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Bachelor of Science Degree - Agricultural Studies - Soil Science Option

Overview

Degree Requirements:

  • General Education
  • Core Curriculum
  • Option(s) Courses
  • Electives

Student Learning Outcomes

Agricultural Studies graduates will be able to demonstrate:

  1. The application of basic scientific and economic principles to agricultural production, business, and resource management. (This learning outcome directly addresses Institutional Learning Outcome II.) 
  2. The application of production concepts appropriate to the Northern Great Plains region. (This learning outcome directly addresses Institutional Learning Outcomes II and VI.)
  3. Oral, written, and graphical communication skills. (This learning outcome directly addresses Institutional Learning Outcome III.)
  4. An understanding of agricultural resource management in a broader global, socioeconomic context. (This learning outcome directly addresses Institutional Learning Outcomes I and V.)
  5. The application of leadership skills necessary for successful advocacy at local, state, regional, and national levels.  (This learning outcome directly addresses Institutional Learning Outcome IV.)

Career Options

Why should you pursue a Bachelor of Science Degree - Agricultural Studies: Soil Science Option?

Students pursuing the soil science option of the bachelor’s in agricultural studies combine a strong science foundation with an understanding of soils, agriculture and resource management to prepare for employment as a soil scientist in government service at the local, state and federal levels or in the conservation and reclamation of many different types of natural resource areas.

Possible Career Paths

  • Government Service, Entry-level Soil Scientists
  • Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
  • Soil Conservation District (SCD)
  • NGO Environmental Consulting (domestic and international)
  • Agronomy Consulting
  • Land Reclamation
  • Environmental Consultant

Requirements

THE FOLLOWING ARE REQUIRED AS PART OF GENERAL EDUCATION

ECON 201Principles Of Microeconomics

3
MATH 103College Algebra

4

AGRICULTURAL STUDIES CORE CURRICULUM

AGEC 241Introduction to Agricultural Economics

3
AGEC 342Introduction to Agricultural Management

3
AGRI 350Agricultural Data Analysis and Statistics

4
AGRI 391Junior Seminar

1
AGRI 394Undergraduate Research

1
H&CE 241Leadership and Presentation Techniques

3
PLSC 110World Food Crops

3
RNG 236Introduction to Range Management

4
SOIL 210Introduction to Soil Science

4

One course from the following two courses (3 credits):

ANSC 114Introduction to Animal Science

3
ANSC 123Feeds and Feeding

3

One course from the following two courses (3 credits):

BOTE 247Spreadsheet Applications

3
CSCI 200Database Software Applications

3

One course from the following two courses (1 credit):

AGRI 491Agricultural Seminar

1
RNG 491Range Seminar

1

AGRI 491 and RNG 491 are capstone experience seminars that consist of an independent study with a public presentation and a professional paper requirement.

One course from the following three courses (3 credits):

AGRI 280Technology in Agriculture

3
GIS 380Applied Arc GIS

3
GIS 381Geographic Information Systems for Business

3

One course from the following four courses (3 credits):

BOTE 210Business Communication

3
COMM 212Interpersonal Communication

3
COMM 216Intercultural Communication

3
COMM 317Organizational and Group Communication

3
Total Credit Hours:39

Soil Science Option

Students pursuing the Soil Science option combine a strong science foundation with an understanding of soils, agriculture and resource management to prepare for employment as a soil scientist in government service.

Students will be required to take GIS 380 – Applied Arc GIS as part of the Agricultural Studies core curriculum. They will be required to take GEOL 105, GEOL 105L – Physical Geology and Lab as the General Education science elective. If not taken as a General Education class, it must be taken to fulfill the Soil Science option requirements.

CHEM 121General Chemistry I

4
CHEM 121LGeneral Chemistry Lab I

1
CHEM 122General Chemistry II

4
CHEM 122LGeneral Chemistry Lab II

1
GEOL 311Process Geomorphology

4
GEOL 320Hydrogeology

3
SCNC 315Weather and Climate

3

Select four of the five following courses (12-13 credits):

SOIL 321Soil Management and Conservation

3
SOIL 322Soil Fertility and Fertilizers

3
SOIL 350Soil Health and Productivity

3
SOIL 444Soil Genesis and Survey

4
SOIL 455Soil Microbiology

3
One course from the following two courses (3 credits):
GIS 382Applied GPS

3
GIS 480GPS/GIS II

3

One course from the following two courses (3 credits):

PLSC 225Principles of Crop Production

3
RNG 350Range Plants and Communities

3

Two pairs of courses from the following choices (8 credits):

BIOL 151General Biology II

3
BIOL 151LGeneral Biology II Lab

1
Or
PHYS 211College Physics I

3
PHYS 211LCollege Physics I Lab

1
Or
PHYS 212College Physics II

3
PHYS 212LCollege Physics II Lab

1
Total Credit Hours:46-47

Total Credit Hours:85-86

Semester Sequence

First Semester

ANSC 114Introduction to Animal Science

3
Or
ANSC 123Feeds and Feeding

3
 
COMM 110Fundamentals Of Public Speaking

3
ENGL 110College Composition I

3
H&CE 241Leadership and Presentation Techniques

3
PLSC 110World Food Crops

3
UNIV 100Freshman Seminar

1
Total Credit Hours:16

Second Semester

CSCI 101Introduction To Computers

3
ENGL 120College Composition II

3
HPER 100Concepts of Fitness and Wellness

2
MATH 103College Algebra

4
General Education Human Behavior and Governance Course

3
General Education Global Perspectives Course

3
Total Credit Hours:18

Third Semester

BOTE 247Spreadsheet Applications

3
OR
CSCI 200Database Software Applications

3
 
CHEM 121General Chemistry I

4
CHEM 121LGeneral Chemistry Lab I

1
ECON 201Principles Of Microeconomics

3
GIS 380Applied Arc GIS

3
General Education Creative Expression Course

3
Total Credit Hours:17

Fourth Semester

AGEC 241Introduction to Agricultural Economics

3
CHEM 122General Chemistry II

4
CHEM 122LGeneral Chemistry Lab II

1
SOIL 210Introduction to Soil Science

4
General Education Literature Course

3
Total Credit Hours:15

Fifth Semester

BIOL 151General Biology II

3
BIOL 151LGeneral Biology II Lab

1
Or
PHYS 211College Physics I

3
PHYS 211LCollege Physics I Lab

1
 
GEOL 105Physical Geology

3
GEOL 105LPhysical Geology Lab

1
 
PLSC 225Principles of Crop Production

3
Or
RNG 350Range Plants and Communities

3
 
RNG 236Introduction to Range Management

4
Total Credit Hours:15

Sixth Semester

AGEC 342Introduction to Agricultural Management

3
AGRI 391Junior Seminar

1
SCNC 315Weather and Climate

3
Communication Elective Communication Elective - 200 or higher

3
Soil Elective Soil Elective

3-4
Total Credit Hours:13-14

Seventh Semester

AGRI 394Undergraduate Research

1
AGRI 350Agricultural Data Analysis and Statistics

4
GEOL 311Process Geomorphology

4
Soil Elective Soil Elective

3-4
Science Elective Science Elective

4
Total Credit Hours:16-17

Eighth Semester

 
AGRI 491Agricultural Seminar

1
Or
RNG 491Range Seminar

1
 
GEOL 320Hydrogeology

3
GIS 382Applied GPS

3
Or
GIS 480GPS/GIS II

3
 
Soil Elective Soil Elective

3-4
Soil Elective Soil Elective

3-4
Total Credit Hours:13-15

Soil Electives (Pick 4 or 5)

  • SOIL 321 - Soil Management and Conservation (3 credits)
  • SOIL 322: Fertility and Fertilizers (3 credits)
  • SOIL 350: Soil Health and Productivity (3 credits)
  • SOIL 444: Soil Genesis & Survey (4 credits)
  • SOIL 455 - Soil Microbiology (3 credits)

Science Elective B (Pick 1 or 2)

Communication Elective (3 Credits)

  • BOTE 210: Business Communication (3 credits)
  • COMM 212: Oral Interpretation
  • COMM 317: Organization and Group Communication
  • If taken COMM 216: Interpersonal Communication (3 credits), elective is met