College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences

Department of Plants, Soils and Climate

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• For more information about Soils and Sustainable Land Systems, see the website.
• Following is a sample four-year plan. Please note that student-specific plans may differ.
• Admitted students must meet with an advisor. Current students should also meet with an advisor and logon to Degree Works  to check student-specific program progress.
• Can also have an emphasis in Environmental Soil Science  or Sustainable Food Production .

 

 

Minimum University Requirements
Total Credits	120			Grade Point Average (most majors require higher GPA)	2.00 GPA
Credits of C- or better	100			Credits of upper-division courses (#3000 or above)	40
Total USU Credits	30			Upper-division USU Credits	20
USU Credits within the Major	10			Credits in Minor (if required)	12
Credits in Major	see below			Credits in American Institutions	3
General Education Requirements	see link			University Studies Depth Requirements	see link
NOTES: highest Math Requirement for this degree is STAT 3000: Statistics for Scientists (QI)

 

Admissions Requirements for this Program
New freshmen	Admitted to USU in Good Standing			Transfer students from other institutions or other programs at USU	2.75 GPA

First Year
Fall Semester	Credits	General Education Info and Notes:		Spring Semester	Credits	General Education Info and Notes:
ENGL 1010: Introduction to Writing: Academic Prose (CL1)	3			CHEM 1210: Principles of Chemistry I	4
MATH 1210: Calculus I (QL)	4			ENGL 2010: Intermediate Writing: Research Writing in a Persuasive Mode (CL2)	3
PSC 4900: Special Problems : Forum on Soils and Sustainable Land Systems	3			GEO 1110: Physical Geology (BPS)	3
PSC 2000: The Atmosphere and Weather (BPS)	3			GEO 1115: Physical Geology Laboratory	1
USU 1300: U.S. Institutions (BAI)	3			MATH 1220: Calculus II (QL)	4
Total Recommended Credits:	16			Total Recommended Credits:	15
Comments				Comments

Second Year
Fall Semester	Credits	General Education Info and Notes:		Spring Semester	Credits	General Education Info and Notes:
BIOL 1610: Biology I	3			ASTE 2900: Food Matters: Ethics, Economics, and the Environment (BSS)	3
BIOL 1615: Biology I Laboratory	1			PHYS 2220: Physics for Scientists and Engineers II (BPS/QI)	4
MATH 2250: Linear Algebra and Differential Equations (QI)	4			PSC 3500: Structure and Function of Plants	3
PHYS 2210: Physics for Scientists and Engineers I (BPS/QI)	4			PSC 4810: Climate and Climate Change (DSC/QI)	3
Breadth Humanities (BHU) Course	3			Discipline Courses	3	See below
Total Recommended Credits:	15			Total Recommended Credits:	16
Comments				Comments

Third Year
Fall Semester	Credits	General Education Info and Notes:		Spring Semester	Credits	General Education Info and Notes:
PSC 3000: Fundamentals of Soil Science	4			GEO 5680: Paleoclimatology	3
PSC 5000 - Environmental Instrumentation	2			PSC 5003: Remote Sensing of Land Surfaces	3
STAT 3000: Statistics for Scientists (QI)	3			Breadth Creative Arts (BCA) Course	3
WILD 2200: Ecology of Our Changing World (BLS)	3			Discipline Courses	3	See below
Total Recommended Credits:	13			Total Recommended Credits:	13
Comments				Comments

Fourth Year
Fall Semester	Credits	General Education Info and Notes:		Spring Semester	Credits	General Education Info and Notes:
APEC 3012: Introduction to Natural Resource and Regional Economics (DSS)	3			PSC 4900: Special Problems	2
GEO 3150: Energy in the Twenty-first Century (DSC/QI)	3			PSC 5270: Environmental Plant Physiology	2
PSC 5670: Environmental Soil Physics	4	Taught even years only		PSC 5500: Environmental Physics of Land Ecosystems and Climate	3
Depth Humanities (DHA) Course  or Communications Intensive (CI) Course	3			PSC 6900: Special Problems in Plants, Soils, and/or Climate	1-8	Enroll in 3 credits
Discipline Courses	3	See below		Discipline Courses	3	See below
Total Recommended Credits:	16			Total Recommended Credits:	13
Comments				Comments

Contact Lisa Allen, lisa.allen@usu.edu, 435-797-0454 for advising.