soil Management for Organic Production
• SOIL 499: Special Topics
• Z 349: Biodiversity: Causes, Consequences, and Conservation

Water/Watershed Management

• AEC 250: Introduction to Environmental Economics and Policy
• AEC 351: Natural Resource Economics and Policy
• FE 430: Watershed Processes
• FE 434: Forest Watershed Management
• FES 365: Issues in Natural Resources Conservation
• FW 326: Integrated Watershed Management
• GEO 322: Surface Processes
• GEOG 340: Introduction to Water Science and Policy
• PS 475: Environmental Politics and Policy
• RNG 355: Desert Watershed Management
• RNG 455: Riparian Ecohhydrology and Management
• SOIL 366: Ecosystems of Wildland Soils

Career Opportunities

Soil science professionals can work in various fields, including government agencies, private research laboratories, environmental service companies, insurance companies, and land appraisal firms. Many soil scientists work for the Natural Resource Conservation Service, while others hold teaching or research positions in colleges and universities.