MA/MS in Soil Sciences

This graduate major covers the study of soils through research guided by faculty and a graduate committee. Faculty specializations span ecosystem services, forest soils, nutrient management, biogeochemistry, microbial ecology, cropping sustainability, soil formation, geomorphology and hydrology. Campus lands give students an unusually wide range of soil types for studying related problems. Master's students may complete either a project or a thesis, while doctoral students write a dissertation and take a teaching practicum and a course on responsible research conduct. Coursework is tailored to each student's research and can include classes offered by other units, such as statistics and plant pathology. The MS requires at least 45 credits, while the PhD requires at least 108 graduate credits.