Program: Soils and Sustainable Land Systems: Environmental Soil Science Option - BA, BS - Utah State University

Apr 06, 2025

2024-2025 General Catalog

College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences

Department of Plants, Soils and Climate

About This Degree

The Soils and Sustainable Land Systems major provides students with an understanding of the physical, chemical, and biological processes that occur in the soil-water-atmosphere zone at the earth’s surface.

Environmental Soil Science Emphasis: This emphasis features a core curriculum of math and science courses and introductory soil science courses. Students then choose electives that are more in-depth and specific to soil science.

For more information about Soils and Sustainable Land Systems, see the website.
Admitted and current students must meet with an advisor.
Log on to Degree Works to check student-specific program progress.
Can also have an emphasis in Sustainable Food Production .
The highest math requirement for this degree is STAT 2000: Statistical Methods (QI) or STAT 3000: Statistics for Scientists (QI) .

Minimum University Requirements

Total Credits: 120
Credits of C- or better: 100
Total credits taken at USU: 30
Credits of upper-division courses required for the major taken at USU: 10
Minimum Grade Point Average (many majors require a higher GPA): 2.0 GPA
Credits of upper-division courses (#3000 or above): 40
Upper-division credits taken at USU: 20
General Education Requirements
University Studies Requirements
Undergraduate Degree Requirements

Admission Requirements For This Program

New freshmen: Admitted to USU in Good Standing
Transfer students from other institutions or other programs at USU: 2.5 GPA

Major Requirements (91 credits)

This major requires a minimum GPA of 2.5 in program coursework. Courses for the program may not be taken on a pass/fail basis.

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

Preparatory Core Requirements (54-55 credits)

BIOL 1610 - Biology I 3 credit(s)
BIOL 1615 - Biology I Laboratory 1 credit(s)
CHEM 1110 - General Chemistry I (BPS) 4 credit(s)
CHEM 1120 - General Chemistry II (BPS) 4 credit(s)
CHEM 1125 - General Chemistry II Laboratory 1 credit(s)
GEO 1110 - Physical Geology (BPS) 3 credit(s)
GEO 1115 - Physical Geology Laboratory 1 credit(s)
MATH 1050 - College Algebra (QL) 4 credit(s)
MATH 1060 - Trigonometry 2 credit(s)
MATH 1210 - Calculus I (QL) 4 credit(s)
PSC 2000 - The Atmosphere and Weather (BPS) 3 credit(s)
PSC 3000 - Fundamentals of Soil Science 4 credit(s)
PSC 3500 - Structure and Function of Plants 3 credit(s)
PSC 4810 - Climate and Climate Change (DSC/QI) 3 credit(s)
PHYS 2110 - General Physics - Life Sciences I 4 credit(s)
PHYS 2120 - General Physics - Life Sciences II (BPS) 4 credit(s)
STAT 2000 - Statistical Methods (QI) 4 credit(s) or
STAT 3000 - Statistics for Scientists (QI) 3 credit(s)
WILD 2200 - Ecology of Our Changing World (BLS) 3 credit(s)

Required Professional Core (22 credits)

APEC 3012 - Introduction to Natural Resource Economics (DSS) 3 credit(s)
PSC 5050 - Principles of Environmental Soil Chemistry 3 credit(s)
PSC 5130 - Soil Genesis, Morphology, and Classification 4 credit(s)
PSC 5530 - Soil Health and Fertility (QI) 3 credit(s)
PSC 5560 - Analytical Techniques for the Soil Environment 3 credit(s)
PSC 5670 - Environmental Soil Physics 4 credit(s)
PSC 5740 - Environmental Quality: Soil and Water (CI) 2 credit(s)

Further Discipline Courses (15 credits)

Choose 15 credits from the following courses.

ASTE 5260 - Environmental Impacts of Agricultural Systems (CI) 3 credit(s)
BIOL 4400 - Plant Physiology (QI) 4 credit(s)
BIOL 4410 - Plant Structure 3 credit(s)
BIOL 4430 - Introduction to Plant Pathology 4 credit(s)
BIOL 4500 - Applied Entomology 3 credit(s)
BIOL 5310 - Soil Microbiology 3 credit(s)
CEE 3430 - Engineering Hydrology 3 credit(s)
CEE 5000 - Irrigation and Drainage of Agricultural Lands 3 credit(s)
CEE 5003 - Remote Sensing of Land Surfaces 3 credit(s)
CEE 5190 - Geographic Information Systems for Civil Engineers 3 credit(s)
CHEM 3000 - Quantitative Analysis (QI) 3 credit(s)
GEO 2800 - Minerals and Rocks 4 credit(s)
GEO 3150 - Energy in the Twenty-first Century (DSC/QI) 3 credit(s)
GEO 3550 - Sedimentation and Stratigraphy 4 credit(s)
GEO 3600 - Geomorphology 4 credit(s) or
WATS 3600 - Geomorphology 4 credit(s)
GEO 5150 - Fluvial Geomorphology 3 credit(s)
GEO 5510 - Groundwater Geology (QI) 3 credit(s)
GEO 5520 - Techniques of Groundwater Investigations (CI) 3 credit(s)
GEO 5600 - Geochemistry 4 credit(s)
GEO 5630 - Geologic Image Analysis 3 credit(s)
GEO 5680 - Paleoclimatology 3 credit(s)
PSC 1800 - Introduction to Horticulture (BLS) 3 credit(s)
PSC 2600 - Herbaceous Plant Materials 3 credit(s)
PSC 2620 - Woody Plant Materials: Trees and Shrubs for the Landscape 3 credit(s)
PSC 2700 - Climate Change Impacts (BPS) 3 credit(s)
PSC 3100 - Soils and Civilization (DSC) 3 credit(s)
PSC 3200 - Microbes in Environmental Action (DSC) 3 credit(s)
PSC 3400 - Arboriculture 3 credit(s)
PSC 3600 - An Introduction to Plant Breeding and Heredity 3 credit(s)
PSC 3800 - Fundamentals of Organic Agriculture 3 credit(s)
PSC 3810 - Turfgrass Management 3 credit(s)
PSC 4200 - Temperate Zone Fruit Production 3 credit(s)
PSC 4280 - World Field Cropping Systems 3 credit(s)
PSC 4320 - Forage Production and Pasture Management 3 credit(s)
PSC 4400 - Modern Vegetable Production 3 credit(s)
PSC 4500 - Urban Soil Management and Reclamation 3 credit(s)
PSC 4700 - Irrigated Soils 3 credit(s)
PSC 4890 - Senior Seminar (CI) 1 credit(s)
PSC 5003 - Remote Sensing of Land Surfaces 3 credit(s)
PSC 5270 - Environmental Plant Physiology 2 credit(s)
PSC 5310 - Soil Microbiology 3 credit(s)
PSC 5350 - Wildland Soils 3 credit(s)
PSC 5430 - Plant Nutrition 2 credit(s)
PSC 5500 - Environmental Physics of Land Ecosystems and Climate 3 credit(s)
PSC 5530 - Soil Health and Fertility (QI) 3 credit(s)
PSC 5550 - Fundamentals of Integrated Weed Management 4 credit(s)
PSC 6100 - Professional Turf and Urban Landscape Water Management 3 credit(s)
WATS 3700 - Fundamentals of Watershed Science (CI) 3 credit(s)
WATS 4500 - Limnology: Ecology of Inland Waters 3 credit(s)
WATS 4510 - Aquatic Ecology Practicum I: Lab Methods 2 credit(s)
WATS 4530 - Water Quality and Pollution 3 credit(s)
WATS 4930 - Advanced GIS and Spatial Analysis 3 credit(s)
WATS 5003 - Remote Sensing of Land Surfaces 4 credit(s)
WATS 5150 - Fluvial Geomorphology 3 credit(s)
WATS 5640 - Riparian Ecology and Management 3 credit(s)
WILD 3800 - Wildland Plants and Ecosystems 4 credit(s)
WILD 4750 - Monitoring and Assessment in Natural Resource and Environmental Management 4 credit(s)
WILD 4910 - Vegetation Resource Management and Planning (CI) 3 credit(s)
WILD 5350 - Wildland Soils 3 credit(s)
WILD 5750 - Applied Remote Sensing 3 credit(s)

Open Electives

Total elective credit is determined by General Education courses taken, degree type selected, additional credits earned, and any additional math or other prerequisite courses needed. Please consult your Academic Advisor for details.

Total Credits: 120

Suggested Degree Map - Soils and Sustainable Land Systems: Environmental Soil Science Option BA, BS

Soils and Sustainable Land Systems: Environmental Soil Science Option BA, BS - 4 Year Degree Map