Program Overview

M.Sc. Degree in Soil Science

The Master of Science in Soil Sciences is offered by the Department of Soil Science, College of Agricultural and Food Sciences, King Saud University. The program has been in place since 1403 (1983) and has undergone several stages to meet the requirements of the Saudi Agricultural sector in the area of soil science. The latest update was in 2002 (1422).

Program Objectives

• Activate scientific research with emphasis on soil environment.
• Support cooperation between the university and concerned private and governmental organizations.
• Create new chances and opportunities for graduate students in soil and environmental sciences.

Admissions

• Admission is open to all qualified students who hold a bachelor's degree in soil science or other related specialization from King Saud University or a university that grants degrees recognized by King Saud University.
• Students should pass a personal meeting with the department's graduate committee.

Degree Requirements and Study Program

• The study leading to an M.Sc. in Soil Science is basically by courses and dissertation.
• The program requires a minimum of 28 units of graduate coursework distributed over 4 study levels according to the study plan.
• The department decides the study plan for the students before the end of the second study level based on the minor specialization.
• The student is required to study an English language course at the first level, but this is not required for students who have a TOEFL score of 450 or those who have a B.Sc. degree from a non-Arabic university with English as the study language.

Research Areas

The program focuses on several areas, including:

• Environmental soil physics
• Environmental soil chemistry
• Soil Pedology
• Soil mineralogy
• Soil fertility and plant nutrition
• Soil microbiology
• Soil and water management
• Soil plant water relationships
• Soil and water contamination
• The use of remote sensing in land survey and evaluation

Master in Environmental Science

Soil Science has strong involvement in King Saud University's program, which offers a Master's degree in Environmental Science. Most of the courses offered in this program are taught by Soil Science faculty members. Since the department is leading in environmental science at King Saud University, most student projects in the Environmental Master Science program are done in this department.